The FastDay Forum

Adding water to the seeds makes a sort of wallpaper paste / frogspawn which does add to texture / bulk.

Sounds very appetising!! Think I'll pass on these.

Yes, take them all the time. They are a superfood with more Omega 3 and 6 than flax (important to know for vegetarians and vegans). Eaten widely by the native peoples of the Southwest and known to support endurance and fitness.

I see that we have flax seeds in Greece but no Chia seeds. In which ways are they similar/different?

I see that we have flax seeds in Greece but no Chia seeds. In which ways are they similar/different?

Flax / Linseed comes in golden and brown. Typical analysis for 30g daily serving - 144 cals, 7g protein, 12g fat, 2g carbs, 6g fibre. 3/4 of the fats are polyunsaturated, 60% omega 3 20% omega 6.

The seeds are small and hard, it can be milled in a coffee grinder or bought ready milled for use in baking or sprinkling. The taste can be a bit "earthy".

Chia seeds are small and round with different patterns of grey/black/white colour. They can be milled/ground too. They're an approved bread additive up to 5% in the UK. For 30g: 274 cals, 8g protein, 18g fat, 2g carbs, 22g fibre

http://www.energyfoods.gr/chia-seeds.html

blimey, that's Greek to me...

I see that we have flax seeds in Greece but no Chia seeds. In which ways are they similar/different?

Flax / Linseed comes in golden and brown. Typical analysis for 30g daily serving - 144 cals, 7g protein, 12g fat, 2g carbs, 6g fibre. 3/4 of the fats are polyunsaturated, 60% omega 3 20% omega 6.

The seeds are small and hard, it can be milled in a coffee grinder or bought ready milled for use in baking or sprinkling. The taste can be a bit "earthy".

Chia seeds are small and round with different patterns of grey/black/white colour. They can be milled/ground too. They're an approved bread additive up to 5% in the UK. For 30g: 274 cals, 8g protein, 18g fat, 2g carbs, 22g fibre

http://www.energyfoods.gr/chia-seeds.html

Thanks, Phil!
So, chia have more calories but more fibre as well. Better for the toilet issues, me thinks...

Just found this thought it might help and they are definately full of fibre (which is great for me as Ive been suffering slightly on that level since starting 5:2)


What are chia seeds? What we know as chia seeds are the seeds from the Chia plant, which is a member of the mint family of plants. They do not have a minty taste, in fact they don`t taste of much at all. The benefits of chia lie in its nutritional value; it`s high in omega-3 fatty acid (ref: http://www.therawfoodworld.com/product_ ... id=1001457), has plenty of fiber, and is abundant in various other vitamins and minerals. It can be added to just about anything you want to eat: salad, smoothies, deserts or savory foods. And that`s not all; chia can actually help you lose weight.

How to lose weight with chia seeds? Firstly, all of the nutritional value in chia seeds will result in a healthier body, and therefore more energy. It`s quite easy for someone who is slim and full of energy to go for a run in the morning, but for an overweight person who feels fatigued all the time, the prospect of getting out of bed earlier than necessary is quite daunting. Chia is abundant in omega-3 oils, protein, calcium, soluble and insoluble fiber, and antioxidants, and adding it to your diet will feed your body with nutrients that it may otherwise lack. Better health equals more energy which equals more desire to expend energy.

Also, one of the unique things about chia is its ability to soak up water. If you mix one part chia seeds with nine parts water, and leave it for about fifteen minutes, you`ll get a mixture with a gel like consistency. It has little taste, but plenty of nutrients. It also is very filling because of the amount of expansion. Furthermore, the chia gel slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the system, so you stay satisfied for longer, without peaks in blood sugar. Feeling full for longer, without peaks and lows in energy, will certainly lead to weight loss.

Finally, the chia running through your system acts like a broom, cleaning out your intestines as it goes on its way. This helps clean the body of toxins, as well as food stuff which may be slow to pass through, like meats and dairy. Even if you eat healthily on a day to day basis, there may still be remnants of unhealthy food in your system from past bad food choices. A cleaner body is a body that can send clearer signals; you may find that you won`t get so many cravings for chocolate, pizza and ice-cream because your body is cleaner and just doesn`t desire such foods.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/025583_chia_ ... z2PxDwJiwR

(from Naturalnews.com:)This helps clean the body of toxins, as well as food stuff which may be slow to pass through, like meats and dairy. Even if you eat healthily on a day to day basis, there may still be remnants of unhealthy food in your system from past bad food choices. A cleaner body is a body that can send clearer signals; Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/025583_chia_ ... z2PxDwJiwR

Wow - a whole string of rather debatable statements (not quoting all of them), with the message: even if you eat healthy, you still have to order this stuff. That always makes me suspicious, but in this case the url was enough.
Naturalnews.com/Mike Adams is not exactly known for scientific rigour and/or balanced approach. They sell the stuff they uncritically and conveniently promote. On an aside note: Rather interesting homepage with anti-gun control and anti-Obama, not really sure how that classifies as "naturalnews". Their political standpoint would of course not affect reliability (apart from the inflammatory and insulting tone which is a tip-off) - but regarding health advice I would be very wary of believing anything on that site at face value.

Just as a taste of their anti-sience approach
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/mike-adams-on-dr-mehmet-ozs-colon-polyps-spontaneous-disease/#more-6717

Well i bought mine from Holland and Barrett but found that paragraph on the www I chose that one at random as there were lots promoting chia seeds.

Maybe some of what the website says above is not whole truth but a good deal of what they say about the chia seeds is.

I'm not familiar with Natural news and what their anti science approach is about and not really interested tbh

Well i'm grateful for you pointing out the bad things about this particular website I very much feel its up to the individual to do their homework on the chia seeds in general - hence whyI have to say I spoke to my GP about them and he says they are great for bowels and also for the omega oils and appear to help with energy levels ....so i'm trialling them to see how i go!

I've bought some on the back of this thread and a recommendation. I also need a bit of extra help with the bowels and make my own bread (or did, need to get back to it) and it sounds like a nice thing to add.

TracE, i absolutely agree with you that in the end it is up to the individual to do their homework. But I suppose the intent with your post was to provide helpful information, and my intent was exactly the same. That is the strength of this forum to me, a collective effort to provide individual experience, advice, info and support.

I have nothing either for or against chia seeds. Hope they work for you!

[carorees]

Well if they help with the bowel problems and are high in omega-3 I guess that alone is worth trying them.

Like this fasting thing we're doing, though, you have to take the other benefits as being only possible rather than definite even though there are lots of people out there trying to tell you that the benefits are definite rather than possible!

I only eat 1 T. of chia seeds per day (mixed with oatmeal and soaked overnight in soy milk) and if I miss a couple of days I do notice I'm not as regular. they really have no taste when they are mixed with something. I keep some that are already soaked in a container in the fridge, then it can be mixed into blended smoothies as needed.

Here where I live I can buy it easily at my local grocery store, or at the Costco warehouse store. It has become quite popular, like quinoa which is all over the place too!

I've found my favourite way to have them is 2 tspoons mixed with (thawed) raspberries and greek yogurt mixed together with some honey and left for an hour or so or even overnight if covered

So, one way or the other we have to either soak them or cook them. Is that correct?

No - you can eat them dry but its advised to drink water with them.

I have mixed them in a glass of water and left them for 10 mins and they then swell like frogs spawn - wierd drinking them like that made me gag lol

Because they absorb water it is advised to drink plenty after eating/drinking them too