CHIA SEEDS – SUGAR – CHRISTMAS

December BLOG

CHIA SEEDS – SUGAR – CHRISTMAS

You think they don’t go together?  It’s possible. You need to stir while preparing chia seeds to drink; you need to buy wrappings when preparing Christmas gifts.  Sounds a bit far-fetched, granted. SUGAR is ultra important.  More later about Christmas gifts.   

CHIA SEEDS:

   A friend of mine asked me to discuss chia seeds. Great! So the general population begins to “get nutritionally educated!” Excellent news. Schnucks, a highly populated branch of a local chain store, sells chia seeds, quinoa, and other quality foods. So does Whole Foods Market and many other grocery stores.

           

           Barbara Lischgi, writer/retired “health- food dietician”, shares full information on various subjects. Where chia seeds are mentioned, I have condensed her two pages to a few paragraphs. Chia seeds contain soluble fiber. It makes them a good diet food for they are digested slowly, giving us more energy. The Aztecs called them “running food” because messengers ran all day on just a handful.

       

        Barbara Lischgi’s reference came from THE MAGIC OF CHIA by James Scheer. Chia seeds date back to the Aztecs, Mayans, and Tehuantapecs, were cultivated throughout the Aztec empire. They are one of the most nutritionally dense foods we have.

            

           Good source of B vitamins (all), calcium – containing 18% of your daily value, which is three times more than skim milk, possibly alleviating arthritis. Contains boron, which helps our brains. Boron keeps us more alert. It helps our memory. Chia seeds are a good source of protein, superior to all other grains, including soy. Good for preventing macular degeneration. Chia seeds have more Omega-3 fatty acids than salmon.

             

          Believe it or not, chia seeds are tasteless; all you do is mix them with water. Stir 5-10 minutes to form a gel, refrigerate to use each day, 2 tablespoons into any liquid, juice or water. Barbara uses 1/3 cup of chia seeds to 1 cup of water, although many prefer 1/3 cup of chia seeds to 2 cups of water. You can add the “chia gel” to any juice or food.

           

SUGAR:

      The real scoop came from Raymond Francis who wrote, NEVER FEEL OLD AGAIN (Health Communications, Inc.). On page xiii, in the Foreword, SUGAR is described. I have never seen SUGAR described so starkly. Direct quote:

 “Here’s another example of how doctors fail to put two and two together. It has long been proven that cancer cells thrive on sugar as their primary food source. That’s why PET scans are able to detect cancerous tumors. As they scan the body, any areas that show tumors light up on the scan because of their higher concentrations of sugar. But do oncologists and other doctors educate their patients about the dangers of sugars? Very rarely, if ever. Instead, many oncologist offices today offer sugar-laden lollipops to child patients, and cookies to other patients. In short, they don’t think. If they did, they’d be telling all of their patients that not only do cancer cells survive on sugar, but when cancer patients consume sugar, it is the equivalent of putting gasoline on a fire.”

          In one of my former books, THE ABCS OF REAL HEALTH, I quote from writer/actor Marilu Henner. She called sugar “kiddy cocaine.” For those who have a “sweet tooth,” especially on holidays, believe me, you can still bake delicious cakes, cookies, nut bars, etc. Use a 21^st century sugar substitute! Xylitol and Stevia are your best options, in my estimation (among other substitutes available).

CHRISTMAS:

             

          Christmas happens to be the warmest, most friendly time to exchange gifts. Many people actually enjoy shopping their way through the holidays. Good for them. It certainly boosts America’s economy.

            

           Personally, I prefer simple gifts. Examples:

1) Pick out a print of a dear friend your camera snapped. On a white (unadorned) Christmas-tree ball, put the snap in place of fancy trimmings, cover the balance of the ball with small jewelry and fancy ribbons, end with a hook to hang on to the tree.

2) Give a bouquet of colorful tissue paper made up like fresh flowers. They will last forever. Instructions: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/paper-flowers.htm     

3) Knit or crochet a hat or scarf for special people.

          Nothing, in my opinion, beats a hand-crafted gift.