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Chia seeds are considered to be the wonder seed of 2013. The reason is that it is a seed that came from the old civilizations of the world most specifically during the Aztec and Mayan civilizations of Mexico but is now gaining much popularity because of the same purpose it used to play during those ancient times. Historians recorded that these seeds were part of the diet of those said civilizations because they benefited the people with fiber, protein and carbohydrates which were then scarce due to scarcity of resources and a lack of knowledge on domestication and plant propagation. At the moment, these seeds are considered super seeds because it has been found out that they have a great deal of the needed vitamins, minerals, proteins and essential fatty acids that is needed by the body.

Consumers see Chia seeds in almost all high end supermarkets and more so in local organic farms and or stores and in local health stores. These seeds have also been added into different foods and beverages. Some of these foods are:

  • Chia energy bars
  • Chia pudding
  • Chia cookies
  • Chia smoothies
  • Chia in Pina Colada

These are only some of the foods and beverages where we could find chia as content. As a matter of fact, according to Sandy Huffaker, an article contributor for the New York Times, said that there 100 products that contains these seeds in almost all mainstream groceries available. Moreover, this fact has been presented last March of 2013 with additional information that these seeds will also be contained in dairy products at the soonest possible time.

While it is true that these wonder seeds are now sold in almost all mainstream stores locally and internationally,  for instance, you can get them cheaply with Vitamin Shoppe discount codes, these seeds are documented to have been a part of Whole Foods product line for as long as one could remember. Before its demand period and popularity rate during the transition of the year 2012 to the year 2013, these seeds have been a product of Whole Foods. It was a raw product sold in ounces and pounds until 2009. Hence, according to Drew Rosen, a nutrition teacher at New York Whole Foods Market Tribeca, these seeds have been in the Whole Foods for a long time and that these seeds are just starting to gain popularity.

On 2009, Whole Foods started selling foods and juices with chia seeds after Janie Hoffman, founder of Mamma Chia Fruit Juices sold her recipes to Whole Foods’ almost forty stores. And in a short span of time, it has spread to other mainstream groceries and local health stores in America and in the Pacific before it proliferated internationally.

With these, big corporations of food products have made official statements on their expectation of a bigger demand of these seeds in the market. There have also been no questions so far on its being considered the wonder seed of 2013. Chia Seeds are definitely ideal to include in your daily diet.  


 
Chia Diet Seeds

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Weight loss is a significant issue in health nowadays. Following the shift to organic sources of health aid, the Chia seed has grown popularity being an effective weight loss aid. The contention among studies regarding this is that, the Chia seed helps in controlling hunger while it supplies nutrition to the body. Chia is a part of the mint family and it is known to be a good source of the essential fatty acids that the body need since these kinds of nutritional need could not be gained in a daily basis due to lack of sources. Furthermore, it is also a good source of fiber which means that it is some kind of an energy booster. Clearly, these diet seeds have been tested and proven as far as history is concerned.

According to researches, these seeds are considered to be ancient. They root their existence to the once flourishing civilizations from the Old South American such as the Aztecs and Mayans. Researches have dated these diet seeds to have originally grown between 1500 and 910 BC. The name of the seed literally meant strength in the ancient folklore and it came from a desert plant called ‘Salvia Hispanica’.

These seeds have their contribution mostly on the diet and source of nutrition back to that time. These seeds were also a part of these civilizations’ way of life and customs as much as it was a part of their diet. These seeds were used by warriors to relive their injuries and physical pains after every conquest. Moreover, it was also a part of their religious lives being an offering to their deities in specific ceremonies and rituals.



