Chia Seeds in drinking water

Chia Seeds are a new thing to me.  I first saw this in my colleague's drinking bottle.  He's from Colombia so I guess this is something that's common in their region.  It actually reminds me of tadpoles swirling about as he gives the bottle a good shake before taking a couple of gulps.  When I inquired from him what it was about, that was when I learned they were Chia Seeds and that he's taking it to help control his weight.

Chia Seeds are touted as a superfood, with a host of benefits and nutrients:

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one ounce of chia seeds (approximately 28 grams) contains 138 calories, 8 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrate, 10 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Eating one ounce of chia seeds per day would provide 18% of daily calcium needs, 27% of phosphorus, 30% of manganese and smaller amounts of potassium, zinc and copper. When compared to flaxseed, chia seeds provide more omega-3s, calcium, phosphorus and fiber - all essential nutrients that most people are not getting enough of. (source: medicalnewstoday.com)

Another interesting article can be found at draxe.com.


I have a bit of weight problem myself, so I thought this might be something I can integrate into my diet.  Note that there may be side effects too, but I do not have blood pressure problems nor diabetes so I decided to give this a go.

I asked my colleague how he prepares the Chia Seeds for his drink and he said he simply mixes the chia seeds into his drinking water then he leaves it overnight at room temperature.  After ten hours, the seeds form a gel-like coating; it's ready to drink.

This is my 4th day of incorporating Chia Seeds into my drink bottle, and I will update this post if I see/feel any changes in the coming weeks!

So I add 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds into my 600ml drinking bottle...

... and my daughter gives it a good shake...

...and we leave it on the dining table overnight.

The seeds naturally settle to the bottom of the bottle.  But overnight the seeds become enclosed in a gel-like coating.

Besides getting Chia Seeds into my diet, I have actually taken to drinking more water.  By lunchtime, I would have to top up my bottle as I would have drunk 80-85% of it.  No need to chew the seeds!

My friend said he actually started with 1 teaspoon, then the next week he added another teaspoon, and finally on the third week and thereafter he uses 3 teaspoons.  Mine's actually a bigger portion as I started with a tablespoon, and I just might max it to 1.5 or 2 tablespoons. If you're interested to do a test run, perhaps a teaspoon per day will suffice for starters.  If you have an existing medical condition or are unsure, make sure you check with your doctor first!

Here in Wellington, Chia Seeds are available in Moore Wilson's and at New World (where you buy nuts, dried fruit, muesli, seeds, and lollies per 100 grams).