CHA CHA CHA CHIA!

Chia Seeds are amazing! I heard of these last summer from a friend and I never did anything with the info. Then in late December I was listening to my favorite Sirius station Martha Stewart Radio and heard maryandsara.com talking about Chia. They call it Mila (name brand). Mary and Sara have written several cook books but the latest is "Super-Charged Smoothies" and they put Chia Seeds in their recipes! Here are some of the benefits:

• 6 X more Calcium than Milk
• 8 X more Omega 3's than Salmon
• 2 X more Potassium than Bananas
• 3 X more Iron than Spinach
• 6 X more Protein than Kidney beans
• 15 X more Magnesium than Broccoli
• 4 X more Selenium than Flax Seed
• 9 X more Phosphorus than Whole Milk

* source : http://www.maryandsara.com/

Pretty Amazing! Now I take 2 tablespoons in the morning with my oatmeal.

Here are a few interesting points about Chia:

• Chia does not lose its nutrients if cooked!
• Chia can hold 12 times its weight in H20 which means its filling and it turns into a gel when left in H20
• Chia does not have flavor so it goes well with any food
• Chia Balances blood Sugar

Chia has been around since the ancient Aztecs. It was made popular by the Chia Pet but there is much more to this tiny seed. You can buy Chia Seeds at your local natural food store. I get mine at Loius's in Scarborough. Its $9.99 a pound.

Note: once you add the chia seeds to your oatmeal eat it immediately. The chia expands and next thing you know your choking down double of what you prepared.

I store my chia in a mason jar in the pantry. Chia, unlike Flax has a shelf life of about 2 years and does not need to be ground or refrigerated.