Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, famously said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This notion holds so true in today’s times when more than 40% of our population is suffering with at least one or more chronic lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, cholesterol, thyroid, obesity, heart disease, arthritis and many more lifestyle issues.
Our health isn’t simply determined by medications, procedures, doctor’s visits and health screenings. Rather, our health encompasses a broader understanding of your lifestyle — things like our diet, how much we exercise, our stress levels and our sleep quality. Medical science is now recognising that what we put at the end of our fork is far more powerful than what we have in our pill-bottle.
With winters round the corner, we will have an availability of many of our seasonal superfoods like broccoli, purple cabbage, drumsticks, radish and many more. There are many natural superfoods that nature has given us in abundance and one of such foods is Chia Seeds. The best way to consume chia seeds is by soaking 1-2 tsp of chia seeds in one glass of water for a minimum of 15-20 mins. Just drink that glass of water and gulp chia seeds down. This simple chia seeds water is a powerhouse of nutrients. Let us look at a few health benefits of this water in terms of reversing diseases and creating good health.
Loaded in antioxidants: Every single day we are exposed to oxidative stress which leads to many lifestyle diseases and hampers graceful aging. Hence, we need high intake of antioxidants. Apart from fruits & vegetables that generally have some degree of antioxidants, Chia seed is an excellent source of a variety of rich antioxidants that can keep diseases at bay and ensure healthy aging.
Massive amounts of vitamins & minerals: Chia seeds are an excellent source of many essential minerals and vitamins. They are high in manganese, phosphorus, copper, selenium, iron, magnesium, calcium and many more. We need these essential minerals and vitamins in order to healthy functioning of trillions of cells in our body.
Rich in fibre: One of the key ingredients in reversing lifestyle diseases and maintaining gut health is fibre, which is found in abundance in Chia seeds. This is also one reason why chia seeds are beneficial in treating constipation and helping good bowel movement.
Helps in weight loss: When we have the right amount of fibre and quality protein together, we can lose weight in the right way. Consistent and sustainable weight loss is key to good health and one of the significant benefits of consuming chia seeds.
Reverses diabetes: Science has enough evidence now showing that lifestyle disease like type 2 diabetes is completely preventable and reversible by consuming more plant-based foods that are high in fibre, antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. And one of those foods highly recommendable for reversing diabetes is chia seeds.
Extremely rich in plant protein: Chia seeds are an excellent protein source, especially for people who are working out or doing regular exercising. Protein in chia seeds is much higher than most plant foods.
High in Omega-3: Eating chia seeds is perhaps the easiest way to get omega-3 fatty acids, which are super important to brain and heart health. A single one-ounce serving contains 5 grams of omega-3s.
Reduces inflammation: From cancers, heart disease, diabetes to gut health, weight loss and health ageing, inflammation plays a vital role in lifestyle diseases. Chia seeds are very high in anti-inflammatory properties and hence very effective in reducing inflammation at an early stage.
Helps reverse thyroid: Hormonal balance is one of the other important benefits of consuming chia seeds. As a result of this, chia seeds help in balancing many hormones in the body including improving thyroid function.
Increases energy & reduces body pain: One of the positive side effects of consuming right foods is boosting your energy levels and reducing lethargy and body pains. And chia seeds is known to do both of these very well.
One of the key principles in creating a disease-free life is building good habits and not doing any diets. Adding chia seeds in our day to day life is nothing else but a healthy step towards building good habits. Remember that the first step to a healthy habit is right awareness & correct knowledge.
(Karan Kakkad is an international Nutrigenomics & Disease Reversal expert based in India. He is the Founder & CEO of Reverse Factor. To know more visit: www.reversefactor.in)
