It's all about The Dirt:

Chia seeds are one of my superfoods. As part of my ongoing dig to find foods rather that pills to nourish our bodies, I’m always searching for nutrient dense bites. Make every bite, sip and thought count.

To give you a history of where these power-packed seeds came from, it goes back to the ancient Aztec warriors 3000 years ago. They prized chia as endurance promoting, eating it in bread and drinking it in water before running long distances. It is said that a single tablespoon sustained the warriors for an entire day.

A member of the mint family, chia is native to Central America and it comes from the Salvia hispanica plant. Because of its high fiber content, chia seeds absorb more than ten times its weight in water, making it an excellent source of hydration. The soluble formula forms a gel that slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, binds it to toxins in the digestive system, and helps get rid of waste.

Chia is also especially rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and arthritis. They have high-ORAC antioxidants like quercetin, myrecetin, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid, are also rich in calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and many trace minerals. And chia seeds are even a biologically-complete protein, making it the perfect survival food.

Whenever anything has been labeled a “superfood”, the “superprice” marketing goes with it. These are native seeds to our area, why do they need to be $16.99/lb.? Because they can be. But I stumbled upon another healthy blogger heathereatsalmondbutter.com, and came up with a great, inexpensive source that’s now my personal choice: ChiaSeedsDirect.com. For a 2# bag, it’s $24.99 with free shipping.

The way I use chia is making my Muddy Morning Slurry for almost every breakfast. It’s warm, hydrating and filling. It sustains me on a 3 hour ride without burping the whole way. I usually give myself about 1-2 hours to digest, and then its all fuel. I do not have the endurance without them, so I can personally see the power that they contain.

Here are some other ideas:

Banana Chia Coconut
1 banana, 1 tbsp. chia seeds, 2 tbsp. shredded coconut, 1 tbsp. Raw cacao powder. Peel banana and roll it in the coconut, chia seeds and cacao powder. Slice into pieces and enjoy.

Chia Pancakes
3 tbsp. chia seeds, Reinventing Pancakes recipe, and fresh organic berries.
Prepare pancake recipe, adding in chia seeds and half of berries. Mix together, heat skillet and add butter or coconut oil. Flip when golden on one side and top with the rest of fruit.

Chia Fizz
6 fresh mint leaves, ½ lime unpeeled and cut into 3 wedges, 1 tsp. of agave (or stevia to taste), 1 tbsp. of chia seeds, 8 oz. Seltzer or natural sparkling water.
In a large glass, rub mint leaves together, toss them in and squeeze lime wedges. Add agave or stevia, chia, seltzer and stir. Chill in fridge for 10 minutes to allow chia seeds to gel. Garnish with remaining lime and mint, stir and serve. This makes an excellent recovery drink after a hot weather ride. It’s hydrating, cooling and refreshing.

As I say to my kids, just try them and if you like, then you’re one step closer to eating healthier. Will you try? And I’d love to hear some other ideas!

Info and recipe sources:
Greens+ Omega 3 Chia Seeds
July/August ‘09 edition of Clean Eating

(photo credit)

This is gluten-free comfort food. We make variations of this, depending on what fresh veggies look best. This week it was broccoli, and since we double the recipe, we ate it for 3 days as a snack or meal. It comes in handy when I’m training and my husband’s traveling.

Pie Crust:
7 tbsp. of butter
1 cup of almond flour
1/2 cup of amaranth flour
1 egg
1 tsp. of natural salt

Filling:
1 pound of chopped fresh spinach, leaves only
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 medium diced onion
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbsp. olive oil
5 eggs
1 cup of coconut milk or diluted cream (2 part cream, 1 part water)
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano

Place pie crust in greased pie pan and press edges to the rim with fingers or a fork. Prebake at 350° for 10-12 min. Chop spinach and sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add spinach and feta cheese to onions and garlic. Cook through, set aside and cool.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add coconut milk or diluted cream and spices. Before adding egg mixture to spinach, beat eggs again. After all ingredients are combined, pour the whole mixture into pie crust. Bake at 325° for 45 min. to 1 hour, or until placing a knife in the center and it comes out clean. Serve with a salad or sliced cucumbers.

Recipe from “Your Goose Isn’t Cooked…Yet” by Hal Huggins, DDS, MS. The crust recipe is a variation.

A variation from Fresh Cracked Pepper

• 1 cup walnuts

• 2 tsp. raw cacao powder

• 1/2 cup shaved coconut

• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

• 1/4 cup melted coconut spread (or butter)

• 1 tbsp. raw agave nectar

• 2 tbsp. chia seeds

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup raw or toasted sesame seeds (you can buy ‘em pre-toasted or do it yourself: keep an eye, they burn fast!)

Chop the walnuts in blender and toast the sesame seeds (we kept them raw). In a bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir until it’s a dough-like consistency. Shape into 3/4″ round balls, and then roll into sesame seeds. Chill or freeze for up to a month, but if you’re like us, they won’t last that long.

These make a great snack on a bike ride, hike or snowshoe. It’s a cool weather snack though…they will melt and be mushy in warm temps.

My little helpers/tasters. One for the plate, one for me…one for the plate, one for me…

This is an all-out assault on our ignorance of food, and I’m equally as passionate. This is a must-see 20 minutes that will make a difference in you and your family’s lives.

Between watching this and seeing the movie Food Inc., I’m ready to go live on a farm and never buy from a grocery store again. The corporate greed that is making us and our kids sick has to stop.