Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Who Knew Chia Pets Could Be So Good For You?

Have you ever owned a Chia pet? Have you ever gifted a Chia pet? Come on admit it. Those warm fuzzy little pets that sprout afros are just too cute to pass up! I personally love my Obama Chia pet, given to me by a close friend with a great sense of humor.

What I never realized is that the seeds that grow the flowering herb are very high in nutritional value. In fact, Chia is grown specifically for its seed and not just for our cute little Chia pets! Its grown to supplement our diets and give back those ever import Omega-3 fatty acids.

Wikipedia: "Salvia hispanica, commonly known as Chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Folklore attests it was cultivated by the Aztec in pre-Columbian times, and was so valued that it was given as an annual tribute by the people to the rulers. It is still used in Mexico and Guatemala, with the seeds sometimes ground, while whole seed is used for nutritious drinks and as a food source."

The Latin American population has known about this seed for centuries and now we can tap into its health benefits as well. There is a new product that was just introduced to me called Mila. It was given to my husband as a trial and he has been taking a tablespoonful of it religiously every day for the past 6 months with the hopes of reducing his cholesterol levels and getting off his medication.

This is a comparison between Mila and some of the superfoods that are an essential part of our diet:

Mila has:
8X more Omega-3 than Wild Atlantic Salmon
6x more calcium than milk
3x more iron than a serving of spinach
2x more potassium than a banana
15x more magnesium than a stalk of broccoli
2x more fiber than bran flakes
6x more protein than kidney beans
4x more selenium than flax seeds
Higher level of antioxidants than what's found in blueberries

Now I am not asking you to replace any of these amazing foods with Mila, however adding a tablespoonful to your juice will enhance your diet significantly.

Here are some of the health benefits of Mila:
Heart Health - Omega-3's can help to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, stabilize arrhythmias, increase HDL's and is a natural blood thinner.

Weight Loss - tryptophan can reduce appetite naturally.

Lowering Blood Pressure - vasodilatory effect on arteries.

Menopause - can help reduce symptoms such as hot flashes.

Prostate Health - fiber and Omega-3's.

Gastro-Intestinal Health - its a hydrophillic colloid which aids in digestion by lining the stomach
Bone Health - ladies, this will be the only calcium supplement you need

Mental Health - Omega-3 can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative brain complications (I have been giving my children Cod Liver Oil which is high in Omega-3 since they were 6 months old and I truly believe it has helped with their brain development. My 3 year old has an intelligence level of an 8 year old in some subjects).

Blood sugar - can help to control diabetes.

Prenatal Health - can be taken as a supplement to your pre natal vitamin. As I mentioned above, Omega-3's are essential for baby's brain development and I took fish oil when I was pregnant with them.

Breast Health - Omega-3's contribute to healthy breast tissue.


So all these benefits and nutrients are packed into this little ground up seed and are at your disposal everyday. Mila uses the highest quality Chia seeds which are essentially taken from the farm to your table. They use independent lab analysis to ensure that their product is as pure and high quality as they say it is.

If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful seed, please visit : www.lifemax.net/susanstuart

Who knew a funny little plant could do such great things for your health? You'll never look at a Chia Pet in the same way, I promise.