Chia seeds are pretty famous for something so small. They’ve become incredibly popular. You can buy them in Aldi. I often see bliss balls or raw slices coated in them. Cafes sprinkle chia on top of their muesli or granola… But hang on a sec, did you know that chia seeds take on around 9-12 times their own weight in water? This means that if you don’t soak chia before eating them, they will ‘soak’ in your body instead.
Benefits of soaking chia seeds
- Reduce constipation and improve elimination – soaked chia seeds become mucilaginous and therefore assist with removal of wastes from the digestive tract. If you tend to constipation, then dry chia seeds are going to mop up water in your colon, potentially making things worse, so best to soak if this sounds like you.
- Absorb more nutrients – soaking chia helps liberate their amazing assortment of nutrients – namely their abundance of healthy omega 3 fats (especially important if you don’t eat oily fish) and mineral content (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese).
- Feel fuller longer – chia are a great source of fibre and the mucilaginous effect of soaking chia adds to the full feeling that fibre gives.
- Avoid getting dry chia seeds stuck in your teeth!
How much water?
- I use 3 tablespoons of water to 1 tablespoon of chia and leave them to soak for around 10 mins.
- This gives a nice gel-like consistency.
- You can then chuck them into a smoothie or mix into your porridge etc.
There are heaps of good chia pudding recipes out there, which are worth a try.