Chia Seeds… Really? Yup, Really!
As silly as it may seem, the newest and most exciting trend that I’ve seen in the health food world is the inclusion of chia seeds into your daily diet. Yes, that’s right: chia seeds, the very same seeds that are used to decorate cheesy household ceramic pets. At first I looked at this with a skeptic eye, but then I noticed that everyone from Dr. Oz to Dr. Weil is getting on the chia seed train.
As it turns out, chia seeds are incredible sources of so many vitamins, minerals, and other vital parts of our diet. According to recent studies, chia seeds have the same of the highest omega-3 levels of any food out there—even more than Atlantic salmon.
In addition to those wonderful omega-3 fatty acids, chia seeds have more protein, fiber, and calcium that flax seeds, and are also a great source of phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, and zinc.
As a result of their high nutrient content, chia seeds can help with so many of the common ailments that occur more and more commonly as we age: high blood pressure, low energy, arthritis, general inflammation, heart disease, and even diabetes.
Because chia seeds slow down the rate at which the body converts carbs into simple sugars in our bodies, new research has shown that they can significantly aid in controlling blood sugar, thereby battling diabetes. Additionally, chia seeds can block calorie absorption, helping craving reduction for those of us battling weight issues.
According to ancient documents, Aztec warriors used chia seeds to boost their energy, maintain stamina and endurance, and even build muscle tissue.
Maybe the best thing about chia seeds is their versatility: with health experts suggesting two daily servings of 20g (about 1.5oz), a variety of meals with which you can incorporate them are a must. Some of the best ideas out there include cereal, yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal (see recipe below), or smoothies. Another great idea is to incorporate them into baked goods, such as breads, cookies, muffins, or pancakes.
They can also be eaten raw, added to salads, or soaked in fruit juice. One advantage that they have over flax seeds is that the body digests them much more easily —in fact, they’ve been shown to aid digestion—so there is no need to grind them up before eating them.
So, try out something new and add some chia seeds to your diet. And don’t worry—you won’t grow bright green sprouts out of your head.
Probably.
Chia Oatmeal Recipe:
1 Tablespoon of Chia seed
5 tablespoons of Organic Oats
½ of one Banana sliced or other fruit such as apple or peach
½ teaspoon of Cinnamon Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon of agave nectar or raw honey
small handful of chopped walnuts or almonds
1 ounce of coconut milk or almond milk optional
Bring one cup of water to a boil; add all ingredients to water; continue stirring for about 5 minutes or until you get nice texture. Serve with coconut milk.
Recipes From Trip to France
As promised, here are the recipes that my daughter Nicole and I made one evening while in Paris. I have got to say, both recipes turned out amazingly delicious! Enjoy… Oh and enjoy some photos too 
Me & Nik in Paris near the Eiffel Tower
Me and Nik in the South of France... Are we cute or what?
Okay, first recipe and first course for the evening:
Soupe Printaniere
Spring Harvest Soup with Fava Beans
This fresh, creamy green soup celebrates the arrival of spring’s first fava beans, they are so tender.
Serves 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions and bacon and cook until the onions are browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
4. Stir in the stock and about three-quarters of the beans. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes.
6. Blend in a blender until smooth and return to pot. (we used a blending wand right in the pot)
7. Add the remaining beans and simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley, mix well, and serve hot.
Nicole & host parents enjoying the soup
Next course:
CHEVRE CHAUD A LA GASCONNE
WARM GOAT CHEESE GASCON STYLE
This recipe is a regional version of the classic warm goat cheese salad.
Serves 6
Endive & Warm Goat Cheese Crostini Salad... It was delish!
A bunch of fresh basil
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 individual small goat cheese rounds (crottins)
1 baguette
1 head red endive, leaves separated (our endive was not the red version, it was green)
1/2 cup pitted black or mixed olives (we used mixed)
To make the marinade, finely chop the basil and garlic, then add the oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the marinade into a shallow dish and add the cheeses, making sure they are coated evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. (Huh? we may have not read that little section when we made the dish, so our cheese only marinaded for about 2 hrs and it was still fantastic
1. Cut the baguette into 12 thick slices and toast.
2. Cut the cheeses in half crosswise, arrange on a baking sheet, and grill under hot broiler until golden.
3. Place 1 cheese on each toast.
4. Divide the endive leaves and olives among 6 plates.
5. Place 2 toasts on each plate, then top with the marinade.
You might be asking, “what about dessert Dianne, you said there was typically 3 courses?” Well, you’re right. However, we cheated and bought dessert. It’s Paris for goodness sakes! They have amazing desserts already made for us 
Hope you enjoy the recipes and have a chance to try them. Let me know what you think.
Day One in Paris
As exhausted as I was landing in Paris at 7:30 a.m., I was also exhilarated! I was seeing my daughter for the first time in over 5 months and in France for the first time.
