Chia Fresca and Validation

I want you to understand that I get the chia jokes.  Really, I do.  And while I have still been adding chia to my smoothies daily in spite of the chia jokes, last night I stumbled upon THE validation for my current chia obsession.  

And funnily enough, I just blogged about the source a couple of days ago.  So, last night I was reading and I came upon a section that talked about how the Tarahumara (i.e. the running people) make a happy drink called Iskiate, that gives them energy the equivalent of Red Bull.  And did you know that chia was once as treasured as say...frankincense?  

So today I decided to make some Iskiate.  I put a tablespoon of chia seeds in about 16 ounces of filtered water (I am going to try it with half coconut water tomorrow) and added a couple of drops of lime oil.  I shook it up in my bottle and then stuck it in the fridge to sit for a couple of hours.  As the seeds absorbed the water, they expanded a little bit, and spread out as well instead of clumping.  Just before drinking it, I added some liquid stevia with peppermint.  It tastes like a peppermint lime drink and the chia seeds are sort of slimey and gel-like, but if you don't try to chew them they just make the drink thicker.  The drink is lovely and fabulous and would make a GREAT summer drink without the chia seeds, but let's do the analysis of what I am drinking...right now.

2g protein

9% of daily calcium

4.5g of fiber

4g fat 

Crazy! 

Now, I am not telling you that you will lose weight on this.  That is not where I am going with my chia experiment.  As someone who is almost as old as "All Things Considered", I think it is starting to be important to consider all things as I work to eat foods that will help me to be healthier for the next 40 years. 

Plus, if you aren't convinced, yet....

Here is the product description on Amazon.  

Product Description

When you hydrate the seeds in water the seeds shell opens up and absorbs up to nine times its volume in water. This then forms a gel, which is called Chia Seed Gel. The gel helps keep your body hydrated. The gel is also 90% soluble fiber, which is beneficial for your digestive track. People use the seeds when they are involved in sports or physical activities for endurance. The seeds have twice the protein of any other seed or grain, five times the calcium of milk, boron which is trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones, omega 3 and omega 6 which are essential oils for the body. They also have a very long list of valuable nutrients in them naturally. The soluble fiber in the gel forms a wall between carbohydrates and the body, releasing them slowly into the body. This has been found to be very helpful for people who have trouble controlling their sugar levels like Diabetics. Dieters love the seeds because it can be added to any food or drink in a ratio of 75% to the volume of food or drink and will not change the taste. Because the carbohydrates are released slowly you will get the feeling of being full. Many use the seeds as a way to control their appetites. The gel has no taste.