Chia seeds have become very famous when we talk about weight loss.
One of the most popular ways to lose weight and I bet a lot of your friends have tried these healthy seeds already. Maybe you’ve even boarded the chia seed trend by putting them in your tea, lemonade or oats. But to turn this trend into a long-lasting lifestyle change, you’ll need some more reasons to pick up these seeds.
CHIA SEEDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
There are many articles available everywhere that chia seeds decreases the capacity of your appetite and accelerates weight loss.
The present theory trend is that since chia seeds are satiating and high in Fibre content, they keep you fuller longer and you stop snacking between meals. They may hence help prevent excess eating.
Two tablespoons of chia seeds have almost 10 grams of Fibre content. That’s around 40 per cent of the adequate daily intake. Diets loaded with Fibre have been scientifically linked to accelerating weight loss.
According to a study that took place in 2015, it mentioned that “eating 30 grams of fibre every day helps you lose as much weight as if you followed a dietician prescribed diet.”
Though there are not enough scientifically proven conclusions many personal experiences have been recorded.
For the personal study, about 60 obese or overweight adults consumed 25 grams of chia seeds mixed with water or either a placebo before their first and last meals of the day. Unfortunately, the results showed zero impact on:
- body mass
- body composition
- disease risk factors
Chia seeds are also relatively high in calories as well as fats. Two tablespoons have :
- 138 calories
- 9 grams of fat
When used in moderation, chia seeds may aid you in feeling more satisfied and less likely to overeat. Still, if you eat too many throughout the day, you may overboard your daily calorie limit.
Ways To Eat Chia Seeds For Weight Loss
One of the easiest ways to include chia seeds in your daily routine is to add them to water.
Here is your tip to make chia water:
- soak 1/4 cup (40 grams) of chia seeds in 4 cups (1 litre)
- leave for 20-30 minutes
To give your drinks some interesting flavour, you can squeeze lemons, add chopped fruit, lime, or orange.
Water isn’t the only thing you can soak chia seeds in.
Add 1/4 cup (40 grams) of chia seeds to the required amount of coconut water or fruit juice to soak it in
leave it for 30 minutes to make a drink that’s full of minerals and fibre.
This chia recipe gives you several servings of healthy drinks or juice. Just make sure to keep your beverage intake moderate, as fruit juice contains lots of sugar.
If you want to make your smoothie healthier, consider adding chia seeds.
You can use chia in almost all smoothies by soaking them to make a gel before adding.
4. Raw chia toppings
Although many people prefer to soak chia seeds, you can eat them raw, too.
Try simply sprinkling or grinding them on your oatmeal or smoothie.
To try something a little more nutritious for breakfast, you could swap your regular cereal for chia cereal.
To make it, soak the seeds overnight in the milk of your choice and top with nuts, fruit, or cinnamon. You can also use berries, mashed banana and vanilla extract to make a delicious morning treat.
Other Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
1. Aids in digestion: Chia seeds are full of great fibre content. About 100 grams of chia seeds will give you up to 40g of fibre. Fibre is an essential component for digestion. Some benefits of chia fibres are:
- aids bowel-related ailments (like constipation)
- helps in regulating cholesterol levels
- helps in relieving bowel inflammation
- helps in relieving bowel irritability
2. Weight Loss: Chia seeds are the new super seeds as they are loaded with fibre and provide energy. Just a handful of chia seeds, when mixed with oats, smoothies, nuts and dry fruits or included in smoothies or shakes, can help you keep full for longer. These can soak a lot of liquid and expand in the stomach, which helps in:
- suppress appetite
- prevent binge-eating
- Facilitate Weight Loss
- ward off untimely hunger pangs
Every 100g of chia seeds has close to:
- 480 calories
- 30g of fat
3. Omega 3 Dose: Omega 3 is the best friend of our skin and healthy body functioning. Chia seeds are excellent sources of plant-based omega acid, also known as Alpha-Linolenic Acid (AHA). These acids make them great for the skin. These are important parts of polyunsaturated fats which is called good fats and are extremely essential for the nervous functioning of our body.
4. Essential Minerals and Antioxidants:
Chia seeds are full of essential nutrients and are suitable to give your diet a power boost. They have tons of antioxidants that are linked with acting against inflammation, growth of cancer cells, ageing, age-related cognitive decline. Just a few teaspoons of chia seeds can complete your daily manganese requirement and 18% of your daily calcium needs.
5. Maintains Blood Sugar and Cholesterol: Chia seeds are an excellent source to regulate great metabolic health and overall digestive.
Some of the most recent researches have linked chia seed consumption with:
- healthy blood sugar level management
- cholesterol management
- reduced levels of triglycerides (blood fat)
- LDL (bad cholesterol)
- HDL (good cholesterol)
Nutritional Content Of Chia Seeds
One spoonful (tbsp) of chia seeds contains about 69 calories.
- 2 grams of protein
- 5 g fat
- 6 g carbs
- 5 g fibre
Chia seeds also contain various vitamins and minerals. One tbsp of cha seeds have:
- 2 milligrams (mg) phosphorus
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- 7 mg calcium
- 8 mg potassium
- 2 mg phosphorus
The Bottom Line on Chia
Enjoy chia seeds for their nutty flavour. One can choose them as they are loaded with
- fibre
- protein
- antioxidants
- calcium
- omega-3
But don’t expect a big weight loss boost as it’s still not scientifically supported.
Unfortunately, there is no magic spell or beans for weight loss. If you want to lose weight, you’ll need to follow a regulated healthy, calorie-defect diet. Make sure you are not allergic to chia seeds before making them a part of your diet.