What is chia seed ? Benefits of Chia seeds

What is chia seed ? Benefits of Chia seeds 

Chia seeds are the edible seeds of Salvia hispanica, a flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae) native to central and southern Mexico,^[1] or of the related Salvia columbariae of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Chia seeds are oval and gray with black and white spots, having a diameter around 2 millimetres (0.08 in). The seeds are hygroscopic, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked and developing a mucilaginous coating that gives chia-based foods and beverages a distinctive gel texture.

Color and detail of chia seeds

There is evidence that the crop was widely cultivated by the Aztecs in pre-Columbian times and was a staple food for Mesoamerican cultures. Chia seeds are cultivated on a small scale in their ancestral homeland of central Mexico and Guatemala and commercially throughout Central and South America

Related post: The Health Benefits of Guarana

HOW MUCH CHIA SEEDS SHOULD YOU EAT IN A DAY?

Depending on your gender and age, you should eat between 19 and 38 grams of fiber per day.  Around 25 grams is ideal for women. Two tablespoons of chia seeds have 11 grams of fiber. Recommendations for consuming chia seeds runs about 1.5 teaspoons a day (add the seeds to oatmeal and a smoothie, and you’re all set). Then, get the rest from other great sources of fiber, like beets, tomatoes, and broccoli.

WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO EAT CHIA SEEDS?

There are several excellent ways to eat chia seeds. As previously mentioned, don’t eat them dry other than sprinkled on a salad. Here are some tasty ideas:

Add to muffins

Stir into salad dressings and marinades

Thicken smoothies and soups

Add to overnight oats

Make puddings and jams

Use as an egg substitute in baking

CHIA SEEDS ADD A NUTRITIONAL BOOST QUICKLY AND EASILY

One of the best benefits of chia seeds is that they are so simple to incorporate into your diet. You don’t need to grind them (like flax seeds for example) to make them digestible. They mix well with liquids, and they are a simple but quick addition of nutrients to a variety of foods. 

One thing to note, because they are so high in fiber, it’s best to add them to your daily regimen slowly. If you typically eat a lot of fiber, you’ll be okay. 

CHIA SEEDS HELP WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION

We all know that inflammation is bad for the body overall. Chronic inflammation, often brought on by unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise, can wreak havoc on the body. Chia seeds are anti-inflammatory, and that means adding them to your diet helps fight cancer and other illnesses like heart disease. 

CHIA SEEDS MAY HELP REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR

Another benefit of chia seeds is that they can stabilize blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. This reduces the chance of spikes and crashes sometimes experienced after meals. This is of great help to diabetics, in particular. Pair adding chia seeds to smoothies, dressings, and food like oatmeal with eating non-processed foods. Doing so will be very good for you in the long run.

CHIA SEEDS ARE GOOD FOR BONE HEALTH

It’s kinda cool that this little powerhouse seed has so many nutrients like phosphorous, protein, and calcium. It’s the calcium in chia seeds that will benefit your bones. A controlled study indicated that bone health and density were improved when the diet was supplemented with chia seeds. 

CHIA SEEDS CAN REDUCE HEART DISEASE RISK

Heart disease is influenced by a lot of factors, including inflammation, extra body fat, and high blood pressure. Studies show that chia seeds can influence blood pressure levels, thus leading to better health. Exercise, eating healthy fruits and veggies, consuming only lean meats, and yes, eating chia seeds contribute to a better you.

CHIA SEEDS CONTAIN BENEFICIAL FATTY ACIDS

Yes, chia seeds do contain omega-3’s, and this is a good thing. Milled chia seeds, in particular, can increase the blood levels of alpha-linolenic fatty acids (ALA). However, it is most beneficial to get these fatty acids, and others, from fatty fish like salmon. I say this because although chia seeds supply EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is not easily converted, and that is the most essentials of the omega-3’s. Still, chia seeds will give you a boost as they are considered the best plant-based source of ALA.

CHIA SEEDS MAY HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS

Because chia seeds are high in protein and fiber, they are thought to be helpful with weight loss. Protein is known to reduce appetite and leave you feeling satisfied, which means less snacking on potentially unhealthy foods. If you are a snacker, read my post on healthy, high-protein snacks. The fiber in chia seeds can also help you to feel full.

CHIA SEEDS ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF PLANT-BASED PROTEIN

Protein is made up of amino acids and is essential to the body. Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 4 grams of protein. A 140-pound person needs about 50 grams of protein a day, and a 200-pound person, 70 grams. Use chia seeds as a way to top up your protein intake, along with lean meats, poultry, and full-fat dairy.

CHIA SEEDS ARE HIGH IN FIBER

Chia seeds are impressively high in fiber. Fiber is excellent for gut health. Remember, two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 11 grams of fiber – almost half the daily requirement for women and about a third for men. Adding chia seeds to food is an easy way to add this important component to your food.

CHIA SEEDS ARE HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS

Antioxidants are key cancer-fighting components in food. They fight free radicals, which cause damage to cells, proteins, and DNA. With chia seeds being high in antioxidants, it just makes sense to add them to foods as much as you can. As a side note, foods high in free radicals are those deficient in antioxidants – processed meats and foods highly processed or full of sugar are examples. So, stay away from those and satisfy your cravings with clean-eating foods instead.

