Chia - Nature's Complete Superfood
We discovered Chia at the Natural & Organic Product Show 2013 at Olympia, where this tiny seed was being billed as "Nature's Complete Superfood" .
Chia, available in two colour varieties, is high in nutrition that is essential for a healthy diet, including Omega 3, dietary fibre and protein - as well as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The 'black' variety of Chia naturally contains a combination of black, and white seeds. The 'white' Chia variety was formed by specially selecting white seeds from the black variety. The Chia Company grows dedicated paddocks of black and white seed.
Aside from the obvious colour difference, the seed itself is virtually the same in all of its properties - size, taste and smell, with the exception of a few minor seasonal nutritional differences.
Chia swells to approximately 16 times its original size so can keep hunger pains at bay once consumed by swelling in the stomach. It is a gluten-free wholegrain that can be eaten raw, exactly as it comes from the plant without removing the husk, milling, processing or cooking.
We trialled some Chia seeds every morning for a few weeks by sprinkling a couple of heaped spoonfuls over some fresh natural yoghurt. Surprisingly it managed to keep us feeling full for a few hours and after a 6.30am breakfast we weren't looking for a mid-morning snack till around 10am. After an early start we can usually do breakfast again by 9am.
We did however get differing results from our testers. The Chia settled one irregular stomach and the added fibre may have been of benefit. Another noted that on some mornings she suffered from a small amount of painful bloating - this could be due to the Chia swelling once consumed.
The down side is the seeds do get stuck in-between your teeth but most of our testers felt the added fibre in their diet reaped some digestive benefits.
Australian farmer John Foss founded The Chia Company to make a positive contribution to the health and wellness of the global community. As a fourth generation farmer John established The Chia Company's own supply chain under a strict set of environmental management practices that nurture the environment that we grow in.
The Chia Co products are all made from 100% natural Australian grown Chia seed. Chia is the highest plant based source combining omega 3, dietary fibre and protein - essential whole food nutrition that is often lacking from the modern diet.
The product range includes Chia Oil, Chia Bran, Chia Ground Seed, Chia Seed White, Chia Seed Black and Chia Shots.
Chia shots are the perfect portion size, as well as convenient for when you are on the go. To try Chia yourself visit www.thechiaco.com.au