# The Amazing Chia Seed



## Gail2011 (May 3, 2011)

This is an interesting article that shows how and why the little chia seed is able to help restore your intestinal health. I take one teaspoon of chia seeds a day along with massive amounts of probiotics and I drink a small portion of Kefir every day. You can find the chia seed in the bulk food section of your local health food store for a very inexpensive price. It's good to start out with a small daily amount like a quarter or half teaspoon sprinkled on cereal or salad for the first two weeks then gradually increase if you like. Make sure to increase your water intake as well. Best wishes, GailThe Secret of Easily Preventing Diverticulitis & Achieving Colon Health	Diverticulitis seems to be the new "Disease of the Year", in the media. Everywhere you turn you're hearing more doctors and medical studies say "More people in the world have either diverticulitis or diverticulosis than ever before!" But how many of them are telling you effective and easy ways to stop it? Certainly not many. It's time for a change, and it's time for YOU to take control of your digestive health. However, in order for you to be fully in charge, you need to understand the facts. When you're armed with what's really going on, it makes it so much easier to reveal the easy change you can do to prevent this painful problem.First, these intestinal changes don't develop over night. Due to dietary habits, the problem takes a while to form, and then be noticed by the affected person. Diverticulum are small pockets in the intestine wall which develop when the intestine has to work too hard to move food through it. The great strain causes these hazardous pockets to form. They can become infected, sore, or even break open and harm your health. But why do they form? And why "now more than ever"? It's not your fault! Just look around at the foods readily available to everyone. They're full of refined flour and there isn't a lot of 'whole grain' that tastes delicious as an option for you. The combination of not enough liquid throughout the day, along with not enough soluble and insoluble fiber adds up to intestinal trouble........Chia Seeds, to be exact. These seeds are loaded with soluble & insoluble fiber. In fact, it is their special type of fiber that allows the seeds to form a bead of gel on their exterior when exposed to liquid. The fibers trap more than THREE times the weight of the seed in water, and hold it close to the outside. You can learn more about Chia Seed Hydration. What does this mean for you? Easier digestion! The liquid clings to the seed, and is removed slowly throughout the digestive process. This keeps the colon hydrated, so it's easy to move food. Insoluble fiber is found in the seed's outer coating. It's this type of fiber that isn't digested by the body and is sometimes called 'roughage'. It acts like a 'sweeper' moving things along in the intestinal tract and preventing constipation. Fiber isn't the only thing&#8230;remember the above points? Chia Seeds have you covered on all five points. You can even literally see the viscous (appears like a gelatin or gummy) fibers on the outside when you make Chia gel. These help lower blood cholesterol and normalize blood glucose and insulin levels.It's time to feel full longer, reduce your cholesterol, and clean up any colon problems! MySeeds Chia Seeds are incredibly easy to use. They have no flavor of their own, so you can add them to anything you already like to eat. If they are allowed to hydrate in a liquid food (like yogurt, juice or cola) they will take on the flavor of that food. In cooking, because of their ability to distribute flavors, they can actually make the food more flavorful! What do doctors say about the use of chia seeds with diverticulitis?The following are quotes from actual doctors regarding the use of seeds with this condition. As usual, before taking on any diet/weight loss attempt you should ask your doctor the best way for your own specific needs. To learn more from each doctor, please use the links.Michael Picco MD (From the Mayo Clinic) has this to say:"In the past, many doctors recommended that people with diverticulosis avoid seeds and nuts, including foods with small seeds, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries. It was thought that these tiny particles could lodge in the diverticula and cause inflammation (diverticulitis). But there is no scientific evidence that seeds and nuts cause diverticulitis flares. In fact, eating a high-fiber diet - which may include nuts and seeds - may reduce the risk of diverticular disease."Dr. Timothy Harlan MD (Also known as Dr. Gourmet)"In the past there has been some controversy about the treatment of this problem with many doctors telling their patients with diverticulosis to not eat popcorn, seeds, nuts or foods that contain seeds, such as those found in tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries. In the past there was never any solid research to support this, however. In the last few years good studies have disproved that a problem exists. I have always thought the theory a bit silly but almost certainly so with strawberry seeds (those things are tiny!). Guidelines no longer make this recommendation, and I do not for my patients. The studies have shown that the only dietary change that will make a difference for those with diverticulosis is a high fiber diet (and of course, a high fiber diet is the recommendation for all of us).One of the largest studies on this subject was published just last week. Researchers looked at more than 47,000 men over 18 years as part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The most fascinating finding was that those men who ate the most nuts and popcorn actually had lower risk of infection. In short, no association was found between an increased risk of diverticulitis and eating nuts, popcorn or corn. (JAMA. 2008;300(8):907-914)"The USA Government also weighs in on the issue with this page:http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diverticulosis/All quotes and studies were created by, and belong to, their original authors...


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