When you go to the store, do you look for packaging that promises the contents are “free from” something? You know, the packaging that promises “sugar free”, “fat free”, or “gluten free”? Well, we are and that’s why this piece from the Chicago Tribune caught our eye. It is a wonderful piece with all sorts of information that every food consumer should know.
Virtually a perfect food, Chia has the highest omega-3 profile among natural foods, high in protein, antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium, B vitamins, boron and dietary fiber. Similar in size to Flax Seeds, Chia seeds are more user-friendly and virtually tasteless, making them an excellent addition to your diet.
The magic of Chia is what happens when mixed with water. The seeds have hydrophylic qualities which means they absorb more than nine times their volume, and create a gelatinous substance. Once in the gel form, dieters can slurp Chia as a meal-replacement. Long-distance runners and skiers can take Chia gel and benefit from long-term hydration. Chia also allows the body to absorb more nutrients while aiding the digestive cycle. This process effectively slows the rate at which carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar, rendering Chia a great addition to a diabetic diet.
Chia uses are numerous from adding the gel to your tea, in soups, to yogurts, smoothies or as a thickener for sauces. The Chia gel can also be used in baking to replace oil, adding nutrients into your baking.
Omega 3′s are important for healthy skin, cardiovascular health, nervous system development, immune function, and inflammation reduction. So, just the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in Chia make it worth adding to your weekly meal routine. But, research has linked this valuable food as a being beneficial for many other health issues as well, including diabetes, hypoglycemia, celiac disease, and lowering cholesterol.
So, when you are tired of the same old routine, experiment with this nutritionally-dense superfood. Here’s just one example:
Ingredients
Preparation
Soak 1-tablespoon chia seeds in 2 tablespoons of water for 20 minutes or more; stir once or twice to prevent clumping. This will make a very thick gel. Gradually stir in 2 eggs and whisk well. Steam 4 asparagus spears. Add grapeseed oil in a nonstick pan. Whisk egg and ground chia seed mix again to prevent seeds settling out. Pour into pan and cook gently until top is set. Using a lid will help the top set faster. Season to taste, put asparagus spears in center, fold the omelet over and serve.
There is the old saying that we are “only as old as we feel,” and that means, to perform at our best both at work and in our personal lives, our bodies need to feel good! It is very hard to be upbeat and cheerful when you are not feeling energetic. Being able to feel our best has become even more of a challenge today as it seems that everything we need to accomplish becomes harder and harder.
To be our best we need to give our bodies constant sources of nutrients to promote good digestion, energy and a healthy metabolism. Think of it like this, the body is a very well designed biological machine and to operate at peak performance it needs the right fuels. If you fuel yourself with a diet of high calorie, low nutritional value food you are going to get a fat, out of shape, low performance body. This should not come as a shock to you. We all know we should eat better but frequently don’t. The excuse is that the there isn’t time nor energy to prepare a decent meal and so it’s again another trip to the drive through or something from the microwave. While we may well be tired and running late, good nutrition is a commitment. Decisions must be made about what is most important to include in your day.
So what’s to be done? The time hassles will not go away and good, nutritious food still takes time and energy to prepare. Well, I think the answer is in three parts: Continue reading »
A healthy diet plan involves eating foods which are healthy for you. It doesn’t mean that you have to eat meals you won’t like or distinctive health foods which might be pricey. Precisely what does indicate is basically that you need to be mindful of the oils and fat in the foods. Creating a diet plan that’s healthy and balanced does not necessarily mean that you are losing weight either. It just implies you’re eating foods that are beneficial for your heart as well as your body. Continue reading »
Food safety is something we all take for granted that the federal government is taking care of. The problem is that many of the policies and procedures that the government watchdogs are following today were put in place before the large scale commercial farming became commonplace and before many of the risks of the chemicals used in food production were recognized. Indeed, many of the additives and preservatives were approved because science at the time thought them to be beneficial for one reason or another. But now many of these substances have been shown to carry risk of cancer and other ailments when introduced into the human body.
Here is a list of five popular foods that you might want to avoid because of the compounds and/or chemicals used either Continue reading »
