Last week my good friend Peggy shared, with our Wednesday morning ceramics group, that she had started taking a daily dose of Chia. Not the pet – the seeds. So I did a little research and WOW . . . Chia seeds are amazingly nutritious. They have been around for centuries but have only recently started to gain recognition as a superfood. Just 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds added to your daily diet provides approximately 7 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 205 milligrams of calcium and 5 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids! If you are like me and you struggle to get the recommended amount of Omega-3 in your diet and you hate flaxseed, chia seeds may be the answer. Chia can help stabilize blood sugar, improve hydration, improve mental focus and concentration, improve regularity and reduce cravings. Chia seeds are a convenient, ready to eat food that you can sprinkle on just about anything. The best part is that they are almost tasteless. In fact, when the Chia seeds are hydrated they take on the flavor of the food they are added to –- dressings, salsas, smoothies, yogurt . . . you name it. The shell of the Chia seed is easily broken down so there is no need to grind them to receive the health benefits and they have a shelf life of up to two years. Just one word of warning: If you want to include Chia seeds in your diet, do not use the seeds that come with a Chia Pet. Purchase only food grade Chia seeds which are available online or at most health food stores. If you want to boost your energy, immunity, endurance and overall health I suggest you try Ch . . . Ch . . . Ch . . . Chia!Thank you Bev for being the first reader to bring the typo in my April 2011 Good Health! post to my attention. Did you catch it? If you did I hope it made you laugh. Laughing increases the level of health enhancing hormones in your body. Make the time to be good to you by reading my blog or spend as much time as you can surrounded by people that make you laugh. ☺
Good Health!
Terry
"Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice."
~ Author Unknown
Coffee? Yes, please. Female laboratory rats given caffeine developed an intense interest in their rodent partners.
Massage? Forget the sit-ups ladies. Having a 45-minute massage lowered thelevel of cortisol in study volunteers. Since increased cortisol levels have beenlinked to increased belly fat, stress reducing activities like a massage, exercise, medication or taking a bath may actually allow you to throw out that Ab Blaster.
Shape Ups? You may want to throw those out too. In February 2011 a waitress from Ohio filed a lawsuit against Sketchers, maker of the popular rounded-sole walking shoe. Holly Ward’s lawsuit claims that the Shape Ups she wore to work everyday to tone her legs and butt were responsible for the stress fractures she experienced in both of her hips.
Tired? Well . . . you don’t have to look like it. According to Kathleen Baird Murray, author of Face Value, you can achieve a wide-awake look by hanging your head over the side of your bed for a few seconds.
Allergies? Researchers at Cornell University concluded that the sniffles, sneezing and snottiness associated with hay fever may actually rid the body of toxins before they can harm healthy cells and thus reduce the risk of developing cancers of the skin, lungs, throat, cervix, uterus and gastrointestinal tract.
eggings? Health officials in Thailand have asked women to stop wearing black leggings. Evidently the dark material of this popular fashion item attracts mosquitoes that carry the dengue fever.