Chia Seeds

[Angel Rae 7]

My friends dad swears by them. He says they are really good for digestion and for regulating your blood sugar so its great for Type 2 Diabetes. He also says its great regardless of your issue: if you are plugged up it unclogs you. If you go too much it slows you down.

I'm doing some more research on my own but I wanted to ask and see if any of you have tried it. Thank you!!!

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

That and flax seeds are great. NOT UNTIL you're on solid food though.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

They are also good for endurance or high intensity activity ( e.g running) as they hold a lot of Water in you GI tract that is available on demand. I believe they make a difference in ramping up athletic ability, but have no proof or scientific studies to back this statement.

[Angel Rae 7]

I'm glad to hear this I'm 6 months out. I was feeling constipated so I tried a colon cleanse product called Calm. It was an extremely painful day...lol. Lost 4 pounds in one day but was very ill and weak. I need an everyday kind of solution because you couldn't pay me to try that stuff again!!! Lol!

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

I LOVE chia seeds and used them faithfully during the 16 weeks leading up to my surgery. I can't have seeds until 7 weeks post op but look forward to including them again in my diet. The health benefits are TOTALLY worth the calories.. and they taste great in my vegetable juice!

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I'm glad to hear this I'm 6 months out. I was feeling constipated so I tried a colon cleanse product called Calm. It was an extremely painful day...lol. Lost 4 pounds in one day but was very ill and weak. I need an everyday kind of solution because you couldn't pay me to try that stuff again!!! Lol!

Yup. Chia seeds will work great for a daily BM. Very natural too as not a lot of effort. However, you ( or rather, a person) should probably use a forceful method if you are blocked as Chia seeds might not help you in that case. I use Chia seeds and Miralax together in the morning for a few months now. So far great results!!

[jan8j 30]

My husband and I have been making Chia shakes for several weeks now. They seem to help curb your hunger. I have not had surgery yet and expect I will have to give them up for a while afterwards. The sliced chia seeds are expensive, so we buy 1lb bags of the white seeds and grind them with a coffee grinder (whole seeds are not considered to be as effective). 2T per shake is recommended.

[JeffA70 200]

What do they taste like?

And where do people find the best ones, or good ones?

[SerendipityHappens 1,594]

What do they taste like?

And where do people find the best ones, or good ones?

After you put them in your drink wait 20 minutes.. they expand get gelatinous and remind me of fish eggs or tapioca beads. They have a nice flavor.... ya know.. kind of like seeds... I buy mine from a nice Amish lady at the farmer's market... but you can get them at any health food store, most big grocery stores and of course online.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

What do they taste like?

And where do people find the best ones' date=' or good ones?[/quote']

I bought them online from an organic seller at Amazon for several months. Good seeds and fairly economic. 2 lb bag is $25 plus shipping. Sellers (young husband and wife) were also real friendly and always responsive to my questions.

Now I see costco is selling organic Chia seeds in 2 lb bag for $12. I cannot tell the taste difference between the two or the bodily effectiveness. I use 2 TBSP of seeds helped in 10 oz of Water mixed with Protein shake powder every morning. It is part of my morning ritual.

I suppose if you are conscientious about helping out the small and independent sellers, you should. Fair trade and all that. However, I see the costco seeds as 2x more economical and no shipping costs. So in the end it came down to cost for me.

[JeffA70 200]

I bought some at Trader Joes yesterday. So, just put them in a yogurt, or along those lines?

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I bought some at Trader Joes yesterday. So' date=' just put them in a yogurt, or along those lines?[/quote']

Best to let them soak in Water for 20 minutes until they gel and ten add to something like yogurt or Protein shake. You can also add them directly to yogurt for a nice crunch (think: grape nuts), but in my experience, they will not deliver the same BM effectiveness. Some people also like to gel and chill them in the fridge overnight. In addition to Fiber, they deliver so much in additional nutrients such as Omega3 and Protein. Two Tbsp of chia seed is usually the recommended serving size.

[jan8j 30]

If you grind them, you don't need to soak them. They don't have any taste when ground!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

I don't think they have any taste whether ground or not. I've gelled them in just plain Water and it has no taste whatsoever, just like water. But they certainly change the texture of whatever you put them in, and that can affect your taste buds certainly. I like them in pudding/yogurt. But as Fiddleman said, best if soaked in your favorite beverage/protein shake for 20-30 minutes before drinking.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

If you grind them, you don't need to soak them. They don't have any taste when ground!

Just curious why they don't need to be gelled? The purpose of letting them gel is because of their tendency to absorb so much liquid. Not for ease in digestion or ingestion. You don't want them absorbing all that liquid in your GI tract. That causes Constipation. Do the ground seeds not absorb Fluid the same way?