Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia: an Introduction to the Nutrient-Dense Chia Seed
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Chapter 1 Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia: An Introduction to the Nutrient-Dense Chia Seed In This Chapter ▶ Finding out what chia is ▶ Delving into the history of chia ▶ Discovering why chia is the ultimate superfood one are the days when chia was known only because of the Chia Pet. GFew people realized the huge nutritional power of those novelty gifts until recently. Chia’s popularity has a whole different meaning now, as ath- letes, nutritionists, and raw food enthusiasts have encouraged its comeback. Chia is a highly nutritious food that can prolong endurance, improve heart health, and encourage good digestion, among many other health benefits that more and more people are discovering every day. An ancient food that was used by the Aztecs, Mayans, and other cultures, chia has been used for strength, endurance, medicine, currency, and in reli- gious ceremonies as a tribute to gods. It disappeared 500 years ago when the Spanish invaded Central America, but thanks to Dr. Wayne Coates’s research efforts, it’s back and produced commercially so that people around the world can benefit from these powerful seeds. Chia is fast becoming the go-to ultimate superfood for athletes, busy moms, people sufferingCOPYRIGHTED inflammation or digestion MATERIAL problems, and anyone who needs more energy. It packs loads of nutrients into a tiny space and is proving to be easy for all kinds of people to add to their diets and improve their health and well-being. In this chapter, we fill you in on where chia came from, how it’s grown, and why it’s making its way to more tables across the United States and around the world. We also compare chia to other seeds. (Spoiler alert: Chia comes out ahead.) 005_9781118867068-ch01.indd5_9781118867068-ch01.indd 7 55/22/2014/22/2014 112:59:412:59:41 AAMM 8 Part I: Getting Started with Chia A Simple Seed Brimming with Nutrients Simple is a great word for chia. The seeds are tiny but powerful, and adding them to your foods is simple. Within these small, black and white seeds are great levels of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and getting these valuable nutrients into your body has never been simpler. The subtle taste of chia means you can add it to anything you already enjoy and it won’t affect the flavor whatsoever. This is only one of the many reasons why chia has become so popular as a health food. Nowadays chia is available in health food stores and supermarkets everywhere. Chia is also becoming an ingredient in more branded foodstuff worldwide. So, you may be asking, “Why this sudden surge in popularity?” Here’s why: ✓ Chia is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Chia is among the highest plant sources of omega-3s in the world. Our bodies need omega-3s for brain function, heart health, and many other biological functions, and most people don’t get enough. Chia can help provide more of this essential nutrient. ✓ Chia is high in fiber. We need fiber in our diets to keep our digestive systems healthy. Chia provides 5 g of fiber in every 15 g serving. It goes a long way toward keeping digestion running smoothly. ✓ Chia is gluten-free. More people are being diagnosed with gluten intoler- ance and try to avoid it in their diets. Chia is naturally gluten-free, so it’s great for people who have problems with gluten. ✓ Chia is a complete protein. Chia has all the essential amino acids needed for growth and repair of body cells. This is unusual in a plant. Chia is a great way for vegetarians to get their complete proteins. ✓ Chia is high in vitamins and minerals. Chia provides high levels of cal- cium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, folic acid, and many other vita- mins and minerals that are needed for various functions in the body. ✓ Chia is 100 percent natural. Chia provides lots of nutrients, completely naturally. Instead of popping pills, you can eat chia to get nutrition that your body needs. ✓ Chia helps to keep your heart healthy. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber help reduce cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and pro- tect against cardiovascular disease. ✓ Chia helps prolong endurance. Chia has long been known for its endurance benefits. The seeds release energy slowly, helping to prolong endurance. ✓ Chia helps balance blood sugar levels. Chia’s hydrophilic (water- absorbing) properties help reduce sugar peaks and troughs, helping people to balance their blood sugar levels naturally. These are just some of the great benefits that chia can provide, the list goes on (see Chapter 2 ). 