Getting all of the health benefits from chia seeds...

Question: I am concerned about how accessible the nutrients and antioxidants in the chia seeds are to the body. They are not ground up when I make my shake because they are so small.

Do they break down in the digestive system or pass through with their hard cover intact like flax seeds do? According to todays recipes, I can soak them for an hour before making my shake. Does this make the nutrients more accessible?

Thanks for your reply on this question.

Answer:

Digesting all of the nutrients from whole chia seeds can be a challenge for the body. I'm sure that we are able to digest some of those seeds... but unfortunately too many pass right through. Talk about a waste of money!

Some blenders can grind up all of the seeds during the blending process. Most can not. That is one of the reasons why I like the Blendtec Blender.

I do think that if you soak the chia seeds prior to blending, it will be easier for you to blend them into the smoothie.

If you are just adding the chia seeds to the smoothie, do you find that you are chewing on the seeds while drinking it? If so... soak the seeds.

Two Ways to Prepare Your Chia Seeds

#1 - You can even have a "batch" of chia gel in your refrigerator ready for your chia seed recipes.

Use 1/3 chia seeds to 2 cups of pure water. This gel will last for about a week. This will be easier for you to blend and receive maximum nutrition from those precious chia seeds.

#2 - Another convenient way to consume chia seeds is to grind a bunch of seeds to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Then place in a sealed container inside the freezer.

I hope that this helps answer your questions.

Happy Blending!

DaNae