Three millennia ago the Olmecs, followed after cultures such as the Maya or Aztec, used Chia seeds. For them it was a unique plant, to the point that they consecrated it and offered it to their gods, but they also used it daily as the basis of their diet, given the innumerable list of benefits it has.
All levels of those societies resorted to Chia. A handful of seeds diluted in water served as food for messengers, hunters or warriors, to stay strong without eating anything else for 24 hours. So did the women who obtained energy from this drink for their days of work in the field, combined with the attention and care of family members. All with the equivalent of a tablespoon of Chia in a glass of water.
What was the secret?
Medical-scientific studies (*) carried out in the nineties have determined that, by comparison in values of 100 grams, Chia has twice as much fiber as any leaf cereal, five times more calcium than whole milk, 700% more Omega-3 than Atlantic salmon and up to 1400% more magnesium than broccoli.
In addition, being rich in fiber, it facilitates digestion and has a satiating effect, being also a source of calcium and magnesium.
(*) Physical chemical analysis of chia seeds carried out by the National Food Institute of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Analysis on nutrition and health in American diets carried out by the Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture
THE SACRED SEED
The Chia plant, which in Nahuatl means "oily", was baptized by the Spanish conquerors as Salvia Hispánica. It is a herbaceous that can reach almost two meters in height and is grown mainly in Mexico, Guatemala and Bolivia.
Anthropological data indicate that like corn, which was already known more than five millennia ago, Chia was cultivated by the main Mesoamerican cultures. It was sacred to the Olmecs, who used it to give strength to their hunters and warriors who ingested its seeds, and was a bargaining chip among the Aztecs. Chia was also given as a tribute. Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, collected between five and fifteen thousand tons of Chia annually as taxes on the conquered peoples.
Aztec artisans used chia oil to make varnishes and paints of great durability and shine. For their part, mothers prepared him to strengthen the health of their children and to raise morale and even heal the wounds suffered by their husbands in battle.
The Spanish conquistadors were surprised to see that Chia was an essential food for the Aztecs, since in addition to giving them strength and enhancing their health it was part of their ceremonies. The priests made tortillas and ceremonial breads made with chia seeds and corn, with which to entertain their gods.
The Spaniards believed that by destroying the Chia they would end the Aztec kingdom. To do this, they razed the crops to the point of almost extinguishing the powerful plant. Chia only managed to survive in rugged mountainous areas of southern Mexico and Guatemala, remaining in oblivion for centuries. Now the relevance of Chia is reborn thanks to medical and scientific studies (*) that certify its high nutritional, energetic and beneficial value for health by incorporating Chia seeds into the diet.
THE KEYS TO CHIA
Chia is a natural product, healthy, easy to obtain and quick to prepare. Its high fiber value makes it satiating. It has selenium that helps us produce antioxidant enzymes. It also gives vitality and strengthens the body thanks to potassium, iron and calcium. It contains Omega-3, the fatty acid that the body cannot manufacture, which acts against bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides, and which also intervenes in the biochemical transmissions of neurons.
PROPERTIES OF CHIA
One hundred grams of Chia seeds contain 550 kilocalories but also:
Fiber: 100% more than any leafy cereal.
Calcium: 500% more than milk.
Magnesium: 1400% more than broccoli.
Phosphorus: 800% more than whole milk.
Omega – 3: 700% more than Atlantic salmon.
Potassium 100% more than bananas.
Iron 200% more than spinach.
Selenium 30% more than flax.
Written by: Gloria
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