Learn how to utilize chia seeds to balance hormones naturally.
My friend Bill in Seattle is not only a curious person but he has been on a health exploration lately too. It’s awesome when you see serious tech folks (who created your Windows Phone interfaces) getting passionate about food. On my last visit to Seattle, I got the seeds and he made the pudding. This is when I fell in love with chia.
Chia seeds on their own are pretty tasteless but they add a beautiful gel-like texture to food and take on any
flavor you decide to add to them. Here is one – chia seed pudding in almond milk and berries. But, the variations are so many.
Chia seeds are a nutritionally dense food and are considered to be super foods.
They have high amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids, protein (and this protein is complete, containing all essential amino acids), antioxidants, vitamin Bs and are rich in minerals. They are gluten free and are low in calories.
They are easy to digest and have both soluble and insoluble fiber so they are gentle on the gut. Chia seeds digest slowly, which tends to stabilize blood sugar and can be of help to people with sugar issues such as hypoglycemia and type 2 diabetes.
Chia seeds contain high levels of calcium, together with boron, which is of great benefit to bone health. For example, one tablespoon of chia seeds contains as much calcium as two glasses of milk. Chia seeds can also prolong hydration and help retain electrolytes, which makes them a great help to athletes, especially runners.
All of chia’s properties, from fiber, vitamin Bs to proteins, are essential in balance your hormones naturally.
Is this enough to convince you to get started with them?
- ½ cup of chia seeds
- 2 cups of coconut milk or any nut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- optional: 1 tablespoon coconut butter or oil for extra richness
- sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 handfuls of fresh raspberries
- Warm up the milk – but do not boil.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Whisk the chia seeds into the warm milk, add coconut butter or oil (if using) and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes to set to a gel consistency.
- Reheat after standing if required, or allow to cool completely.
- Whisk in the raspberries and drizzle on the honey.
Use any other fruit like a ripe banana, blackberries, blueberries or apple sauce. You can also add coconut butter and cacao powder to turn it into a chocolate pudding.
Just made the chocolate version of this, and it is SO GOOD!!! Perfect ending to a meal that started with the Easy Thai Salmon. Thank you!!
YUM! What a lovely mean! Thank you for sharing how you enjoy this Amanda! ~Deanna HB Team
Está muy interesante, sigan poniendo cosas que personas como yo nos ayudan mucho
Wonderful! So glad you enjoy it 🙂 ~Deanna HB Team
You noted any nut milk could be used, how about rice milk? Will it still thicken? Thank you
Yes, that is good too Charlene as long as you do not have a sensitivity ~Deanna HB Team
Hi Charlene – I think rice milk is fine – pretty sure it’s the chia seeds that do the thickening:-)
Lisa
Customer Support
Do you have to add the sea salt ? And also do you have to heat it up ?
Hi Brian,
You can omit sea salt and do not have to heat it up if you leave it set overnight to thicken in the refrigerator. ~Deanna HB Team.
I just tried this and put in twice as many chia seeds than were called for. I tried to fix it with more cold milk, does that work to use warm and cold milk?
Hi Anna, we haven’t tried it like this before but I don’t imagine it would make too big of a difference. Let us know how it turns out, we are always interested in the variations people try. ~Kamalani HB Support
Hello, you mentioned any nut milk, can it be flax-milk?
Thanks!
Hi Shabana, yes flax milk can be used as well. ~Dr. Stephanie HB Team