It's Okay to Eat your Chia Pet

There has been a lot in the news lately about "Chia Seeds".  They are actually the same seeds used in the "Chia Pets" figurines that first became popular in the 1980's.  Little did we ponder back then that the seeds were more than just part of a fun novelty item - they are actually very healthy to consume!

Chia seeds are a product of southern Mexico. They come from a desert plant called salvia hispanica.  The edible seeds contain a very high source of Omega-3 and also fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.  Unlike flax seeds, they do not need to be ground up in order to be utilized by the human body.  You can add them to almost anything such as yogurt, oatmeal, baked goods, or smoothies to name a few.  They have a slight nutty taste but are still very easy to disguise in any recipe.  I added them to my smoothie recipe and it tasted delicious!  I served it to my husband this morning and he had no idea!

Recent research has focused on the connection between consuming chia seeds and blood sugar levels.  Because the seeds contain so much fiber it is believed that the gelling action of the seeds slows down the digestion of carbohydrates in the stomach, therefore keeping blood sugar levels more consistent. 

In regards to Omega-3, the seeds contain a type called α-linolenic acid (ALA) which is different from the types of Omega-3 found in salmon or other cold water fish.  ALA needs to be converted in the body to the kind of Omega-3 found in fish.  Omega-3 from fish has been connected with heart health.  Plant sources are still a healthy choice.  So have a Chia smoothie to wash down your grilled salmon.

Saved by Imitation Miracle Whip

After work last Friday my husband said he felt shaky.  I asked if he ate lunch.  He said no. He forgot it somewhere.  He quickly found it on the kitchen counter-top where it had been sitting from 7AM until about 3PM.  I made him 2 turkey and American cheese sandwiches on bagel thins with Miracle Whip spread on one side of the bagel and Hellman's low-fat mayo on the other.  It was my attempt to slowly wean him off of Miracle Whip without him knowing.

As he was headed to an evening track meet he told me he would take the lunch and eat it at the meet.  I told him to throw it out.  We argued over potential food poisoning. I pointed out that bacteria can double every 20 minutes after food is left out for an extended time. He countered with "Our house was cold during the day since we left the heat off and his food would be fine".  He later called me from the meet and said he did not eat his lunch because it tasted weird.  I am not sure if it was an overgrowth of bacteria, it's common for food that has gone bad to not taste any different, or the Hellman's mayonnaise I snuck in. (I hate to say it but I was hoping he would eat the lunch because if he got food poisoning my thinking was that he would not eat food that was unrefrigerated again; of course I would not want him to get any life threatening illness - just a little stomach flu) Good news is that he agreed there was something wrong with the sandwiches and he threw them out after one bite. I think he will listen to me in the future.  Maybe (I'm delusional)

The "Temperature Danger Zone", 40°F to 140°F, is a range of temperatures where bacteria can multiple to unsafe levels. On Friday our house temperature was 65°F.  So bacteria was growing rapidly on my husbands lunch.  For more information on how to avoid food poisoning or to win an argument with your husband about it, check out this link. http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/basics/index.html

This chart is from About.com.  I thought it was a nice explanation of the Temperature Danger Zone.
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/safetysanitation/a/dangerzone_tab.htm

165°F and higher:	Most bacteria die within several seconds
141°F to 164°F:	Holding hot foods and sauces. Bacteria aren't killed, but they don't multiply, either.
40°F to 140°F: Food Temperature Danger Zone	Bacteria thrive and multiply. Limit exposure of perishable foods to one hour or less.
33°F to 39°F:	Refrigerated food storage. Bacteria aren't killed. They multiply, but relatively slowly. Food is safe here for a limited time.
32°F and lower:	Frozen food storage: Bacteria aren't killed, but they don't multiply,

Avoid the Flak and Just Sneak in some Flax

I have regularly used smoothies as a way to get some fruit into my husbands diet.  He drinks them on the way to work.  I tried also sneaking in some leafy vegetables - but he did not want to drink something that was green.  I learned next time I will have to keep some kiwis and green grapes around and tell him the spinach I added was actually green fruit.

I have recently started sneaking in something more inconspicuous into his smoothies  - Ground Organic Golden Flax Seeds.  I bought this huge bag from Costco a while back and recently started using it.  I'm taking a guess here but I believe it was about $8.00 for a 3 lb bag.  The bag says it has 97 - 2 Tbsp servings.  So that is good for about 97 smoothies.  Since the seeds are already ground, this is an easy way to add some healthy fat, fiber and antioxidants to a smoothie without anyone knowing.  This product contains 2800 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids per 2 Tbsp. Flax seeds are a plant source of omega-3 which may aid in lowering total cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol.  Flax seeds also contain lignans which are plant estrogens (antioxidants) that may help ward off some cancers.  Check out this article on Health Castle for more information. http://www.healthcastle.com/flax.shtml

Here is my Smoothie Recipe for 2 people
1 banana
6-7 large frozen strawberries
10 oz. canned unsweetened pineapple chunks (1/2 of 20 oz can)
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp organic ground golden flax seeds
add water as needed and blend