Finally! I’m dedicating an entire post to this gluten-free, ancient grain that I use several times per week. Yes, this is the same chia as the “chia-pet” from the 80’s. If you were a kid/teen of that ancient time, then you know what I’m talking about (wink).
Chia will make any meal more joyous, in other words, “healthier”. It’s also one of those foods you barely notice, making it ideal to sneak into your child’s food, AH-HA. Or better yet, educate them on why you’ve added it to their morning cereal or sprinkled it on their dinner (I like that idea even better).
Health Benefits of Chia
1. Balances and stabilizes your blood sugar
Chia slows the effect at which glucose enters the bloodstream, making it ideal for diabetics and those wanting to prevent diabetes. Do you have wild kids and find it hard to calm them down? Along with a balanced diet, managing blood sugar is CRITICAL to good behaviour, attention span and your child’s mood.
2. Improves insulin sensitivity and lower insulin
This means it will indirectly help with belly fat as fat in this area is associated with excess insulin (and cortisol).
3. FIBRE-RIFFIC!
For all you “BranBud/ALLBRAN-lovers” out there, guess who’s got more fibre than wheat bran that won’t bloat your belly and is GLUTEN-FREE? You guessed it, chia. Bye-bye bran, hello chia. Bran cereals are highly refined, despite their brown colour and are missing many of the essential nutrients and all their good fat – thanks to manufacturing. GO CHIA.
4. Good fat and high omega-3
In fact, the highest omega 3 content in nature – AMAZING HUH? This makes me wanna sing chi-chi-chia everytime I eat it for this very reason. Chia seeds are one of the greatest plant sources of a fatty acid called alpha-linoleic acid (ALA).
5. Contains high amounts of tryptophan
This amino acid is the precursor of serotonin (happy hormone) and melatonin (sleep/anti-cancer hormone). Real food and is a beautiful thing!
6. Lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and high blood sugar after meals
All three problems are considered “Metabolic Syndrome”. If you have metabolic syndrome, then you really need to get some chia into your life and a holistic nutritionist like me to guide you towards Joyous Health (gentle nudge). 🙂
7. You don’t have to grind them like you have to do with flax seed (my fave reason!)
Yes, LESS work! Why? Your stomach acids break down the seed very easily, (unlike flaxseeds). If you don’t grind flaxseeds to release the healthy fats then they pass right through you and down la toilette.
8. Nutrients galore!
This wee powerhouse of a grain is source of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, phosphorous, folic acid important for cardiovascular, bone health, stress reduction, baby-making and more.
You don’t need to go to a voo-doo black magic store to buy this wondrous grain because it’s in most supermarkets now – in the health food section of course. And by the way, the brand SALBA is outrageously overpriced at nearly $26 bucks for a wee bag. Unless Salba can convince me why their chia is the best, I’m suggesting that you buy a no-namer brand and save yourself some bucks!
Here are some ideas for adding this joyous grain to your life:
- Sprinkle on organic yogurt, in your cereal , in a smoothie or chia pudding
- In desserts like my Chocolate Chia Mousse
- Mix it into pasta sauce (AFTER you cook it, when you are about to serve it)
- Sprinkle it in a sandwich, on your lunch time salad
- In cracker recipes, such as my Rosemary Buckwheat Chia Crackers
- Sprinkle on some berries with some cinnamon and a wee bit of kefir for an afternoon snack (kills those sugar cravings)
79 thoughts on “8 Health Benefits of Chi-Chi-Chia!: Blood Sugar, Belly Fat & More.”
Okay, I’m sold – I PROMISE to give the chia seeds another chance! 🙂
GOOD stuff Liz!
I bought these for the first time last week (after reading all your tweets on them 🙂 ) and have been adding them to my regular foods – my favourite is definitely sprinkling them on top of pasta! Thanks for the tip!
You can also make chia seed pudding with them!
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Nice! Love chia seeds, and now I have more reasons to love them 🙂 I make no bake granola bars for myself and my son and I mix in chia seeds and lots of cinnamon. Yum!
you can also use chia as an egg substitute
Great suggestion… what do you suggest? 1 tbsp chia per 1 egg? Same as psyllium.
