One of the most beneficial foods on the planet are the tiny black seeds you usually find at the bottom of healthy lemonades and smoothies; chia seeds. Chia seeds come from the chia plant in the mint family. These seeds don’t have a taste, but they are the healthiest addition to your diet. Here’s a list of reasons why you should be including chia seeds to your every day routine.
- They are full of nutrition
Despite their size, these seeds have a really high nutritional level. In only one ounce, you get 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat. The fat level may not sound good, but most of those fats are omega-3s which if you don’t know, are fatty acids that your body needs to be healthy. They also contain Zinc, Vitamin 3, Potassium, Vitamin B1, and Vitamin B2. Even better, one ounce of chia seeds only contains 137 calories.
2. They can help lose weight
The high level of fiber and protein helps the body lose excess weight, absorbing water in the stomach which slows the desire to eat more. The protein levels are the same, even though they’re not a complete cure to weight loss, adding them to healthy foods such as greek yogurt or a smoothie will support your body.
3. They can lower the risk of heart disease
With the high levels of nutrients, combining chia seeds with a soy, oat, and protein based diet can actually lower cholesterol levels, which would lower the risk of heart disease. Again, the seeds alone won’t lower the risk, but a combination of high based foods can achieve that goal.
4. They can improve exercise levels
Chia seeds contain a high dose of carbs, which help exercise performances and boost energy levels. So a healthier alternative to sports drinks would be a glass bottle of water and chia seeds. Less calories, less sugars, but still a good source of energy.
5. They are easy to incorporate into your diet
This is probably the easiest food to use. You can get all of the nutrients by combining them into water, tea, smoothies, breads, granola bars, muffins – anything you can think of.
Chia seeds are a great alternative to all of your favorite foods and drinks, with a more powerful punch of nutrients. So the next time you’re looking for a new, flavorful drink to try, try it with chia.
