Chia Seeds?

[Jax]

Anyone tried these out at all?? I haven't ever even seen them :o

Here's Kate Wood's description of them at Raw Living (http://www.rawliving.eu/?location_id=101)

Here's a place to buy in UK, Red23 (http://www.red23.co.uk/Organic-Chia-Seeds_p_1072.html)

They look a bit pricey so maybe clubbing together with a friend may help you out to try them ;)

[karen @rawchocolateheaven]

Kevin Gianni from the renegade health show does a Chia porridge, seems big in Americia and they seemed to love Chia seeds & eat loads of them.
renegadehealth.com

[Emma]

i like chia seeds but i normally soak them in a fruit smoothie e.g. banana and berries overnight and have a nice gooey pudding in the morning. I also add them to flax crackers when you soak the flax throw in a couple of tablespoons of chia - they bulk up a lot so make sure you add enough water...

[haverawcake]

I love Chia seeds. They are great to add nutrition to smoothies and also to add to puddings to make them thicker. I use them a lot in my recipes. Here's a recipe for chia chocolate pudding.

This is an amazingly nutritious ‘dessert’ that is good enough to have for a whole meal. It is a fabulous way to get greens happily into your children in a way that the nutrients will be easily assimilated as the cell walls will be broken down in the blender. You need a blender for this: a high powered blender such as the Rhino will produce a smooth, creamy pudding. The less powerful your blender is the longer you will need to soak the chia seeds and dried fruit. Serves 4 - 6.

2 bananas, peeled
1 avocado, peeled
3 dessert spoons cold pressed, organic coconut butter
4 heaped dessert spoons raw, organic carob powder
1 heaped teaspoon raw, organic cacao powder
6 organic dried apricots, soaked
3 dessert spoons goji berries, soaked
2-8 lettuce leaves (start with a smaller amount and build up to more as you get used to a slightly less sweet taste
2-6 (depending on fruit size and sweetness required) fresh, sweet fruits such as 2 pears, 2 peaches, 2 nectarines, 6 plums, 6 apricots
1 dessert spoon chia seeds, soaked
1 teaspoon chlorella powder (optional if you want to sneak it in for extra nutrition)
400ml water

1.Put all ingredients in a blender and blend throughly. You might need to blend it in batches with a hand blender. Add extra water if you need it to get the blender going.
2.Put into bowls and serve.

http://www.haverawcakeandeatit.co.uk/raw_food_uk/CHIA_CHOCOLATE_PUDDING_recipes_files/IMG_3310.jpg

[ani]

That looks like an excellent pudding Havearawcake :P
I love chai seeds
I soak them and put them in smoothies
and have made chocolate puddings in the past.
They are expensive and I am not sure if the ones
I have are white ones (apparantly the best).
I was told they are not meant to be sold in this country anymore
(food police on the case)
by the guy who I bought from.
as far as I know they are excellent for digestion
and help bind fat (that was why i started taking them anyway).

[Jax]

I've found this link for 2003 (http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2003/jul/chiaseed) where a company was presenting it as a novel food.

It was on an agenda 22nd June 09 for the European Comission but haven't seen if it was passed or not - this is the Google search for it (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=SANCO+5566%2F2009+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a), click on the first link and you'll find it on page 3 of that document;

12. Exchange of views and possible opinion on a draft COMMISSION DECISION authorising the placing on the market of Chia seed (Salvia hsipanica) as novel food ingredient under Regulation (EC) N° 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council (SANCO/5566/2009 Rev.1) (Right of scrutiny of the European Parliament). (AK)

I am absolutely useless with legal jargon so I really don't know what all that is about :o

[freethefood]

Are Chia seeds like, flax, psyllium or irish moss? getting the food to bind and good for the gut?

[Jax]

Just come across another pudding recipe using chia seeds but not quite sure what pumpkin spice is, AHA check out this link (http://southernfood.about.com/cs/pumpkins/ht/pumpkin_spices.htm) to make up the spice;

Serves 4

• 1 cup alkaline ionized water or spring water
• ¼ cup sesame seeds, ground
• 3 T raw honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Seeds of one vanilla bean
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 3 T chia seeds
• ½ cup shredded coconut (optional)


Directions: Place water, sesame seeds, honey, vanilla extract and bean, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice in blender. Blend well. Transfer to glass bowl. Mix in chia seeds and shredded coconut. Stir well. Place in fridge. Stir again in 15 minutes, then again in another 15 minutes. The chia seeds will continue to soften and thicken the pudding. Your delicious dessert will be ready in about 30 minutes.

By: Katy Joy Freeman, Raw Food Chef

** And hopefully this will help with your chia seeds question freethefood;
Here are ten benefits to using chia seed in your life.

1. Nutritious. Chia seed provides ample calcium and protein to your tissues. The seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium. The nutrients also support proper brain functioning.

2. Water loving. The seed can soak up ten times its weight in water. Do this fun experiment. Put one tablespoon of chia seed in a cup of water and stir. Wait a few hours and see what happens. When inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.

3. Easily digestible. The shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole. This is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly. If you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass through.

4. Concentrated. If I could only take one cup of food for a few days, I'd choose chia! The food value per volume is simply astounding. You don't need much.

5. Mild tasting. Unlike some seeds, the flavour is very mild. The mild taste makes it easy to put in sauces, smoothies, breads, puddings, and whatever you want. They won't really change the taste, but will add to your nutrition!

6. Energy enhancing. The health pioneer Paul Bragg did an experiment an endurance hike with friends. They divided up into a chia-eating group and another group, who ate whatever they wanted. The group eating only chia seeds finished the hike four hours, twenty seven minutes before the others, most of whom didn't even finish at all.

7. Versatile. The seeds can be used to replace less-healthy fat in just about any recipe. You can use them uncooked in salad dressings, spreads, fruit shakes, ice cream, and just about anything you want. You can also add them to cookies, cakes, muffins, and other baked goods. I usually just mix in a couple of teaspoons to my juice or water and drink them down!

8. Slimming and trimming. Yes, the seeds will help you lose weight, for two reasons. The first reason is that they are so filling that you will eat less of other foods. The second reason is that they actually bulk up and cleanse your body of old "junk" in your intestines.

9. Endurance enhancing. Chia seeds are known as the "Indian Running Food". Also, the ancient Aztec warriors used chia seed during their conquests. I'm a runner, and I've used chia seed to enhance stamina and endurance on my mountain runs, some of which are several hours long!

10. Regenerating. After eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation. Use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue.