Recipe: Almond Milk & Chia Seed Vegan Drink for Omega-3

A quick recipe for a quick drink that can be the vegan answer to taking fish oil for Omega-3’s!

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that your body must have but cannot produce on its own, so we have to get it from our food. Omega-3’s are required by the brain for proper cognitive function, and recent research is starting to link Omega-3 deficiency and Alzheimer’s. Omega-3’s are also shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients and decrease internal inflammation that affects joints and organs. Plus, Omega-3’s help with arthritis, depression, and mood swings.

What does that mean for orgasms? Proper blood circulation is required for erections (in men and women), and of course, nothing works if the bowling ball on your shoulders isn’t working to keep all your bits and pieces functioning in top form.

I still take fish oil for Omega-3’s, but I’ve started incorporating this drink into my morning regimen. When I first go into the kitchen, I start this and let it sit while I’m making breakfast and trying to get the child up and get ready for school.

While there is a debate whether the fish oil source of Omega-3’s is better than the plant-source, chia seeds are a great vegan option for getting your essential Omega-3’s.

The almond milk is simply the carrier of the chia seeds. Also, almond milk is non-dairy, which makes it groovy for vegans. At only 40 calories per cup, almond milk doesn’t have the calories, fat, or sugar content of milk. This unsweetened “original” formula, Almond Breeze, by Blue Diamond has the fewest number of additive ingredients than others on the market. Of course, you can make your own almond milk, but I haven’t gone that far … yet.

These are actual Chia Seeds — if you remember the TV commercials for the tiny green ground-cover plant on clay figurines with the voice-over singers chanting, “Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia!” … yes… those chia seeds.

Chia Seeds are the best kept secret in the Omega-3 world, as far as I’m concerned. While flaxseed is more famous, chia seeds have more Omega-3’s than flax, in a better ratio to the unfavorable Omega-6, and taste much better than flaxseed, to me. Unlike flaxseeds which cannot be digested whole by the body, chia seeds can be eaten whole. Two tablespoons of whole chia seeds provides 2,500 mg Omega-3, 6g dietary fiber, and 2g protein.

Sweeten with stevia to avoid using sugar. Stevia is an herb, and teaspoon to teaspoon, stevia is 600 times sweeter than sugar. The vanilla is to help the overall flavor of the drink, especially if you’re using the chia seed meal (pre-ground chia seeds) as I am right now — I grabbed the wrong bag at the health store, not realizing the ground seeds were right next to the whole chia seeds. (Grrrrrrrrrr….)

You can also throw in some antioxidant-rich fruit such as blueberries or strawberries.

At this point, I just do the almond milk and whole chia seeds, but feel free to add in the optional ingredients for added flavor and nutrients.

Almond Milk & Chia Seed Vegan Drink for Omega-3’s

1 Cup almond milk

2 Tablespoons chia seeds (2.5 Tablespoons if using ground chia seeds)

1/4 teaspoon real vanilla extract, optional

1 to 2 stevia packets, optional

2 Tablespoons freshly puréed fruit, optional

In a small glass, stir almond milk and chia seeds together and allow to sit on the counter for 15 minutes, or until the milk becomes slightly thickened by the chia seeds. Add the vanilla and the stevia packet(s) if you want to sweeten it. You can also add any freshly puréed fruit, such as strawberries or oranges, etc. Stir and drink.

Enjoy!

trish

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