005_9781118867068-ch01.indd5_9781118867068-ch01.indd 8 55/22/2014/22/2014 112:59:412:59:41 AAMM Chapter 1: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia: An Introduction to the Nutrient-Dense Chia Seed 9 A relative to the humble mint leaf Chia seeds are harvested from a flowering Salvia hispanica L loves a sandy soil with good plant called Salvia hispanica L. This plant is drainage and is grown best in tropical and sub- a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. It’s tropical conditions. It’s a desert plant that is an annual herb that has purple and white not tolerant of frost. Although the plant needs flowers that produce the valuable chia wet soil to germinate, after that it does well with seeds. The plant grows to around 3 to 5 feet varying degrees of rainfall. Chia seeds absorb tall. Salvia hispanica L is native to southern up to ten times their weight in water, which is Mexico and northern Guatemala, but today ideal for a plant that grows in the desert. it’s grown in Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, The great perk of being related to mint is that and Australia. Trials are happening in a few insects don’t like mint, so they stay away without more countries to test if chia’s specific grow- the use of pesticides. This is fantastic for chia ing conditions can be met elsewhere, so we because the seeds are grown in a pesticide- may see more countries farming chia in the free environment, another bonus for health. coming years. The Endurance Food of Ancient Cultures Chia seeds have been around a long time. The Aztecs were known to use the seeds, and there is evidence that chia seeds were first used as a food as early as 3500 B.C. The Aztec name for chia was chian, which means “oily.” Supposedly, when it was translated from Nahuatl, the native language of the Aztecs, it was shortened to chia. In another version of the story, chia goes back to the Mayans. The Mayan word chia is said to mean “strength.” Chia may have been available to the Mayan people, but it was the Aztecs who revered its use and recorded its benefits, so the crop was of utmost impor- tance to the Aztecs. Chia was available to the Aztecs as early as 2600 B .C. Chia went missing for over 500 years, but it’s back, and we can all benefit immensely from it. Chia and the Aztecs Evidence that the Aztecs used chia appears in codices written 500 years ago. Codices were documents written in Nahuatl, the native language of the Aztecs, as well as in Spanish. A lot of them described life at that time and in them, we can see evidence of why chia was used. Chia was one of four main crops grown by the Aztec cultures. The other three were amaranth, maize (corn), and beans. These four crops served as the basis for the Aztecs’ daily diets. Chia seeds were eaten alone, mixed with other grains, ground into flour, used in drinks, and pressed for oil to be used as body and face paints. 005_9781118867068-ch01.indd5_9781118867068-ch01.indd 9 55/22/2014/22/2014 112:59:422:59:42 AAMM 10 Part I: Getting Started with Chia Another use for chia was in religious ceremonies. The Aztecs thought so much of chia that they offered the seeds to their gods as worship. They were also paid as tributes to Aztec rulers from conquered nations. One codex describes how 4,410 tons of chia were paid annually to the Aztec Empire. Chia was valued by the Aztec cultures because of the strength, stamina, and endurance that it provided to their people. A tablespoon of chia was said to sustain Aztec warriors for an entire day! The seeds were also used as medicine and prescribed for wounds, joint pain, sore throats, and sore eyes. Although the Aztecs didn’t have the scientific knowledge we do today, they knew that the seeds were highly nutritious. They valued chia as a hugely important crop that could be used for many purposes. The disappearance of chia You may wonder why chia disappeared at all if it was such an important part of the Aztec people’s daily lives. The answer lies in the conquest of the land by the Spanish. When the Spanish arrived in South America and came upon the Aztecs, they wanted to overtake everything and get rid of the cultures that were there. Chia disappeared for a few reasons: ✓ Chia seeds gave the Aztecs such strength that they thought the seeds gave them almost supernatural powers. Cortez, who led the Spanish invasion, felt that if he got rid of chia, the Aztecs wouldn’t last long with- out it. ✓ Because chia was used in religious ceremonies, the friars who came with the Spanish and who wanted to establish their own religions outlawed chia in an attempt to replace the Aztec religions with their own.