Chia Seeds - How Much a Day?

Question

Chia Seeds - How Much a Day?

What quantities of chia seed is needed to be beneficial? Do I need to take 1 tablespoon per day or more? -by Val, (Qld. Australia)

Answer

This may be up to each person since chia has many benefits. I've learned a lot about chia from Dr Wayne Coates. Here's something to help answer your question:

"... One of the main reasons a person eats chia is to obtain omega-3, the obvious question is how much gives me sufficient omega-3. Since a recommended daily value for omega3 has not been established, it is a difficult question to answer. However, general guidelines would indicate that 15 to 20 grams (2 to 3 tablespoons) of chia will provide all the omega-3 your body needs." -Reference: Dr Wayne Coates, AZChia

Dr Coates has done extensive research on growing chia over the last two decades. His group has helped us re-discover this valuable superfood. It had been phased out of the Aztec culture during the time of the Spanish invasion of Central America in the 1400/1500's.

Chia - how much do I eat a day?

I eat 3/4 tablespoon chia seeds a day, here's what I do to make it into a chia gel to add to my breakfast drink everyday.

I mix enough for two, me and my husband.

• Mix 1.5 tablespoons of chia in 3/4 cup of good water. (That equates to 2 tablespoons per cup if you want to mix up larger amounts.)
• Let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure all seeds are absorbing water. Longer is better if you want to mix it up at night, put in the fridge and use it in the morning. I actually make up four of these at a once and use one a day. It saves me time and keeps well.
• I usually don't make more than I can use over four or five days but I've heard it will last longer than one week.
• Each day, I have a chia gel ready to use. When I'm on the last container, I make up four more.

Benefits

• I find the gel made this way helps to thicken my breakfast drink which I like.
• We have more energy throughout the day.
• May be a great way to help you lose weight if you want. I have to watch how much I eat in the morning as I tend to go past lunch, since I don't get hungry.

  For dieters wishing to lose weight, this might be a good thing. I'm thin, so I want to eat my three meals a day. You'll have to judge how much to eat according to your personal requirements.

You can buy chia from Dr. Coates website - AZChia. And if you'd like to learn more about chia, here's some other articles I've written.

Chia Seeds - An Ancient Superfood
The Best Chia - Why My Choice
Chia Plant - Gathering the Seeds

Janis

You can also go to -
Natural Healthy Eating home page from Chia Seeds - How Much a Day?

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Janis and Glen Ihrig - 818-237-4423 / info@arkadias-choice.com

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