Chia Seeds as The New Athlete Superfood- Elite Athletes & Chia Seed Cupcakes

Are Chia Seeds the next "Superfood" for Elite Athletes?

Via SportsbyBrooks, I came across this Darren Rovell article on CNBC.com.

The article posits if chia seeds can be a type of "superfood" for athletes, endurance athletes, specifically. The general idea of the article is that the connection with chia pets does not help the perception of chia seeds. There also is the issue of what seems like an abundant succession of trendy "superfoods" in recent times. We've all heard about pomengranates and acai berries, for example.

Chia seeds are touted for their fiber content and antioxidants, as well as helping endurance athletes stay hydrated.

I first heard about chia seeds through a Dr. Oz appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. When Dr. Oz mentions chia, orders go up, just as he caused a sales spike for neti pots.

However, the current interest in chia comes from another source. The best selling book Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall mentions "super athlete" runners who drink a concoction mixed with chia seeds, water, sugar, and lime.

For endurance athletes looking for the benefits of chia in a tasty healthy recipe, may we suggest Chia Seed Cupcakes?

Chia Seeds as Egg Substitute in Vegan Cupcake Recipes

I was searching for some chia cupcake recipes and not having much luck. One of the top results was actually for a Vegan Chocolate Cupcake, but I did not see chia listed in the ingredients.

Well, I found out why this site ranked for chia cupcakes. In the comments, one poster suggested that cia seeds could be substituted for eggs. According to the comment, 1 egg= 1 TBSP chia seeds+ 3 TBSP water. Soak for 15 minutes and let gel.

Interesting.

Chia Seed Cup Cakes for Fiber and Omega 3 Fatty Acids

I was just watching the Oprah Winfrey show on 5 Ways to Stay Young with Doctor Oz. I try to catch these shows as I usually find out some new food or product that is useful. For example I learned about the neti pot on Oprah and have been using it clean out my sinuses the last 2 years.

I had some distractions and wasn't paying a whole lot of attention during this episode, but one thing I really noticed was chia seed cupcakes. I really need to try some of these!

Dr. Oz said that the chia seeds were a good source of fiber as well as omega 3 fatty acids. They had some chia cupcakes up on the stage. I think they made have had chocolate as well but I am not sure. They looked good.

Other topics of the show included the things we should all have in our refrigerator, spices with anti-aging properties, the value of sleep, and others.

I came across a good article on WXYZ.com ( tv station web site) that summarizes the show. it is pretty in-depth and expands on some of the other issues on the show. It is called " 5 Ways to Stay Young."