Chia seeds are one of our favourite sources of omega 3! They actually make it onto our shelve of superfoods because of their high omega 3, fibre, antioxidant qualities, and they contain all 9 essential amino acids which make them one of the best sources of plant based protein!
We’ve been focusing a lot on barriers for a strong immune system recently on social media – read this post by Dr Judith to find out more. One of the key things she recommended to make your barriers strong was to eat more omega 3 fats. This is because all your cells that make up your body have a membrane made from fat. Eat healthier fats and your cells will function better! In relation to the skin – cells with well-functioning membranes retain water and keep hydrated better to keep skin looking young and healthy. Water also happens to be essential for most metabolic processes so retaining water in all our cells is a good thing! A cell membrane that has a healthy composition of fat will also respond more optimally to hormones and other signalling molecules which is why omega 3 status should always be assessed for people with insulin resistance/diabetes, hypothyroidism and other hormonal imbalances.
However, they are one of our favourite foods because:
- They are quick to make – it takes 5 seconds to prepare!
- They are perfect for on the go – prepare them in Tupperware to grab and have on your commute to work.
- They go with nearly any type of food so you can have them as breakfast, smoothie, in a salad or as a dessert!
Here’s how we like to do it (typically for breakfast):
- Before bed pour around 3-4 tablespoonfuls into a bowl/Tupperware and add 3x more water to completely cover (or nut/oat/rice milk if you prefer it creamier).
- Give it a quick mix and then stick it in the fridge overnight.
- By morning the seeds have completely soaked up the water and swelled into a porridge like consistency. Throw in some chopped fruit/berries, nuts and then we like to add in cacao or cinnamon powder to give it a bit more flavour.
Done!
If you want to have them on the spot, mix them up in a similar fashion and it will take around 5-10 minutes to swell up.
Give it a go, snap it and tag us on facebook or instagram to let us know how you got on.
Dr Jamie and Dr Judith
