Chia Fresca: Add Nutrients to Any Drink

You could shell out wads of cash to buy chia seed bars and supplements or you could just add them to your drink for a delicious and smooth textured boost!

There are a lot of nutritional benefits to Chia seeds, also knows as runners food, which may surprise you. The Aztecs and Tarahumara Indians in Central America were known for their legendary long-distance runs. Part of the Tarahumara's secret was the Chia seed!

The Chia Seed is one of the most complete plant-based foods on the planet, because they contain a full spectrum of nutrients:

1. More omega-3 than salmon
2. More fiber than oatmeal
3. More antioxidants than blueberries
4. More magnesium than broccoli
5. More calcium than milk
6. One of nature’s most complete sources of plant-based, vegan protein
7. Soft shell, made of soluble fiber, swell to 9 times its weight to keep you full longer

The fact that these seeds swell up makes them fun to drink, and they are also very visually striking. Try this in your next drink as it is bound to surprise your guests, or start up conversations at the gym. In this tutorial we will show you how to combine these seeds with different drinks, aguas frescas, for your enjoyment.

For this tutorial you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 cups water or agua fresca of your choice
• 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
• Fruits to add flavor and garnish
• Sweetener, to taste (stevia or agave works great!)

Aguas frescas are natural fruit juices often enjoyed in Mexico. Chia seeds are sometimes added to make Chia Fresca. The seeds absorb the water and swell up creating a gelatinous coating. The seeds themselves taste kind of like grass, but once they have the coating you cant really taste them in your drink. This is an easy way to add a ton of nutrition into your drinks without tasting nasty, and the slippery coating allows you to swallow them effortlessly. Once you add the seeds to the drink all you do is simply wait about 15 minutes for them to absorb the water.

Make sure to use fresh seeds as old ones tend to sink to the bottom a little. The seeds should swell up quite a bit and remain suspended in the drink. In this tutorial I will make a few different Aguas Frescas and add the Chia seeds to them.

"Agua de flor de jamaica" or hibiscus juice is a popular agua fresca in Mexico. Preliminary study has shown that drinking hibiscus tea may lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. It can also ease hypertension. Combine this with Chia seeds and you have a healthy drink to replace all your soda. You can make this in just a few easy steps:

1. Place the dried hibiscus in a pitcher
2. Add some hot water and wait about 10 minutes for it to soak in
3. After the juice has cooled pour it in a cup and add the sweeter
4. You can then pour in the seeds and stir them in
5. After a few minutes you will have a healthy drink that tastes great

You can substitute your favorite juice or lemonade, however, I chose greapefruit juice because grapefruit is an excellent source of many nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. Grapefruit is a good source of vitamin C, contains the fiber pectin, and the pink and red hues contain the beneficial antioxidant lycopene. This is believed to help lower colesterols and may also help burn fat. Combined with Chia seeds you have a great tasting agua fresca that is actually good for you! Here are the steps to make it:

1. Cut a grapefruit and squeeze it into a glass
2. Add some cold water
3. Sweeten to taste
4. Add the Chia seeds and mix them in
5. Let it sit for 10 minutes and garnish as desired