Avoid it:
Use the easy gel ratio!
Chia gel doesn’t have to be made in any certain amount,
as long as you remember the easy gel ratio is 9 to 1.
That’s 1 part chia & 9 parts water. Need a little? 1
teaspoon chia to 3 tablespoons water. Need a lot? 1
tablespoon chia to 9 tablespoons water.
Chia gel is a GREAT value!
For every 1 tablespoon of seeds you get 9 tablespoons of gel to use in
any of the tasty & easy applications. It also means a little chia can go a
longer way. The daily recomended amount of chia for an average adult
is 1 dry tablespoon. That means 1 pound of MySeeds will last over one
month. So, be sure to let the value work for you by planning how much
gel you need & using the ratio.
© 2008 DBA Design Action MySeeds Chia
How To Avoid The 8 Most Common
Mistakes With Chia Seeds
Want to try chia seeds?
Have you heard so many positive things about chia seeds that you’re
ready to give them a try on your menu? That’s great! Chia has so many
benefits that if you’re not using it, you’re really missing out. But, you
can avoid beginner pitfalls, skip wasting money, and find lots of ways
to really enjoy these super seeds with this list of mistakes AND
solutions. This list is not in any particular order.
Mistake: 1 Too Much Gel
An easy way to waste chia seeds is by making too much chia gel at
once. Sure, chia gel will keep in a covered container for about a week,
but after that it’s easy for it to spoil. Chia is nutritious and so is
soluble fiber (for certain organisms) which means that random mold
spores or bacteria that could be floating through the air just
anywhere would love to have a bite & set up shop in your gel if it
gets too old.
Mistake 2 No Plan To Use Chia
Chia seeds don’t really have a flavor.
This makes them hard to hate if they don’t taste like much, and hardly
anyone knows they’re there. But, a food without a flavor can get
boring fast if you’re just using it the same way over and over again.
There are SO many fun things you can do with chia that improve your
diet as well. Combine flavors in salad dressings, replace oil or butter
in baked goods, replace an egg in certain recipes, stir into almost
anything, use in drinks to cut appetite, help hold seasoned burgers
together for grilling, thicken soups & chilies…the list just goes on and
on! But…chia can’t help you if you don’t use it.
Plan your solution:
If you don’t go into chia with a plan to use it, you
may just set it down and forget it. Owning a product
you don’t use wastes money! Select some easy,
appealing ways to use it including simple sprinkle-
on, mix-in, and some quick recipes to start with.
With the books seen here, you don’t even have to
run around the internet hunting recipes, you just get everything all at
once. Having a great, pre-tested set of recipes at your fingertips is
super important. When you make something SO easy there’s no
excuses.
Mistake 3 Hate the Texture
The most popular & numerous recipes that involve chia (that you’ve
surely seen) are so-called “chia seed puddings”. This means mixing or
gelling chia in various flavored liquids to form a thick, chilled
‘pudding’ made primarily of the seeds and their super soluble fiber.
There are so many flavors you can make like key lime, coconut
pineapple, chocolate, vanilla-cinnamon, berry and more--however,
no amount of flavors will convince someone if they don’t like the
texture.
Lots of people stop there…and that’s a mistake! Others try just the
pudding and decide that chia’s not for them as soon as they test the
texture. This one’s so easy to avoid, just look at the pictures below...
Mistake 4: Trying to Make Gel in
Acidic Liquids or Oils
Chia won’t gel if a liquid is too acidic.
Of course, oil prevents gelling all together. However, chia WILL still
combine flavors in almost anything. For example, you can’t make chia
seeds gel in pure lemon or lime juice. However, you can use them as a
flavor combiner when they’re already
gelled. Don’t be disappointed when
you try to make lemon sauce or no-
cook blueberry fresh chia jam, use the
solution today.
Mistake 5: Chia Ruined Your
Appetite
Is this one a mistake, or is it an incentive?