On a more technical level though, it has also been proven that they contain Omega-3; an essential fatty acid, carbohydrates, protein and fiber; all three give the body energy; antioxidants; for cell protection and calcium for the bones. According to Kathleen Zelman, an expert on diet and nutrition, Chia seeds are a whole-grain seed that could be absorbed by the body even if not processed. An ounce of these seeds, she states, contain:

Nutrient

Value in grams (g)

Calories

139

Protein

4

Fat

9

Carbohydrates

12

Fiber

11


The focus on these diet seeds are not limited however to the nutritional value that they could offer. As a matter of fact, the nutrition is gotten from the food and beverages in which these seeds are blended into. Dr. Arnot, author of the Aztec Diet, sites two recipes on which these seeds could be an ingredient. These recipes are as follows:

Recipe

Nutritional Value (in grams)

Avo Colada

Calories: 414.5; Carbohydrates: 19

Gazpacho Gratitude

Calories:323.5; Carbohydrates: 14.5


These diet seeds could also be sprinkled in cereals and salads and other baked goods according to Charlotte Bradley.

For more information and verification on the use of these diet seeds and their affectivity, you could check out more info on Chai seeds here.


These diet seed has been known for its nutritional value and it still has its reputation up to now although there have been claims and blows on its effectivity.


 
How Much are Chia Seeds?

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Chia seeds are known for their being a trend in the organic industry nowadays. It is considered super food as medical practitioners and health experts would term it. This is because it contains high protein levels and a lot of omega 3s. It is also a health wonder because it is a good aid for losing weight in the most natural way. Moreover, these super seeds also have in them the essential fatty acids that our body needs in its overall functioning. These essential fatty acids (EFA) aid the amino acids in building and rebuilding cells and tissues in the body. What makes these seeds more super than ever is that it has a high amount of fiber that energizes the body in fulfilling its daily functions.

The Chia have been tested and proven to be healthy and an essential part of the diet ever since the ancient times since recorded histories prove that the Aztecs and the Mayans, two of the greatest civilizations in the ancient world have been using them back then. These seeds gave the people of these civilizations the ample fiber and protein that they need for their everyday living. Moreover, these seeds encompassed their life and well-being as it became a part of their most important economic and socio-cultural institutions, as most researches would clearly contend. Most of the domestication process of these seeds however dates to the transitional stage of old and new civilizations. The Aryans of India carried with them these seeds during their nomadic life and domesticated these seeds when they settled in India. That is the reason why the supply of these seeds is high in the Asian continent.

For the information of many, these seeds contain specifically:

  • Protein
  • Calories
  • Fiber
  • Fat
  • Carbohydrates

For further facts, an ounce of these seeds contains a great deal of the aforementioned minerals that the body needs. With the level of these minerals in every spoonful, studies show that you could reach the optimal level of wellness when you take in these seeds at a regular basis. One could also attain the health benefits and nutritional value of these seeds in a more appealing and exciting way because it could also be used as an ingredient to pastries, baked goods, and beverages.

However, these seeds are on the verge of being questioned by other researchers with a focus on it effectiveness. Nonetheless, it is still in demand for people most especially on those vegetarians and health conscious individuals. One could find these seeds on almost all local health stores and cooperatives locally and internationally. In addition, it is sold on many stores even online. Again, with this huge array of benefits and gains we could have when we consume these seeds, we wonder how much these super seeds cost.

There are varied costs however dependent on where you buy them. Consumers reveal that these seeds could be bought at a cheaper price when you buy them at organic stores or at health stores. Nevertheless, this only happens when the organic store or the health store are also the growers of these seeds. When bought at specific shops, these seeds cost at a rate of nine dollars per eight ounces. At some stores, these seeds cost five dollars for eight ounces. Food and beverages with the seed as the added content could be bought on the other hand at more or less twelve dollars up to twenty five dollars depending on the food and beverage bought.

Regular customers also say that these seeds are cheaper and more practical when bought in bulk rather than in ounces. These seeds in bulk cost a minimum of ten dollars in bulk again depending on where you will buy them. Nonetheless, regular chia consumers still recommend that you buy in local health stores because they really are cheaper and you could ask queries concerning how these seeds are processed. Moreover, you must also ask the amount of chia intake you must have every day. You must also consult a doctor before taking a supplement and regarding its dosage and if you need more info you can check out chosen foods, and you will be in a position to make an informed decision.


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