CHIA REVOLUTION!

If you're in New York City there's no shortage of juicing joints and programs: Organic Avenue, Blueprint Cleanse and Terri just to name a few. I think juicing, especially cold-pressed, low-glycemic juicing is an absolute must especially as we lose our digestive enzymes as we age.

What worries me is that juicing and cleanses have turned into their own eating disorder. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I'm going to be drinking a lot and eating a lot of garbage, but that's okay because I'm going to go on a cleanse". The cycle turns into a binge-cleanse-binge-cleanse roller coaster for so many.

I'm all for taking an occasional digestion break for a day or two. In fact, that's why the 5:2 diet is gaining momentum at the moment. In a past Tuesday Tips I mentioned how supermodels who told me they juiced an entire day once a week (not as easy as it sounds btw) and they felt better and their skin looked better.

Cleanses usually end up being a short-term solution causing a long-term problem so I want to talk about one really good option that I love aside from eating organic, whole food void of sugar and processing: CHIA seeds!

I could talk about Chia seeds for hours, but the quick things you need to know are Chia seeds are edible seeds (that require no prep like flax) chock full of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants and minerals! It's really its own superfood and perfect for sustaining energy throughout the day. Chia is also gluten-free and can be added to yogurt, salads, smoothies, baked goods or made into its own pudding. A day with chia and cold-pressed juices is amazing for your body and your skin!


Chia can be very cleansing and satisfying because the TWELVE(12!) grams of fiber per serving helps to cleanse the colon and the amount of fluid chia holds can be quite filling. I originally began taking chia in Kombucha drinks, but it can get expensive and I don't always want kombucha.

I buy my chia seeds at Trader Joe's for under $5.00/ 5.3 oz bag now and mix 2 tablespoons in any juice I choose. Many times I choose to mix Chia with pineapple juice because pineapple has great digestive enzymes and it satisfies my occasional sweet tooth or low energy.

RECIPE:
2 tbsp chia
10 oz of pineapple juice not from concentrate (better to use a low-glycemic juice of your choice)

Pour a small amount of juice in a 10 0z glass container.
Add 2 tbsp of chia seeds.
Pour the rest of the juice in the container.
Shake well.
Allow to sit for at least an hour until the Chia seeds gel and soften (I like to wait up to 3 hours before I consume.
Shake one more time before drinking.
Enjoy!


For organic Chia snacks on the go check out the link below.