You might love the crunch it gives as topping in your salad or the speckled look it gives to your dessert, and sure, by now knowing that it has some of the densest nutritional components that human body needs, you must have tried including it in so many different foods you consume. However, one of the greatest reasons ever that make Chia such a wonder food is in what we usually called the roughage.

Let’s understand what this really means. Roughage or fiber is that part of the plant food that we cannot digest. Sugars and carbohydrates on the other hand are completely digestible and thus get completely absorbed by our bloodstream and thus also add on the calories. The fiber in food simply absorbs water and passes through the digestive tract, easing and cleansing the gut action.

What’s so special about Chia seed fiber?

Quite simply, we have two kinds of fibers in our foods– one, the insoluble fiber, the kind that does not absorb water, yet passes through our digestive tract helping in improving digestion,bowel movement, and also regulating digestive activities.Then there is the soluble fiber, the kind that is found in Chia. This fiber absorbs water,swells up, in the digestive tract and it can get fermented by bacteria and can be extremely useful for regulating blood sugar level as well as cholesterol. This sort of fiber is also called as mucilaginous fiber. It kind of looks gooey and jelly-like. In fact, all plants produce some kind of mucilage, as it helps them fight pathogens, helps in healing tears and wounds on the plant body, and also aids in regulating water loss and helps in germination. All of these for a plant is really a life-giving quality!

But what could the same mucilage do for the human body?

Does the nature of Chia’s fiber actually help us?

The kind of fiber that Chia has creates what is called as the Chia gel that helps clean the intestinal walls with its scrubbing action and can also help in cases of diarrhea by helping in bulking up the stool. Since Chia absorbs moisture and works along the digestive tract, it also happens to help the colon, thus reducing the risk of colon cancer. Besides, fibers slow down the breaking down of food to make sugars and in this manner stabilizes blood sugar levels. More amounts of soluble fiber like in chia will slow down the movement of bulk along the intestinal passage and thus the feeling of being full continues longer, helping one stay satiated longer. This is especially true if it is eaten along with fats and proteins.

Chia Stats:

Every 100 gm of chia seed has 37.2 gm of fiber. The more calories we take in,the more we need to balance the fiber accordingly. We need 30–35 gm of fiber each day, while what is generally consumed in most urban societies is about 15 gm.

Fibers, the kind that is found in chia seeds, thus is a great way of ensuring a protection against unstable blood sugar, cholesterol, heart issues, and all kinds of digestive stressors.

How to Make the Most of Chia Fiber

From omelets to smoothies, salads, or even dough for breads, delicious cakes, and puddings, there is scope for adding chia seeds in all kinds of foods.

Here are some recipes that help maintain a healthy dietary regime and give you the bounty of chia alongside.

Smoothies

# Raspberry Chia Smoothie

2 cups raspberry/red grapes

1 banana

1 medium orange

Lettuce eight to ten leaves

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup water

# Kale, Pear, and Chia Smoothie – here is how a green smoothie does great with chia in it

1 cup Kale

2 diced pears

½ banana

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

2 cups water

Melon Raspberry Cooler

2 tablespoons of chia soaked in 1 cup of water

1 cup raspberries

2 cups fresh cut watermelon

Chia Pudding

One of the best means to make your sweet tooth feel happy and indulged is by converting soaked chia into a pudding. All you have to do is soak the chia seeds in milk or water. Add more yogurt or almonds milk to it and then your choice of fruits or even cocoa, till you get a lovely creamy consistency. Set it in small little dessert bowls for individual helpings. It looks splendid too. If you do not like the look of swollen seeds in your pudding, have instead the milled version of the same.

of the same. Here is another one that would be loved by all peanut butter and chocolate fans. Take two tablespoons of chia seeds and soak in almond or normal dairy milk. Now add some cocoa powder to it. Mix it well to a smooth consistency. Now comes the other necessary layer – that is peanut butter – here too you could add crushed almonds to make it healthier. Dry roasted peanuts could be added to make it crunchier. Begin layering. Take you dessert cup. First layer is that of peanut butter, followed by the chocolate layer, and then a thin sprinkling of chia seeds. Repeat the layering. On top could go chopped bananas, walnuts, and honey, if you please.

Chia Drinks!

Yes, that too is possible and it is rather simple to make as well.For example, you could begin with this delicious grape, ginger and lychee drink.

Take two tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup grapes

1 cup fresh peeled deseeded lychees

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 lime freshly squeezed

Few mint leaves

A pinch of salt if you need it.

Simply blend in all the fruits, add the chia seeds, and allow it to get sits natural consistency which it will after absorbing moisture. Liquefy more with any juice. Add the ginger and the mint. Serve.

Breakfast Time Chia

The simplest means to make your breakfast time more fun is by simply adding chia seeds to your usual cereal. Here is one more means to make it more attractive to kids

Take you regular oats, add three table spoons of chia seeds, and simply roast in the oven till crispy.

Add milk, chopped bananas, crushed almonds, and a few raisins, and you have a wonderful new cereal with the goodness of chia and that too with a superb crunch!

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