Chia seed recipes » They're like healthy little maxi-pads! Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor hat are chia seeds exactly? According to Healthline, chia seeds are the tiny black seeds of the Salvia Hispanica plant— otherwise known as the Chia plant. Found in Mexico and Guatemala, chia seeds were a staple in ancient Mayan culture, and in fact, the word “chia” means strength in Mayan. These tiny treats are highly absorbent and will swell up to 10 to 12 times their weight in liquid. They also contain large quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, high-quality protein, and essential antioxidants, making them good for you! Because of these qualities, chia seeds are believed to improve digestive health and to improve blood quality. Another unique quality of chia seeds is that they can be used as an egg replacer and a sauce thickener due to their absorbent nature. So, what can you make with chia seeds? Here are a couple of recipes to inspire you: Chia Seed Pudding When I made chia seed pudding, I made acold brew and orange zest flavoured one. If you'd like to try anything with zest in it, | recommend going easy on the zest part—the cold brew chia pudding was amazing, but the layers of zest were Trying not to try >» Ancient Chinese form of authentic spontaneity Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor here’s something to be said about making a plan and ironing out all the steps along the way, but it’s not always the ideal approach to getting things done. You see, when you try to organize every aspect of your life, you'll find yourself overworked and disappointed when things inevitably don't play out the way you anticipated, or rather, planned. In his book, Trying Not To Try, Edward Slingerland talks about how “we too often devote ourselves to pushing harder or moving faster in areas of our life where effort and striving are, in fact, profoundly counterproductive.” If we gave in a little bit to the idea of spontaneity or flow we'd find ourselves achieving our goals much easier. People often struggle to obtain broad states of being, such as happiness and spontaneity, which means they're likely trying too hard to be spontaneous—seems like a paradox, doesn’t it? There’s an ancient Chinese concept that Slingerland elaborates in his book, called wu-wei (pronounced ooo0-way). Wu-wei means “no trying” or “no doing,” but it isn’t about apathy or negligence. “[Wu-weil] refers to the dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective. People in wu-wei feel as if they are doing nothing, while at the same time they might basically inedible. I don’t know if that would've been different had I candied the zest or something, or maybe just used far less. Either way, here are the steps to a simple chia seed pudding. Ingredients: * 1cup milk (almond, goat, coconut, light, or regular—they all work!) Additionally, feel free to substitute some of the milk for coffee or another liquid for a different flavour. * 1/2 teaspoon of flavour, whether this be orange zest, crushed raspberries, chocolate shavings—it’s up to you. + 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (or any kind of extract you'd like) 3 tablespoons chia seeds + Recommended toppings: drizzle honey or maple syrup, sliced bananas, fresh or defrosted berries, jam, shredded coconut, toasted chopped nuts... the options are endless Method: * Inasmall jar or bowl, combine the milk, flavouring, and extract. Taste and add more extract if you require more va-va- voom to your pudding. Be sure to always measure any extra extract or flavourings as it’s easier to add than to take away. Whisk in the chia seeds. Let the mixture sit for around 15 minutes, then whisk it up again to break apart any clumps (this step is important!). Cover the bowl or jar be creating a brilliant work of art, smoothly negotiating a complex social situation, or even bringing the entire world into harmonious order” explains Slingerland. To experience wu-wei would be to feel a deep immersion in life or creativity—the point at which you forget about time and physical needs such as hunger. To achieve wu-wei, you need to let go. You have to be open to the possibility of nothing happening, which is easier said than done—especially in our busy, loud, hectic lives. But spontaneity is hard to fake, and therefore we are drawn to people who possess this authentic skill. Western culture teaches us to be disembodied and alone but learning wu-wei will not only allow us to be more authentic, peaceful versions of ourselves, it will also empower us to achieve our goals in an effortless, spontaneous fashion. Slingerland puts it best when he says, “We have been taught to believe that the best way to achieve our goals is to reason about them carefully and strive consciously to reach them. Unfortunately, in many areas of life this and refrigerate the mixture for at least two hours (or overnight) until the chia seeds have absorbed enough moisture to achieve a pudding-like state. And they will, oh, they will. (If you remember, give them a stir sometime along the way to break up any clumps of chia.) - Before serving, stir once again to break up any clumps. Add toppings at this point, but not before, as they will leech into the pudding itself and change the flavour. This chia seed pudding will keep well in the refrigerator (covered) for around five days. Yogurt Bowl A super easy, super quick breakfast or lunch delight that is actually really tasty! All you need is to spoon the desired is terrible advice. Many desirable states— happiness, attractiveness, spontaneity—are best pursued indirectly, and conscious thought and effortful striving can actually interfere with their attainment.” For example, when I think about my personal success as a writer and an artist, I tend to plan and overanalyze, and that leads to a lot of talk and little action; the result is often disappointment which only furthers my lack of success. But if I let go of the idea of success and just write or create art simply because | enjoy writing and being creative, then I will find that I have become successful: this is a simple form of wu-wei. amount of yogurt (1 prefer a coconut-based vanilla yogurt myself), then sprinkle in a layer of chia seeds to coat the top of the yogurt. Mix that together, then add a bit more chia seeds to the top of the yogurt-chia mixture. You want to ensure youre getting those health benefits, don’t you? Then add in your favourite chopped up fruits! I recommend banana and/or blueberries. If you're using plain yogurt or you like it a little sweet, feel free to drizzle some agave syrup, maple syrup, or liquid honey on top. Chia Seed Smoothie Basically, just follow the instructions above, but throw it all into a blender and mix it really good. Feel free to add in some spinach or kale for a health boost. Illustration by Sonam Kaloti Wu-wei, or the art of trying not to try, isn't advocacy for resignation and laziness. Instead, it is mindful growth of tendencies in ourselves that yield results, behaviours, and qualities we wish to pin down for the long run. Slingerland says it almost poetically in his book, “You can cultivate your sprouts: try to identify incipient tendencies of desirable behaviour within you, and then nurture and expand them until they are strong enough to take over. Or you can just go with the flow: forget about trying, forget about not trying, and just let the values that you want to embrace pick you up and carry you along.”