Chia seed vs. Flax seed

The other day my Mama made Chia seed muffins

if you're like me you might be thinking
What in the world is chia seed? how does it compare to flax?

remember cha cha cha chia pets?

well I did some research and I think I found some fairly reliable information.

first of all There is a lot of health benefits from eating flax seed.  People with diabetes often take flax seed supplements because it is high in Omega 3 fat and in fiber.  It helps fight constipation, cancer, heart disease , and helps build up your immune system

Flax seed = good

BUT there is some debate about whether or not flax seed raises you estrogen levels.
Why would it do that?
Flax seed is Linseed aka what Linens are made out of WHICH contain a fair about of plant based estrogen and phytoestrogen .  The argument is whether the plant based estrogen copies the estrogen in our bodies raising our estrogen level or if the phytoestrogen levels out any estrogen imbalance we may have in our body.

Interesting right?
so a healthier alternative without the controversy?

CHIA SEED!!!!!

Chia seed, similar to flax, will do wonders for your health and skin.  Sometimes this seed is known as the "Indian Running seed" the Mayan messenger runners would carry it in a little pouch as then ran.

Here are some quick facts about chia seed

• 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain
• 5 times the calcium of milk
• 2 times the amount of potassium as bananas
• 3 times more iron than spinach
• and of course, copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6

Its easy to replace a flax supplement with a chia supplement.  From what I understand you can replace any recipes that contain flax seed with chia seed.  It has a very mild flavor  so you could even sprinkle it on a salad or over cereal.  


oh and this website goes into much more detail about chia seed
http://www.rawreform.com/content/view/345/127/