Chia Seeds - The Miracle Sponge

Ever wonder how much health benefit the transparent grey coloured soft balls have?

Chia seeds deliver a massive amount of nutrients, Chia as the name suggests means strength. They are born from the plant Salvia Hispanica, a plant related to mint. A staple food in the history, is now recognized as today's superfood.

Not getting carried away by the size, let’s get its facts straight:

30 grams of Chia seeds contain 12 grams fiber, 8 grams of fat, where 5 grams are the omega 3 which makes most of its fat healthy calcium 191 of RDA. Magnese and Magnesium are both 30% of RDA. They also have vitamin B1, B2, B3, Zinc, and Phosphorus.

So thus 30 grams of small amount gives only 135 calories with one gram of digestible carbohydrate. They are one of the best sources in the food kingdom, of several important vitamins. Chia seeds are organic food and free of gluten.

Another noticeable fact is their high amount of antioxidants. As we are aware a decent amount of chia seeds can fight the production of free radicals which contribute to aging and diseases by damaging the molecules in the cells. Another good news is that 30 grams of Chia seeds has 13 grams of carbohydrates, out of with 12 grams are fiber and is not digested by the body. So, the actual carb content is only 1 gram making it a low carb food. Due to its fiber, Chia seeds have an ability to absorb 10 times their weight in water expanding in the stomach.  Due to this, there is fullness in the stomach, which can help one eat lesser calories.

Chia seeds have essential amino acids, so our body uses them fully. It’s a great source of protein for vegetarians. They get the star point for being beneficial in weight loss. It can be even called the vegetarian fish due to its omega 3 fatty acids contents.

Rat studies have shown that Chia seeds can increase HDL, lower triglycerides and reduce insulin resistance.  Chia seeds are an excellent source of calcium, making it bone friendly food. Chia seeds itself has a bland taste so can easily adapt the food they are put into use them in yogurt, milk, coconut water, porridge, puddings, vegetable, and rice dishes to increase the nutritional value.

How important is chewing food

todays world of multitasking, one eats for the sake of eating but forgets to CHEW.

We all love to take care of our health and want to know all about healthy foods. The idea is to ingest the right food and become more healthy. Sure, why not.
Eating healthy is the correct way to take care of the body. But wait a minute, are you chewing your healthy food? Well, maybe no.
Are you always in a hurry while eating? There is a great possibility that in todays world of multitasking, one eats for the sake of eating but forgets to CHEW.
We watch TV, do computers, have meeting, play board games, chat on phone... all while eating. Yes true, and at the same time forget to chew the food. 

Chewing food correctly is important for the health of the digestive system and thus avoid many health problems. The process of chewing food is called mastication. The process of digesting food starts in the mouth. Our salivary glands release an enzyme called ptyalin by chewing. The sugars ie. the carbohydrates starts splitting here into simple sugars before entering the stomach. So no chewing food means the food directly entering the stomach without starting the digesting process and thus one suffers from gas, bloating or diarrhea. If food is not chewed properly then the large pieces of food have to stay back longer in the stomach hence the growth of bacteria increases creating uneasiness or stomach infections. Also not chewing food lets the big particles enter the stomach and due to this there is less absorption of vitamin and minerals during its passage in the gut. Accumulation of unbroken food in the teeth increases plague formation further promoting cavities. Inadequate chewing can lead to constipation, acid reflux, and heartburn.

Weight gain sometimes due to eating fast without chewing can make a person not realize the amount of calories he/she is eating. So crush and churn the food before gulping it.

Researches suggest to chew the food 20 times to get rid of the above problems, but the fact remains that we chew it just 6 times .

So before you decide how much healthy food to eat, know how to correctly eat and remain healthy by avoiding un-necessary health issues.

Protein Content of Chicken versus Egg

This has been a common question to body builders and health freaks as to eat what between the two. As both these options are popular for high protein content. Well the fact is that both are health friendly, also they are low in calorie and high in protein contents compared to other common foods eaten on a daily basis. Protein, is known as the building block for the body is used in cells, organs and skin. So for a healthy body the requirement of protein is ample. From 0.8 grams/ per kg body weightto 1.8 gram/ per kg body weight for body builders. For vegetarians the protein rich foods are soya, legumes, milk and milk products, different nuts. For non vegetarians the options other than the above options are all meats and eggs. Let us compare the two most common foods , which is eggs andchicken.

100 grams of egg contains 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fats, 120 milligrams of sodium, 369 milligrams of cholesterol, where as 100grams of chicken contains 26 grams of protein, 4 grams of fats, 50 milligrams of sodium, 73 milligrams of cholesterol. Doubtless chicken is a healthier option compared to egg, but we cannot ignore the health benefits of an egg which contains vitamin B2, B6, B12, and vitamin D. Egg also contains minerals like zinc, iron and copper which are important for good body functions. 100 grams of chicken contains 153 where as 100grams of eggs contains 155 calories.

Both are almost equally healthy, still the key to good health is eat everything moderately.

Tofu versus Paneer

These two high protein vegetarian foods come with a lot of benefit.
Tofu is prepared from soya beans and paneer is made from curdled milk.
Paneer or cottage cheese is high in calcium. Around 100 grams of paneer contains 203 milligrams of calcium, so eating paneer is helpful in building strong bones and teeth. But paneer is high in calories too. 100 grams of paneer has 260 calories where as 100 grams tofu has only 60 calories. So if one wants to lose weight then tofu wins over paneer. Though paneer is made from milk but still it is low in carbohydrates so it is considered as diabetic friendly.

Tofu is made from soya beans

Paneer is a fresh cottage cheese

Iron content in tofu is much higher compared to paneer. 100 grams tofu has 5.4 milligrams of iron where as paneer contains 0.2 miligrams making tofu a winner food for anemic patients.

Paneer is a winner over tofu when it comes to protein content. 100grams of paneer has 18 milligrams of protein where as tofu has only 7. So for weight lifters and body builders paneer is recommended. Though for vegetarians both these foods are considered high protein. Not to forget that protein aids in muscle building as well it reduces muscle damage caused by daily wear and tear. 

But if you are looking for weight loss then tofu wins over paneer .100 grams of paneer has 20 grams of fat where as tofu has only 3 grams.

Though both these similar looking foods come with great health benefits, decide which one is preferred for you . If you are looking for body building then paneer is the food and if you are looking for weight loss then tofu is recommended. With paneer moderation is the key to good health but tofu can be eaten bigger servings.