LA Detox/Tox
The Hollywood ChiaPet Diet
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One of my favorite L.A. friends is a comedian/actress. She jokes a lot about being a little anorexic—someone just gave her a gift certificate to the pricey Wolfgang Puck restaurant Cut, and she only ordered the side dishes. She works out like a maniac at Equinox, and is an early adapter to diet fads. "She's eating Chia Pets now," her boyfriend told me over a recent dinner, consisting mainly of salad. She blazed through Goji berries, Acai, Kombucha. Now she's on to Chia Seeds, the things that make Chia Pets sprout. The seeds have more protein, calcium and fiber than flax seeds. She dissolves them in a glass of water. After about 30 min, the concotion turns into a gel, which she drinks. She swears it's keeping her thin (ahem, elimination) and making her feel great. What it's doing for her relationship is another story. "Would you please not be such a cliche!" her boyfriend begged her, to no avail.
- Deborah S.'s blog
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why have i never made the connection between chia seeds and chia pets?! have you ever tried those delicious Coco Chia bars (and snack mix!) by Living Fuel? it effortlessly tops drinking a glass of gelatinous goo and is craveable.
Submitted by sayrahd on 01.27.09 at 01:18.
I came across your site the other day & I really enjoy it. Something that I think would help is if you fleshed out your content a little more. I've heard of Chia Pets but never chia sprouts, so what if you included reliable links to the benefits of eating sprouts, making your own sprouts, are Chia sprouts healthy, where can you get them, etc.? (For exapmle, I know you have a special relationship with Apartment Therapy and I know AT: The Kitchen had a great post awhile back on sprouts). Otherwise, this is just a vignette about a woman in LA who probably has disordered eating.
Submitted by Squirrelly on 03.23.09 at 02:41.
Great question! First, Deborah is talking about eating chia seeds, not the sprouts, as a source of energy and weight control. They look a lot like flax seeds but have a milder taste and a longer shelf life. And while chia seeds have actually been around since the Aztecs, they're getting a lot of play these days primarily because they're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, a "good" anti-inflammatory fat that keeps cancer and heart disease away. As for weight control, eat chia seeds in moderation: 2 tablespoons of chia seeds are about 137 calories and about 11g of fiber and 4g of protein. So like Deborah said, the seeds are keeping you full longer because of the fiber. But as a protein source, if you're not a vegan, you can find a lot of other low-cal foods with better numbers. You find chia seeds at any health food supermarket or store like Vitamin Shoppe. Dr. Andrew Weill has a good summary here: http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/3-reasons-to-eat-chia-seeds/943232...
Hope this helps!
Submitted by Erinn B. on 03.25.09 at 11:41.
a tasty way to get your chia seeds is to make chocolate pudding! i make it using almond or brazil nut milk, raw cocoa powder and raw agave or honey. it's filling and good for you!
Submitted by PicturesInInk on 04.02.09 at 04:19.
Erinn, thank you! I misread it as sprouts for some reason. I really appreciate your addition to the blog article and the link
Submitted by Squirrelly on 04.06.09 at 08:42.
It's not even a fad...chia seeds really are great! I know what you mean though, because every time I tell anyone that I eat chia seeds everyday, they look at me like I am crazy and then ask me why I eat chia pets. Either way, if you don't believe me or your friend, you can find out a lot of great info about chia seeds at TheChiaSeed.com
Submitted by jrogercarney on 04.17.09 at 03:04.
Wow, those chai seeds sounds really hardcore and it really doesn't sound all that delicious, since they turn water into a gel-like-substance?
Ehm, Chai pets are cute to look at and give to your little sister, but .... as a diet? :D
Submitted by MikeBenz on 09.05.09 at 04:37.
I've heard of Chia Pets but never chia sprouts, Instyler so what if you included reliable links to the benefits of eating sprouts, making your own sprouts, are Chia sprouts healthy..
Submitted by neckso on 10.05.09 at 01:31.
Submitted by nandini on 01.28.10 at 06:03.