Chia Seeds || Healthy Shit I Have No Idea What To Do With

For the most part I'm a pretty health conscious eater, and I try to keep a pretty balanced diet and even occasionally throw in some exercise.

That being said, this summer I ate like a recovering junk food junkie, and even the thought of the gym was enough to make me cringe.

But now I'm back, and with a vengeance.

On my quest to start eating less like a 5 year old and more like the 18 year old (not yet fully formed) adult I am, I realized

There's a lot of healthy shit, I have no clue what to do with...

Chia seeds being one of them.

Like okay, I know they're good for you (obviously! my mom bought a bag on a health kick one time that remains untouched in my fridge to this day) 

But why?

So I took to the internet for some answers (like the good Millennial I am), and this is what I found.

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

♡ Omega-3 Fatty Acids

♥ heart health

♥ cholesterol regulation

♥ clear skin 

♥ hydrates hair

♡ Energy Boost

♥ ancient Aztec's used to refer to chia seeds as "running food" because of the supposed boost of energy they give you.  They're made up of complex carbs (and a majority of those carbs come from fiber), so they break down slowly in your system, giving you lasting energy.

♡ Absorbs lots of Water 

♥ Chia seeds can absorb around 10x their weight in water which is good for keeping you hydrated, keeping your electrolytes in check, and possibly even prolonging the amount of time you feel full for.

♡ Other Good for you Things

♥ antioxidants
♥ fiber

♥ calcium
♥ a little bit of protein

♥ potassium 

Cool beans, 

so now that I know that they're good for you...

How do I actually start incorporating them into my diet?

Basically, I just sprinkle them onto anything, salads, yogurt, cottage cheese, whatever tickles your fancy.  

They don't really have any flavor, they just add a little extra crunch to whatever it is that you're eating (which I loveeeee).

There is also these bars (basically my crack, once you go banana nut... you never go back), and below are a couple of recipes for you to try out if you want to spice things up a little bit

♥Raspberry & Vanilla Chia Seed Jam (myfussyeater.com)

♥ Chia Seed Pudding (byrdie.com)

♥ Raspberry Green Tea Lemonade with Chia (wifemamafoodie.com)

Disclaimer (because I don't really know what I'm talking, and I don't want you to think that I do): I am not a nutritionist just a girl with access to the world wide web, so before you start throwing these bad boys on everything do your own research!

stay healthy
until next time.

x, kirst

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