MAMA MIA! HURRY FOR CHIA!

MAMA MIA! HURRY FOR CHIA!
Posted by Janet on April 18th, 2007

Move over flax! There’s a new (but, in reality, old) super grain that’s about to take the world by storm. It’s called Salba, and it’s the tiny seed of the Salvia hispanica L. plant, better known as Chia. Yup, as in Chia Pet! And no, eating it won’t make you sprout green fur on the top of your head:)

The ancient Aztecs used Chia as a staple in their diet and also used it as medicine. They called it their “running food” because messengers reportedly could run all day on just a handful of the stuff. Well, it turns out those Aztecs knew what they were doing. Modern researchers have been tinkering with the plant for over a decade, with astounding results. By painstakingly sorting out the few white seeds of the mostly black-seed Chia plant, they developed a new crop that has remarkably improved nutrient content compared to its Chia forefather. They named the new white seed “Salba.” And voila! Five hundred years later, we have a comeback!

So what makes Salba the next big thing? A lot! Get a load of these stats:

Salba is the richest source of Omega 3’s found in nature (and we NEED more of these essential fats in our diets!)
Salba has more dietary fibre than any other food in nature (2 tbsp contains 15 grams of fibre! Wow!)
It has 6 times more calcium than milk
It has 7 times more vitamin C than an orange
It has 3 times more Iron than spinach
It has 15 times more magnesium than broccoli
It’s a great source of vegetable-based protein (so you can give your digestion a break from meat!)
It’s loaded with potent, age-fighting, disease-battling antioxidants
It’s grown without pesticides or chemicals, and it’s not genetically modified
It’s gluten-free
Holy health properties, Batman! No wonder those Aztecs could run all day on a handful! I know what you’re thinking: “That sounds too good to be true!” I thought the same thing. But when I looked into it further, I saw that Salba has undergone intensive clinical studies, and that there are loads of additional, ongoing studies (especially diabetes-related) being conducted at the Faculty of Medicine at University Hospital in Toronto. It seems that scientists are as excited about Salba as I am!

Because it’s gluten-free and it doesn’t have a strong, dominant flavour like flax, it’ll most likely be added to baked goods and snacks that you’ll soon see in health food stores. For personal use, you can use it like you would ground flax: Add a couple of tablespoons to smoothies, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal or juice, or use it in baking. Apparently it makes an excellent substitute for flour, and can be used to thicken gravy, soups or sauces. They say it can replace eggs in any recipe. (Combining 2 tbsp of ground Salba and ½ cup of cold water in place of one egg.)

I stumbled across Salba at a well-stocked health food store/pharmacy in Ottawa. The only catch is that it’s a bit pricey compared to flaxseed. But you know what, it’s worth it! You’re worth it! When it comes to spending money, don’t you think that your health and the health of your family are more important than anything? If you have any health issue at all, this is for you. If you want to lose weight, Salba can help curb your appetite. If you want to fight wrinkles and have more energy during the day, this is the ticket. If I were a parent, I’d add a tablespoon of Salba to my kid’s diet every day. Extra bone-building calcium, extra Omega-3’s for their developing brains, protein and fibre to keep their blood sugar steady, and antioxidants to help their immune systems fight disease. What more could you ask for? A heaping tablespoon for yourself, perhaps!

You can google “Salba” to find out more about this exciting new super food or go to www.sourcesalba.com to find out where to get it in your area.