SOUNDS FABULOUS! Would love your recipe!
Thanks for this great post! I eat chia seeds, and know that they are “healthy”, but I had no idea what made them so good for you! Now I feel so informed, and can provide some good info when people ask me why I’m eating the seeds from those chia pets!
Hi Joy! I am in love with Chia. There’s a brand out of BC, on the Sunshine Coast, called Holy Crap! And I did say that the first time I tried it. Our writer Cheryl Arkison is writing a piece about it for our Fall issue of the magazine. (And you’re quoted in a story written by the lovely Gillian Young!) It’s coming out soon…
Tamara Komuniecki
Editor-in-Chief, Delish Magazine
Oh my goodness, I love that name “HOLY CRAP”, that’s just awesome. Thanks so much!
Gillian Young is great.
Thanks Tamara! Have a joyous day 🙂
Joy
I have been flirting with the idea of trying chia. But I heard the granules are super hard if you don’t soak them for a while… is this true?
You can sprinkle them on salad, put them in a smoothie or if you don’t want to eat them hard (your stomach digestive juices break them down by the way, unlike flaxseeds) then you can soak them in water for under 10 minutes and they become a gel. They are like a broom for your intestines! Amazing at cleaning things out.
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Hi!
After reading this post I went out to my local organic store to find some Chia seeds! The only kind I could find were pre-ground! I assume that they will still have the same benefits in this form? I think I’d prefer to have the whole seeds so I’ll keep looking but just wanted to make sure that the “dust” I bought will still have the same benefits. 🙂
Because or you, I bought them a couple of weeks ago. I love sprinkling them on oatmeal or cold cereal. I’m trying to get my mother, who has type 2 diabetes to try them.
Yes they just don’t last as long and you must keep them in the fridge. I buy sprouted – those are the best, very digestible!
HI Joy!
I have a question for you – because of your love of Chia seeds, I started eating them & using them… however, one of my dear friends expressed to that there are dangers with eating them (long term, I might add) this is what I found & what she shared:
Individuals on blood thinners such as Warfarin need to take caution when eating chia seeds. They lower blood pressure and act as natural blood thinners. In combination with prescription blood thinners, this can increase bleeding and present health dangers.
Read more: Chia Seed Dangers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6770859_chia-seed-dangers.html#ixzz1CGSQ1aC0
help?
Everything on moderation. You wouldn’t eat 12 apples per day or gorge yourself on any food that’s healthy. But saying that chia seeds present dangers is an exaggeration for sure. I eat about 2 tbsp per day. Any food that is a natural anti-coagulant is a good thing ie. foods high in omega 3 – walnuts, fish etc. Don’t worry about it.
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Where can I buy these?
Any health food store.
Amazing post! Since reading this a while ago, chia has become a huge part of my diet!
This morning’s breakfast: shake with chia, coconut oil, kale, almond milk, natural peanut butter, cacao, and banana 🙂
It’s hard to come by educated people about this subject, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
[…] fur. Would you be surprised to hear those same seeds, sometimes referred to as Salvia hispanica L, contain the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acid found in nature, are a complete source of protein and have […]
Hello, Joy! I have a doubt: swallowing a tablespoon of chia in a glass of water before lunch and dinner would be ok? Thanks for helping me out on this.
Yes definitely. Maybe just do once a day before bed.
Thanks a lot, Joy. I really hope chia will help me to loose some weight too, especially because fat seems to deposit only on my belly, which I’ve heard is quite dangerous. Do you believe chia does help getting thinner?
Eating more fibre is an excellent weight loss tool because it keeps you fuller longer.
Good write-up. I absolutely love this site. Stick with it!
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I first bought chia seeds at Costco.
This is the 3rd blog post, of your site I personally went through.
And yet I actually like this particular one, “8 Health Benefits of Chi-Chi-Chia!
: Blood Sugar, Belly Fat & More. | joyoushealth.ca” the most.
All the best -Roberta
Really appreciated this post – I have been taking Chia seeds for ~ one week and liked the detailed listing of benefits.