It can go either way, depending on what you
want! The fact is, chia seeds can make people
feel full. Two kinds of fiber soluble & insoluble,
plus complete protein combine to help signal
fullness. After leaving the stomach, both kinds
of fiber take up space in the digestive system,
along with the water the soluble fiber absorbed,
further aiding in fighting hunger. At the same
time, the soluble fiber helps slow down the
conversions of carbohydrates into sugars (thus
helping with blood sugar) which is another
appetite controller.
Avoid OR Enhance it:
If you’re trying to lose weight and hunger is your biggest enemy,
feeling full is good. However, if you’re already at your target weight
and feeling too full for fresh fruit and veggies is a nuisance, there are
steps you can take.
Enhance:
To use chia’s hunger fighting power in your favor: Add a few teaspoons
of chia gel to ½ to ¾ cup of water and drink it about 15 minutes before
a meal. It’ll cut hunger, but the ‘I’m not so hungry now’ signal takes
time to get from the stomach to the brain. It is important to let your
body realize it isn’t as hungry as before. You can also sprinkle chia over
the food/meal and eat slowly to feel full faster. Fiber in general helps
with digestion for both you, and the probiotic bacteria who help keep
you healthy.
Tip!
Chia can make a drink into a snack! If you make the pomegranate-lime
twist chia drink above, it’s fresh flavor wakes you up, while chia’s
hunger fighting power means you can use the delicious drink to
replace a snack. Chia drinks have flavors you just can’t get in the
store...but mix up in minutes in your home.
Avoid:
Use chia in water to add fiber, texture, protein etc. only when there
isn’t a meal coming up. Use chia in foods for it’s myriad purposes, but
then don’t sprinkle on extra before eating.
Mistake 6: Going from a low fiber
environment to a high fiber
environment too quickly
Processed foods are everywhere today. Most fast foods, instant-meals
and more are made with very little fiber. To get an appealing texture
in breads or cakes (and many other baked goods), fiber is generally
filtered right out. Many people pay attention to nutrition…but not
enough attention to fiber. (Neither kind of fiber can be digested, but it
plays an important role in your health) Are you getting your daily
recomended amount of fiber? If not, chia is just about the easiest way
to fix that. However, too much fiber all at once after many
months/weeks without it will certainly cause digestive disruption.
Slow the solution down:
It’s important to take an honest look at how you’ve
been eating. If your menu was low on fiber, that’s
fine…your solution is to just increase your fiber
intake gradually with chia. The key is to start off
slow, with small amounts of chia spread
throughout the day and slowly increase to the
daily recommended amount (about 1 dry tablespoon for an average
adult, per day—of course you can vary this depending on your needs.)
If you need more fiber for ease of digestion, cholesterol issues (fiber
helps with cholesterol), intestinal hydration or if you’re working to
prevent diverticulitus / diverticulosis, let chia be your solution.
Mistake 8: Hoping Chia Seeds Will
Solve it All
Can chia seeds do a lot of really cool stuff? Certainly.
Will they solve all your dietary or culinary problems? No. Sure they
can help you stop hunger…but if you eat poorly when you do finally
get hungry again, you won’t see much progress toward your health
goals. You can sprinkle chia on your donut and get more fiber for
your day, but in the end, it’s still a donut when there are better-for-
you alternatives that might have done more for your health.
Mistake 7: Eating A Large
Quantity of Dry Chia Seeds
All At Once
As you’ve likely read, many times over, chia seeds are great for fiber!
But, do you know WHY the chia seed has such an abundance of
soluble fiber on the surface of the seed shell? It’s to give the seed a
good chance at starting a brand new plant in a harsh, dry
environment. The seeds absorb liquid & hold it close to the shell. This
also works to help the seed stick to a surface on which to grow instead
of just blowing away in the wind. It’s all very logical & natural.
Now that you know about the various possible mistakes, you can
also see how easy they are to avoid when you apply the solutions.
Put the chia seed to work for you today with MySeeds Chia. It’s the
only chia that comes with 2 instant bonus recipe books for you. Why
waste time hunting all over the internet, just get pre-tested, easy,
full color photo recipes for your chia all in one place. Because
they’re an instant download, there’s no waiting.
