I first heard of chia seeds several years ago. I was reading the book Born to Run, and on a side note if you haven't read it and you are a runner, you need to. In my opinion, it is by far the best running book ever written. Anyway it talks about chia seeds and how the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas used them for distance running. At the time, they were hard to find so I remember my ex-husband ordering some on Amazon and we all thought we were being so healthy, adventurous and cutting edge, regardless of the fact that they had been around forever....until we put them in water and they got all swollen, slimey and felt like you were drinking frog eggs as they slid down your throat. It was the fastest and most vomitous love affair of my life. I am a texture girl and I was so quickly turned off by the texture of these seeds that I was unwilling to try them in anything again.



However, I saw an article in Food Network magazine recently that made them into a pudding. The recipe also called for almond milk, which I had leftover from my detox. And Trader Joe's had a display of chia seeds, so I took all of those signs to be serendipitous and I decided to try them again. And I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and they actually almost reminded me of a tapioca pudding in this recipe. This recipe had some great flavor from the almond milk, vanilla and maple syrup. It felt fresh and healthy with the strawberries and it was filling thanks to all of the protein in the Greek yogurt.


Now a little bit more about chia seeds because they are actually quite healthy for you. So get this:

• Chia seeds are known for their health benefits as they are rich with calcium, omega-3's and antioxidants. 
• They absorb many times their weight in liquid so they are often used to assist against dehydration for endurance exercise, especially in heat conditions. 
• They are known to provide energy, almost like a caffeine boost. 
• They are supposed to assist with weight loss, appetite suppression and leveling blood sugar levels. 
• They are also high in Vitamins A, B, D and E as well as other other minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, iron, iodine, copper, zinc, sodium, magnesium, manganese, niacin, thiamine, silicon, and anti-oxidants.