[…] Added chia seeds – check out the health benefits of chi-chi-chia! […]
Hi Joy,
Does it matter if chia seeds are not organic? I’ve read conflicting info saying that chia is not heavily sprayed (high antioxidants protect the crop) vs. it is a highly sprayed crop. Can you shed some light? Thanks!
Marlene
I personally try and buy organic chia as often as possible but sometimes it comes down to budget. If you can afford purchasing organic for most foods, I do recommend it. However, chia is not on the ‘dirty dozen” and from what I understand it’s actually very low spray. Hope that helps!
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Thanks for the great review! What do you think about chia bran?
[…] Coates started his work on chia in 1991, and since then has become an advocate of the tiny seed’s health benefits. The human trials are limited —as is often the case with food research— but the anecdotal evidence of chia’s positive health effects include boosting energy, stabilizing blood sugar, aiding digestion, and lowe… […]
Hi Joy,
We have added a link to this post on our web site under Resources for a Healthy Life http://www.theelephantstrunk.ca/helpful-resources/resources-healthy-life/
But the reason for my writing here is to ask you to confirm if Chia Seeds is good for someone with low Blood Pressure (BP) or for someone who is on blood thinners, as I have read that though Chia seeds are good for lowering High BP it may not be good for a person with low BP and on Blood thinner (quote on a Cleveland Clinic post on chia seeds http://www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/Features/Pages/Chia-Seeds.aspx )
thanks Regards Phil
I only recently heard about “chia”. I hope that it proves to be as good as everyone says. Thanks for the information. Toni
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[…] 8 Health Benefits of Chi Chi Chia!: Blood Sugar, Belly Fat, and More […]
I have SLE (Lupus) and now have chronic pancreatitis. I also have pulmonary and heart issues. Do you think the Chia Seeds would help with the digestive problems I have related to the chronic pancreatitis? I take prescription enzyme capsules before eating to replace the enzymes my pancreas no longer produces. I will discuss this with my physician but would like your opinion.
Chia seeds will help provide your digestive system with more soluble fiber which is going to benefit elimination. I don’t know how it will affect your pancreatitis but it will do no harm.
[…] Joyous Health […]
How much should I have? Tablespoon, teaspoon…?
1-2 tbsp is a good start!
[…] McCarthy, J. (2010). Joyous Health. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://www.joyoushealth.ca/blog/2010/09/09/8-health-benefits-of-chi-chi-chia-blood-sugar-belly-fat-m… Rosenbloom, C. (2008). The top 25 healthy fruits. Retrieved April 4, 2014, from […]
Wow chia works wonderful I’m amazed chia works great on my food
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the images on this blog loading?
I’m trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Salvador,
We’re having a look into this. Are you still experiencing problems?
Kate – Joyous Health Team
Thanks for finally writing about > 8 Health Benefits of Chi-Chi-Chia!:
Blood Sugar, Belly Fat & More. | Joyous Health < Loved it!
I grow chia at my farm but I didn’t know its vast benefit apart from money. Let me reserve some for my self..
great post!!! I’ve already introduced chia to my diet just trusting a good friend and now I have more joy and reasons to eat it!! thanks!
Wow, thanks for the information.
Hubby has just been diagnosed with type two diabetes and I with climbing cholesterol. Chia is going to become a staple in our home.
Hi Abby, I’ve got lots of chia recipes. Be sure to check out the Smoothies section and you can add 1 tsp to any smoothie: http://www.joyoushealth.com/smoothies/ Also in my book Joyous Health I have a very yummy chia pudding! Have a great day 🙂
we really love chia in everything we eat but there is 1 question how much of it is to much for you
I would suggest 1-2 tbsp a day but most people need to work up to that.
I eat Chia Seeds straight from a clear plastic container also! I eat 1 & a half tsp in morning & 1 Tblsp & a quarter at night. This keeps my sugar really down. They have also help my weight go down.
Hi Joy! I went to buy some chia seeds but noticed they sell “black chia seeds.” Not sure what the difference is. Any suggestions? Thanks!
There will be different types of antioxidants present in black chia but there isn’t enough of a difference to say one is better than the other for culinary uses.
Thanks for the info!
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