CHIA SEEDS ARE A NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSE

On top of all of the benefits of chia seeds we’ve mentioned, these little seeds pack a punch when it comes to nutrients. And the great thing is, you get a lot of goodness in a small amount. One ounce of chia seeds has 11 grams of fiber, for instance. If you make a serving of cinnamon raisin overnight oats, you’ll get 5.5 grams of fiber in that one serving.

Not to mention other good-for-you nutrients like manganese, calcium, and protein. They are gluten-free and easily digestible. It’s all win-win with chia seeds.

Related post: Best Healthy Foods To Help You Lose Weight

What Are the Nutrition Facts of Chia Seeds?

Why are chia seeds so popular now? A key reason may be their reputation as nutritional powerhouses: One tablespoon (tbsp) of chia seeds contains about 69 calories, as well as, roughly: 

• 2 grams (g) protein
• 5 g fat (1 g saturated, 7 g polyunsaturated, 1 g monounsaturated, and 0 g trans)
• 6 g carbs
• 5 g fiber

Chia seeds also contain a number of vitamins and minerals. One tbsp offers: 

• 2 milligrams (mg) phosphorus (about 11 percent of an adult’s recommended daily value, or DV)
• 7 mg calcium (8 percent of DV)
• 8 mg potassium (1 percent of DV)
• 2 mg phosphorus (11 percent of DV)
• 5 IU vitamin A
• 2 mg vitamin C (1 percent of DV)
• 1 mg vitamin E (1 percent of DV)

As reported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, chia seeds come from Salvia hispanica, a desert plant that is part of the mint family.

Free guidance and coaching telegram group  Happy to help session join Healthy Active Community. 

More information and guidance join Happy to help session 

Related post: How Yoga and Meditation can help you Relax 

Why Important Protein on Daily diet?

 Why Important Protein on Daily diet?

The Role of Nitrogen Balance in Building Muscle

Proteins – both the ones you eat and the ones in your body (like your muscle tissue) – are made up of building blocks called amino acids, which contain nitrogen.

In order to build muscle, it’s important to balance the protein you eat with the protein your body naturally loses every day in order to reach your goals.

Where does nitrogen in the body come from?

Nitrogen comes from the proteins you eat. When you eat proteins such as meats, eggs or beans, they are broken down during digestion into individual amino acids which can be used by the body to make other body proteins. The structure of all amino acids includes an “amino group” which is the portion of the amino acid that contains nitrogen and supplies nitrogen to the body.

What does nitrogen balance mean?

Every day, nitrogen comes into your body from the proteins in your diet and is lost naturally in waste from your urinary and digestive tracts, sweating and shedding of hair or skin cells.

Nitrogen balance refers to the balance between the nitrogen coming into the body and the nitrogen that is being lost. When you are in nitrogen balance, it means that the amount of nitrogen going in and the amount that is leaving the body are roughly the same. Most healthy adults are in nitrogen equilibrium, which means that the amount of protein they are taking in is enough to maintain and repair body proteins. Any excess nitrogen is simply excreted from the body.

But this balance can be tipped. When someone is in negative nitrogen balance, it means that more nitrogen is leaving the body than is coming in. Therefore, the body is losing protein and does not have adequate nitrogen to build and repair cells and tissues. This may happen when someone suffers serious burns or injuries, but it can also happen on extreme diets where calories, protein or both are in very short supply. Without enough calories or protein to keep the body functioning properly, the body may be forced to break down its own protein sources for fuel (such as your muscle).

On the other hand, there are instances where you can be in positive nitrogen balance. In these situations, the body is growing in some way, so it is retaining more nitrogen than it is losing. A pregnant woman, a growing child or someone who is gaining muscle mass would all be in positive nitrogen balance. When the body is in positive nitrogen balance, the body is retaining nitrogen so it can use it to build and repair tissues, such as muscle, or to manufacture other important body proteins such as hormones.

Muscle Development and Nitrogen Balance

For individuals who are aiming to build muscle mass through a combination of strength training and proper diet, adequate protein is necessary to encourage muscle repair and growth. For strength athletes, protein needs have been estimated to be about 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (one kilogram = 2.2 pounds). So, for an 80 kg (175 pound) athlete, 120 to 160 grams of protein per day would be recommended.1

Ensuring you get enough protein is only part of the story, though. It’s also important that you spread your protein intake over the course of the day and consume the best types of protein to maximize muscle protein synthesis. Ideally, protein intake should be distributed evenly over meals and snacks, and special attention should be paid to getting adequate protein immediately after training. After a workout, dairy protein sources such as whey and casein are suggested, since they are rich sources of branched chain amino acids – a particular group of amino acids that stimulate muscle growth and recovery* after a workout.

It’s also important to consume enough calories in order to tip nitrogen balance in your favor. Sometimes an athlete may cut too many calories in order to quickly build muscle and lose fat at the same time. But when calories are cut too much, some of the protein that is being eaten might be used for fuel, rather than to build and repair muscle. Rather than “burning the candle at both ends”, it’s important to take in a balanced diet that also provides enough carbs and fats for fuel, so that protein can be used to build lean mass and help you achieve your goals.

1Thomas DT et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 48:543, 2016.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Weight loss, Health, Fitness and Child Nutrition Guidance visit Get to Fit.

Registration : Online Weight loss Coaching & Challenge

Recourse : DISCOVER GOOD