Did you know? There are so many benefits of chia seeds, that no
single article or list could include them all. Whether it’s keeping your
probiotic bacteria healthy, balancing blood sugar, providing plant-
estrogen free vegetarian complete protein, adding omega 3 healthy
oils without fishy flavor, or the ability to add extra fiber to almost
anything, chia is your easiest choice. Buy MySeeds Chia & grab your
bonus books instantly.
Which one is more appealing? A pile of dry seeds or a double chocolate layer
pop? Don’t worry, if you can blend, you can make any flavor of chia pop! When
chia can be this much fun, there’s no need to eat it plain.
Logical Solution:
If chia absorbs water...dry chia in your mouth (or throat) will absorb
all your saliva and make it difficult to swallow the seeds. It’s the same
mechanism as attempting to eat too many dry crackers at once. Enjoy
crackers one at a time. Enjoy chia seeds in foods & beverages as well
as a gel for chia pudding. There is no need to eat large quantities of
dry chia. Because chia doesn’t really taste like much, there’s no point
to eating it dry.
Solution:
Small tasty changes, fun easy recipes, and the excitement of trying
something new. If you’re looking to use chia to improve your
health, it’s a powerful tool. However, nothing is a 100% ‘cure-all’, so
set yourself up for success rather than disappointment. Maybe
instead of a bowl of sugary cereal, you could try the 2 minute chia
scrambled egg, the make-ahead (no morning rush can stop you!)
overnight-oats in any one of a zillion tasty themes, or a chocolate
chia smoothie that’s super healthy instead. Take away excuses like
‘no time’ (many chia recipes mix or make in minutes) or ‘bad taste’
(with so much fruit, veggie & healthy choice variety there’s bound
to be something for everyone)
1. Cholesterol control- YES fiber can affect cholesterol levels. Bile
acid from the liver is used to process it, but the liver must use up
cholesterol to create the acid. Less cholesterol? More fiber.
2. Immunity - Many helpful bad-bacteria fighters, virus defeaters &
more are alive and well in your digestive system. However...they
need soluble fiber to stay healthy & work properly.
3. Cravings- Cravings are sometimes controlled by the ‘microbiome’
of bacteria in the digestive system. Set them up for success with
fiber.
4. Hunger control- Fiber takes up space in the digestive system so if
hunger is an issue for you, more fiber can keep you feeling full
longer.
5. Blood sugar control- Fiber gets in the way while the body tries to
convert carbs into sugars, slowing the process down. This results in a
more even blood sugar balance during meals.
6. Long term intestinal health- Want to avoid diverticulitus or
diverticulosis? Keep your intestines working smoothly & well
hydrated with fiber.
Why should you care about fiber?
Fiber isn’t nutritious. You can’t break it down for energy. But the role
it plays in your health is HUGE. The fact that fiber is overlooked is one
of the biggest diet-related mistakes anyone can make. This small list
only scratches the surface of fiber’s function. Freely look up any list
item that’s related to your health on the internet to learn more than
can be contained in just 1 article.
Solution:
Gel the chia before adding it to your acidic liquid. It’ll still work at
blending flavors in vinaigrette dressings, honey/lemon dressing, lime
sauce, blueberry-vanilla jam and more. (Yes, the blueberry is a secretly
acidic food that doesn’t taste sour! Don’t worry, just like lemon juice
they become alkaline as they’re digested.) When working with chia and
oil, you can stir the seeds into it and shake to mix.
Would you suspect a blueberry is as
acidic as a lemon?
Solution:
Use chia in different ways. It’s SO much more than just pudding. Mix
it into a smoothie or oatmeal and you won’t know it’s there. Bake it
into banana bread and get extra fiber in the morning & most people
won’t even see the seeds. Sprinkle seeds into an omelet or mix into
salad dressing and they’re pretty much seen but not tasted. Each of
the foods & drinks above all feature chia in a different use. If you
don’t like chia pudding or the texture of gel, it’s so easy to avoid
simply because there are so many different ways to use it.
Chia Seeds are SO MUCH more than just pudding! Look at this colorful variety of
breakfasts, lucnches, dinners ,drinks and even desserts that use chia.
Both glasses have the same amount of chia!
Look how much gel you get when you add water.