Our first day was full! We went to the flat where my daughter has been living with her host parents Ghislan and Samir and their baby Nathaniel. After appropriate greetings, Nicole and I were off for a long walk in her neighborhood on the outside of the center of Paris.
We walked for about an hour and a half. Our first mission was to find fresh bread and cheese for our walk… We did and we found a beautiful open air market with amazing and beautiful fresh fruit, veggies, cheese, poultry, fish and flowers.
After finding our fresh out of the oven, still warm bread, we continued our walk through a beautiful green pathway. (see video below). After our walk we went back home to a freshly prepared lunch of Moroccan cous cous and vegetables and a little wine of course !
After lunch, we took the metro into the center where we saw the Place de Bastille, Louvre, Jardins d Tuileries (Tuilerie Garden) & Place de la Concorde. In Tuilerie Gardens, there were two large duck ponds where we proceded to take a long nap in the sun before heading back to the flat for a Pique Nique (picnic) by the lake, lovingly prepared by Nicoles’s host family…
After a long day and an episode of Friends online, I passed out for 10 hours of sleep. Now it’s past midnight on day two and I am still awake… Enjoy the short video that gives a quick run-down of day one’s events… A vientot…
French Women Don’t Get Fat! Chapters 3 & 4~Recasting
Chapter 3 finds Mireille in a three-month “re-casting” mode… She is resetting her individual equilibrium, with the help and guidance of Dr. Miracle. Yes, the beginning is three months of resetting new/old (French style) habits. Dr. Miracle fully understands that quick fixes will not yield long-term results.
Before beginning this process, it’s important to consider a couple of really important questions…
- Ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” So often, our reasons are fear and self-loathing based, or what others or media says we should look like… What is your why?
Mireille states in chapter three, “To embrace recasting, you have to be ready to embrace pleasure and individual happiness as your goals… It may be easy for a wife, mother and full-time worker to neglect pleasure; perhaps a part of you even thinks it’s selfish. But you must understand there is nothing noble in failing to discover and cultivate your pleasures. (It will make you not only fat, but grouchy.)” Read more
French Women Don’t Get Fat ~ Chapters 1 & 2
Chapters one and two take us back a little way to Mirielle’s first trip to the United States. She was 18 years old and on a one year exchange…
Here is where her love for brownies and bagels and poor eating habits began, only to return back home to France with an extra 15 pounds and a welcome greeting from her father “Tu ressemles a un sac de patates” (You look like a sack of potatoes”). Ouch, a sting she would not soon forget…
She definitely had feelings of embarrassment. None of her other friends in France had put on what we in the states refer to as the “Freshman 15”.
Enter Dr. Meyer, aka Dr. Miracle, the doctor Mireille’s mom retained to help with her mounting concern.
First things first, what are you doing asks Dr. Miracle? He asked Mireille to log what, how much and where she is eating. Measurements not to be exact, but approximate.
Fast-forward 3 weeks later, as it turns out, Mireille’s dangerous adoptive habits of American eating had gotten out of control.
The first thing Dr. Miracle noticed is that she was doing the majority of her eating on the go… walking from her apartment to school… The second most obvious thing he noticed was what she was mostly eating during those times were pastries… Yikes! And as she said, Paris is a “pastry minefield”. (ooo can’t wait)
She had turned into a pastry junkie and like any addict, her body “came to expect too much of what had once been blissfully intoxicating in small doses.”
“Tout est question d’equilibre (Everything is a matter of balance): this was Dr. Miracle’s quintessentially French mantra” and he was to remind Mireille of this too. But first, a little re-programming…
Equilibrium, which is the French way and what Mireille believed in, had to be cultivated gradually. And for the long-term shift to be successful, Dr. Miracle understood that quick positive reinforcement would be important… and to that he introduced, The Magical Leek soup. The soup would be eaten for a little more than a day and a half and this will be the only time anything “radical” in the diet will happen.
Why the Leek soup you ask… “Leeks are a mild diuretic and low in calories but highly nutritional”.
Here is the recipe and the suggested instructions from Dr. Miracle:
Ingredients:
2 pounds of Leeks
Water
- Clean the leeks and rinse well to get rid of sand and soil. Cut off the ends of the dark green parts, leaving all the white parts plus a section of pale green.
- Put the leeks in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour off the liquid and reserve. Place the leeks in a bowl.
Dr. Miracle recommends this to be done over the weekend.
The juice is to be drunk (reheated or at room temperature to taste) every 2-3 hours, 1 cup at a time.
For meals, or whenever hungry, have some of the leeks themselves, ½ cup at a time. Drizzle with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season sparingly with salt and pepper.
This will be your nourishment for both days, until Sunday dinner, when you can have a small piece of meat or fish (4-6 ounces) with 2 vegetables, steamed with a bit of butter or olive oil, and a piece of fruit.
This all seems reasonable to me, sounds like a little reset your system detox to me… I think I will try it very soon. Perhaps even before my trip to France…
What do you think?
