Do you lead a healthy lifestyle? Do not forget the seeds of chia!

Those who pay special attention to their health, try to enrich their diet with useful products. But at the same time, you always want the ingredients to be varied and pleasing with your own taste. And not so long ago a list of useful food was replenished with sage seeds, which are called chia seeds. They have amazing properties, but in order to get the most benefit, you should know how and in what form they can be used.

Chia seeds are chosen by people who lead a healthy lifestyle

What is it?

Chia is a herbaceous plant, reaching a height of 1 m. Its inflorescences can be painted white or crimson, the leaves are opposite. Chia seeds, photos of which are illustrated a little higher and lower, with a relief pattern, are white, gray, brown or black. They are rich in oils, thanks to which they deserve their name - the chian from the Aztec language is translated as butter.

Composition of

Considering the composition of chia seeds, one can come to the conclusion that this is the richest source of useful substances, among which:

This product dominated the diet of Latin tribes, and in our time was popularized by the famous Pierre Ducane

• calcium;
• iron;
• potassium;
• zinc;
• boron;
• phosphorus;
• protease inhibitors;
• fatty acids - omega-3 and omega-6;
• antioxidants;
• riboflavin;
• thiamine;
• niacin;
• vitamins - A, C, E.

And most importantly, this product does not contain a gram of cholesterol.

Properties and benefits for the body

The unique composition of chia seeds allows them to show the following useful properties:

• improve the condition for allergies;
• cleans vessels of cholesterol;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• are an excellent prevention of anemia;
• monitor the level of glucose in the blood;
• improve blood circulation;
• prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases;
• are the prevention of cancer;
  

  Note! The protease inhibitors that make up the seeds destroy the cancer cells and repair the damaged DNA.

• chia seeds show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties;
• helps to get rid of depression, epilepsy, sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease;
• promote good digestion;
• prevent obesity of the heart and liver;
• normalize sleep and promote a good mood.

The use of chia seeds is recommended to children, as these grains contribute to the development, growth and strengthening of bone tissue. In addition, they are very useful for people who lead an active lifestyle, especially professional athletes, because they are constantly in need of saturation of the body with calcium.

Important! There are many products rich in calcium, but chia seeds also contain boron, which helps the mineral to be absorbed much better.

Using this product, it is possible to prevent the development of osteoporosis of bones and to normalize the operation of the musculoskeletal apparatus

Chia seeds have found application in the field of cosmetology. With the help of these grains, you can solve the problem of dermatitis and get rid of purulent wounds. On their basis, creams are created that gently take care of the problem skin, as well as products that prevent aging processes and smooth wrinkles.

Preparations from chia seeds are incredibly useful for withering and prone to dry skin. They are highly effective in fighting inflammation and small cracks.

Possible damage

In the great benefit of chia seeds, there is no doubt, but it should be remembered that in some cases this product can cause harm. Their use is not desirable when:

• diarrhea;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• food poisoning and suspected of it;
• of individual intolerance to the product;
• elevated levels of triglycerides.

The list of contraindications for chia seed is to be supplemented by the fact that at the moment there is no information on their effect on the pregnant women's organism, therefore it is better to refuse from their use during this period.

Features of using

Now let's figure out how to consume chia seeds.

They can be eaten raw, adding to salads, cocktails and juices. From these grains prepare porridges and puddings, add to pastries, meat and fish rolls.

Note! It is very important that when heat treated, chia seeds do not lose their useful qualities.

Regarding how much you use per day chia seeds, it should be noted that the daily dose should not exceed one tablespoon. Nutritionists do not recommend increasing this rate, since these grains are high-calorie and can lead to problems with excess weight.

Important! Remember that the effect of this product for long-term use has not been studied, therefore it is not recommended to take grains for more than 12 weeks.

What should I cook?

Chia seeds can be used in various recipes. They are added to sauces, puddings and kissels, in which these grains act as a thickener. From these grains you can cook an incredibly tasty and nutritious breakfast, and also create a cocktail for weight loss.

Sucks! If the dough turned out too liquid, then the situation will help to correct the seeds of chia - add a few grains to the mass until it gets the necessary consistency.

Milk pudding

Prepare ingredients:

• 500 ml of milk;
• half a cup of chia seeds;
• tablespoon of honey or sugar;
• 10 any berries.
• salt.

The cooking process.

1. Pour the grains with milk, add the sweetener and mix until it dissolves completely.
2. Add salt to the tip of the knife.
3. Pour the mixture into batch molds and leave for 1 hour.
4. Decorate with berries and serve.

This pudding can be stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days, so you can immediately make several servings of

Falafel

Prepare the products:

• 1 medium carrot;
• 1 small zucchini;
• 8 fresh champignons;
• 5 green onion stalks;
• 5 dried tomatoes;
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds;
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.

The cooking process.

1. Seeds of chia pour water and leave for 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl of a blender, cut the vegetables and mushrooms to the state of stuffing.
3. Tomatoes finely chopped and added to the vegetable mass together with chia seeds, mix.
4. From the stuffing to form balls and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.

Warning! This dish can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 7 hours!

This dish will please the lovers of raw food

Smoothies

Prepare ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon chia seeds;
• 1 banana;
• 100 fresh raspberries;
• 100 ml of yogurt;
• a small handful of spinach;
• a teaspoon of honey.

The cooking process.

1. Seeds of chia pour a little water and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Fold all ingredients in a blender bowl and beat until smooth.

Drink this smoothie for breakfast and get every morning a charge of energy, health and excellent mood

Crackers without baking

Prepare products:

• glass of chia seeds;
• half a glass of dried tomatoes;
• 20 g basil fresh;
• 5 g basil dried;
• 30 ml of lemon juice;
• 15 ml of honey;
• salt.

Cooking crackers.

1. Seeds of chia pour a liter of water and leave for 8 hours.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a blender and grind them.
3. Tray or baking tray with parchment paper.
4. Lay out the mass, smoothen with a spoon - the thickness of the layer should be about 6 cm.
5. Place the tray in the open air and leave it for at least 15 hours.

Tip! If you want crackers to turn a little soft, then in the dough you can add a small amount of olive oil.

These savory crackers are very suitable for snacks

Omelet

Prepare ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon seed;
• 1 middle head of onion;
• 2 eggs;
• a couple tablespoons of milk;
• greens;
• salt.

Delicious and healthy breakfast

The cooking process.

1. Mix eggs with milk and whip with whisk.
2. Add chia seeds to the resulting mixture and leave for 15 minutes.
3. Bulb should be peeled, cut into half rings and fried.
4. Send the onion into the egg mixture, add the finely chopped greens, bring to taste with salt.
5. Cooking omelette on low heat under the lid for 7-8 minutes.