Other benefits that Chia provides are detoxification of the body, reduction of anxiety, control of cholesterol and triglycerides, in addition to preventing premature aging, strengthening muscles and preventing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
If you find it difficult to include Chia in your diet or as a component of recipes, there is the possibility of eating it as a gel.
By mixing chia seed with water, it forms a kind of gel, or jelly, which is a reaction present in soluble fibers. This little mixture causes a delay in gastric emptying, causing a feeling of satiety. In addition, this gel helps in the functioning of the intestine and prevents constipation.
The ideal, when consuming chia in this way, is to leave a tablespoon of the seed "soak" in a glass with at least 60 ml of water for about 30 minutes. And don't wait too long to consume it. It is not recommended to store the mixture.
Another consumption option is Chia flour, which is made by grinding the seed and retains all the nutrients in the grain. This flour can be part of your dough recipes for cakes, pies, breads, etc, or even to put on top of fruits and yogurts. When replacing wheat flour with Chia flour, several nutrients are added to the diet.
A valuable tip is to add the seed in juices or smoothies. Thus, the nutrients of the fruits are used and a good amount of nutrients is included. Chia also enhances the antioxidant effect of fruits, which helps fight aging and prevent cancer.
Nutritionists recommend that the daily portion be 25 grams, which is equivalent to a dessert spoon. Be careful if the amount exceeds this, as Chia is very caloric.
Also pay attention to how you consume the seeds. As it has a water absorption feature, Chia can expand the weight up to 7 times. This can happen, mainly, when the dry seed is ingested and, soon after, water is taken. In this way, the grain can expand and collapse in the esophagus, preventing the body from ingesting any liquid or even food, in which case, not even saliva is ingested. It is recommended to never consume dry Chia.
In addition, diabetic, hypotensive and hypertensive people should be extra careful, especially if they are being medicated, as Chia ends up having the same effect as medicines.
Text written by Gabrielle Carreira from the Eu Sem Fronteiras team.
