Chia Seeds and Weight Loss: Eat All Natural and Healthy Chia Seeds

Practically everyone that lived through the 90s knows what a Chia Pet is. What is kind of remarkable is that rumors are flying like crazy that the chia seed can help you with weight loss.

That is the same type of seeds that were used to grow Chia Pets.

How Chia Seeds Could Relate to Weight Loss

While the claims that chia seeds can help you lose weight are not scientifically or medically proven, they are also not debunked, so it could be true.

By examining the properties and reactions of chia seeds we can see how it could be plausible to obtain weight loss with chia seeds.

Chia seeds have been used for decades by those that are health conscious as a superfood. These seeds come from a plant called Salvia hispanica that is found naturally in Mexico.

It is known that chia seeds were a staple in the diets of peoples such as the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas.

It has been said that the natives would eat chia seeds to sustain them for long periods of time such as when they were out hunting and had no access to another food source.

Here is a Summary of the Benefits

The main way in which chia seeds may be able to help you lose weight is through their ability to suppress your appetite.

Chia seeds naturally are largely made up of a soluble fiber that allows the seeds to absorb large amounts of water or other liquid. This allows the chia seeds to expand greatly when they are in the stomach and digestive tract.

When the seeds are exposed to water and expand, the process takes approximately 15 minutes.

They are able to expand to more than 10 times their original size and turn into a substance that has been described as feeling like a gel.

As the chia seeds expand in the stomach, it gives the feeling of being full, so you will end up eating less at your meal.

Another way chia seeds help in weight loss is through the same gelling process. Once the seeds get into the digestive tract, the gel substance they turned into literally coats the walls of the intestines.

The coating allows for food to pass through quickly and prevents fats and carbohydrates from being absorbed so quickly, so you could lose weight in that way as well.

Chia seeds may also aid in weight loss because they are digested through the system slowly. Since they are digested at a slow rate, this helps you to feel full for longer periods of time, which makes it less likely that you will give in to cravings or to snack mindlessly.

Chia seeds may also help with weight loss because they have a high fiber content. Fiber is notorious for being able to assist in weight loss because it makes you feel full and helps you have regular and healthy bowel movements.

Since chia seeds are so nutritious and are full of healthy nutrients, they can also give you a boost of energy.

If you are feeling more energetic you are more likely to exercise or do other activities, further increasing your chance of being able to lose weight with chia seeds.

Other Benefits of Chia Seeds

Besides possibly being able to help with weight loss, chia seeds are nutritional and good for you. Even if you did not want to lose weight with chia seeds, you could eat them for other purposes.

Chia seeds are incredibly nutritious and are jam packed with many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that all parts of your body needs and could use.

You could eat chia seeds as a snack between meals to not only suppress your hunger, but to provide adequate nutrition to your body and help boost your health.

It is known that chia seeds are rich in fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. They also are a great source of calcium, iron, and potassium.

Vitamin B3 is also found in chia seeds in high volume. Vitamin B3 is great for health as it is proven to help reduce redness on the skin and be an anti-inflammatory.

Chia seeds aid in digestion. Having a healthy digestive system is important for reaching weight loss goals.

When the digestive system in health, the body is able to get rid of toxins more quickly and foods are not sitting in the system for quite as long, so fats and calories have less time to absorb.

You may not know it, but your blood sugar levels directly relate to how tired or energetic you feel. Chia seeds contain a great amount of protein from carbs that are used by your body to give you a boost of energy when you eat them.

These proteins also work to balance out blood sugar levels, making you feel even more energized. You can not get that type of all-natural energy from coffee or sodas.

We now know that chia seeds provide you with a great deal of nutrients that your body needs. But did you know that a lack of certain nutrients could actually cause you to gain weight?

It’s true. If you are lacking in certain vitamins or minerals, it can cause your body to have food cravings, which could cause you to overeat or eat fatty foods, leading to weight gain.

If you use chia seeds you are less likely to run out of certain key vitamins and minerals.

So not only could chia seeds assist in weight loss, but they are amazingly healthy and a great choice to add to your daily diet.

Using Chia Seeds for Weight Loss

You could easily incorporate chia seeds into your daily diet. All you would need to decide is if you wanted to eat them plain or not.

It is recommended that to use chia seeds for weight loss, you should consume 2 teaspoons of chia seeds per day. You can eat them plain by themselves or you can add them into other foods you eat.

Chia seeds are great because they are flavorless, so they will basically blend into any other food you put them in.

Because of their gelling effect, they are best in any food that is already a little slimy such as yogurt, oatmeal, or cream cheese.

You could have your daily dosage of  chia seeds by simply adding them to your morning juice, cereal, yogurt, or anything else you could think of. Ideally you should not try to just eat them dry.

You should always have water to wash them down. If you ate them dry without following with water, they could settle in the esophagus, swell, and cause issues breathing.

If your goal is to lose weight, you should use chia seeds in addition to a healthy exercise and diet routine. Eating right and also putting exercise into your life will lead to the best possible results.