What Are Chia Seeds?
The Latin name for the chia plant is salvia hispanica. It is a part of the mint family and has naturally been found in various parts of Mexico and Guatemala. This plant’s rich history dates back hundreds of years to when it was used as an important crop by the Aztecs. Even today, farmers in Mexico and Guatemala harvest the chia plant for use in healthy drinks and food. The seeds are often ground up, though sometimes whole seeds are used, and put into various types of beverages and food items for their nutritional value.
The seeds themselves are generally oval shaped and quite small – less than half an inch in diameter. They have a dark, olive green color, as well as specks of brown, black and grey. Though they have been a traditional food staple in Mexico for a long time, they have also been widely used in foods in the American southwest and their popularity is continuously spreading, especially as people become more aware of chia seeds weight loss as a health benefit of eating these seeds.
Chia Seeds Health Benefits
The main nutritional aspect of chia seeds that people find valuable is their oil. In fact, their name is derived from the word oily in an ancient native language. The oil is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids – similar to the kind of oils found in cold water fish. These are unsaturated fatty acids and they are very important to our health overall. These types of nutrients are not naturally created in our bodies, so we need to have plenty of external sources for consumption of these nutrients. Although fish oils are known as some of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, they are also present in many plant oils, such as algae, flaxseed and of course, chia seeds.
Of all the major plant sources for omega-3 fatty acids, the chia seed contains one of the highest concentrations of ALA, one of the two types of omega-3’s. Chia seeds contain more ALA than flax, lingonberry, black raspberry and even hemp. Consequently, eating foods made with oil from chia seeds is excellent for our health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are not the only chia seeds health benefits. These wondrous seeds also contain essential minerals like potassium, sodium, phosphorous, calcium and manganese. So if you want to lose weight by eating naturally nutritious foods, take a look at some chia seeds recipes for some great ideas on how to incorporate them into your daily diet.
There are many ways to eat chia seeds, from just eating the whole seeds raw or grinding them up and adding them to flour for various types of baked goods like breads and muffins. In Mexico, the seeds are often put in fruit juice or water to soak before drinking. If you soak the seeds for a while, they get soft and are great for adding to oatmeal or other kinds of porridges. Chia seeds also grow sprouts, just like alfalfa seeds. You could add those sprouts to anything from salads to sandwiches and any other dishes in which you would normally use sprouts. Chia seeds weight loss is easy when you incorporate all these different ways of eating these nutritional seeds into your meals.
How Does Chia Seeds Weight Loss Work?
You now know about the nutritional benefits of chia seeds, but how does all that translate into weight loss for you? Well, all of the nutrients and essential fatty acids contained in the seeds contribute to higher levels of energy for your body. A diet full of foods that contain chia seeds will help you be more energetic, which will make it easier for you to go for a job and do other physical activities. The high nutrient content also causes foods made with these seeds to be more filling, so you will be less inclined to eat more. This could help you easily cut down on a few hundred calories per day, which will have a drastic effect on your body weight over time, especially when combined with regular exercise. As your chia seeds weight loss diet progresses, you will find that you’re more energetic than you used to be, since you’ve been taking in fewer low quality calories, exercising regularly and losing some weight. The more energetic you feel, the easier it will be to go for longer jogs and bike rides, which will help you lose even more weight.
Another way that chia seeds weight loss works for you is that the nutrients from chia seeds help your body naturally clean out toxins and other unhealthy substances that you may have gotten used to eating. Of course, chia seeds can’t be the only change you make to your diet for losing weight. You should also be eating more healthy in general and exercising daily. But with the help of your chia seeds, you will get to your desired weight more easily.
Are Your Ready to Lose Weight with Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds have been used for centuries as a nutritional additive to food and drinks. They are grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and they’re packed with all sorts of minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients and omega-3 fatty acids. Working them into your daily diet, combined with exercise and general healthy eating, is a great first step to getting your chia seeds weight loss diet underw
