ALL HEALTH BENEFITS OF THIS LITTLE FOOD

“Health requires healthy food. “

-Roger Williams

I promised that I will write more about nutrition within this year because I find the balanced eating habit being the foundation of good health.  Since we are all boosted with instant trends and fast way of life, seeking for a quality nutrition is like a playing lottery. You never know what do you get at the end of the day or at the end of your grocery adventure. The markets are full of brands and offers but what is really healthy behind the quantity and inviting adverting ? It is not enough that we practice sport regularly, we need to provide the substantial nutritional elements to our bodies and to provide our immune system with munition to fight back inflammation and any kind of future organic deviation.

Some years ago, I read one article about the fact that the battle between benign and malign cells is happening every single day and in every single organism. What is the message of it? You need to provide your temple with efficient army that will protect it and this means healthy food and healthy eating style. The term healthy food helps us to understand which food gives a  contribution and maintain our health and good energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals and how you organise them and how you consume them is actually your own diet. When I say diet, I do not suggest any kind of deprivation from food or exhaustion  for being thin and unhealthy but smart enjoyment of food in combination with sport and outdoor activities. This is the perfect formula of being healthy and fit, everything else is an ignorant campaign of fashion and cosmetic industry that earn money on convincing people they should be hungry all the time.  There is no magical pill to help you being fit if you don’t do that by yourself because being strong inside and outside is a long-term process, life journey and life style. It means balance between mind and body and  that balance turns you into the person who is happy and pumped with creative energy.

In order to reach that state of mind and body, we need to focus on the qualitative elements in our eating options. I would start with giving a moment of fame to the chia seeds.  Those seeds originate from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, also known as a mint family. Born in Central America and with the history of important place in the ancient Aztec diet and also used by Native Americans in the southwestern parts of the United States.

The real rise of the chia seeds comes out with the medical facts that chia seeds are an amazing source of omega-3 fatty acid and an excellent source of fibre, protein and minerals.  It is not accidentally that chia means strength in old Mayan language. The tiny seeds deliver more than strength but full variety of crucial comments for healthy living style. Beside fibre, protein and good fat, the black seeds contain calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, niacin ( vitamin B3), potassium, thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin B2. They are completely organic and free of gluten. What do we need more? The next advantage of them we could find in their antioxidant nature and effective fight of free radicals, directly responsible for damaging of our cells and occurring of diseases like cancer. Full of good proteins and omega-3 Fatty acids, the chia seeds seem to be valuable food that lower our risk of heart disease, enhance our bone structure and even reduce blood sugar level and cholesterol.

How we can implement them in our daily food program ? They have multidimensional purpose and I would start with using them in the mixture of water and lemon juice for sustained energy, just like do some Mexican tribes. If you like salads, you can try with chia seeds as a part of topping for salads and oatmeal. Those little seeds could be incorporated in smoothies and pudding.

Here is one delicious recipe for enjoying chia seeds to the fullest:

“Raspberry ripple chia pudding 

• 50g white chia seeds
• 200ml coconut drinking milk
• 1 nectarine or peach, cut into slices 
• 2 tbsp goji berries
• 100g raspberries   
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• Divide the chia seeds and coconut milk between two serving bowls and stir well. Leave to soak for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until the seeds swell and thicken when stirred.Meanwhile, combine the purée ingredients in a small food processor, or blitz with a hand blender. Swirl a spoonful into each bowl, then arrange the nectarine or peach slices on top and scatter with the goji berries. Will keep in the fridge for 1 day. Add the toppings just before serving.”

There is also a possibility to use them in daily cooking or desserts. The chia seeds bread is also very popular recently because of the increasing role in weight loss and inflammation efforts.  I find chia seeds extremely delicious simply mixed with greek yoghurt.