My friends dad swears by them. He says they are really good for digestion and for regulating your blood sugar so its great for Type 2 Diabetes. He also says its great regardless of your issue: if you are plugged up it unclogs you. If you go too much it slows you down.

I'm doing some more research on my own but I wanted to ask and see if any of you have tried it. Thank you!!!

The ground chia forms a gell, just like whole chia. Check out the Aztec Diet. The book says whole chia goes through your system faster, so ground or micro-sliced chia is better. I don't know if that is true or not, but does sound reasonable. The micro-sliced chis is called Mila, but it is very expensive. Grinding your own is much cheaper. But like I said, I don't know if ground or whole makes a difference, except for texture!

The ground chia forms a gell' date=' just like whole chia. Check out the Aztec Diet. The book says whole chia goes through your system faster, so ground or micro-sliced chia is better. I don't know if that is true or not, but does sound reasonable. The micro-sliced chis is called Mila, but it is very expensive. Grinding your own is much cheaper. But like I said, I don't know if ground or whole makes a difference, except for texture![/quote']

You know, I tried to grind them at one time in my coffee grinder and they would not grind!! I also tried a food processor and grinding by hand with mortar and pestle. Again, no success. Ever since then I have been doing it whole seed style.

I don't think they have any taste whether ground or not. I've gelled them in just plain Water and it has no taste whatsoever, just like water. But they certainly change the texture of whatever you put them in, and that can affect your taste buds certainly. I like them in pudding/yogurt. But as Fiddleman said, best if soaked in your favorite beverage/protein shake for 20-30 minutes before drinking.

My taster must just be more acute than Butter's because I definitely think they have a taste.. and that taste is GOOD! Especially delicious and refreshing with a squirt of lime and pinch of stevia.. YUM... Or in Green juice.. DOUBLE YUM!

We just use a regular coffee bean grinder that I bought at Walmart. They are a little oily, so you will have to scrape some of the powder out of the grinder. But that's no big deal. I suspect they are fine either whole or ground. I guess the thinking is that if they are whole, they don't get broken down and they go straight through your system. But I don't know if that is true!!

Think I'm just going to let them gel. Thanks, all!

I'm definitely going to want to check out chia! Is it possible to flavor the gelled seeds? I'm just curious, if you added them to coconut water, water flavored with a SF syrup or a diluted juice, would they then pick up that flavor as well? Might be interesting to gel the seeds with one flavor (say coconut) and then put them into a different drink--like a citrus flavored protein shake.

The seeds don't have a flavor, they just add texture. My husband makes us smoothies by mixing 2 T ground chia with a protein powder or yogurt (flavored or unflavored), a liquid (coconut water, tea, V-8 Fusion Lite, unsweetened juice, water, lemonade, whatever!), and usually some fruit(banana, strawberry, blueberry, papaya, peach, etc.). We have both noticed that we feel a lot better with the smoothies. We have at least one light meal a day and two or three smoothies. We noticed that not having a meal later in the day seems to work well. We have both definitely cut down on the amount we are eating. My husband (who doesn't have much of a weight problem) used to take 3 or 4 Tylenols a day for all over pains. He said he is feeling much better with the smoothies and isn't taking pain relievers now. I have been trying to get him to go to the Dr to check it out, but he is allergic to Drs!

May be a silly question--- should I try to chew the seeds as I'm drinking or eating them (using the gel form)? Trying chia for BM reasons.

May be a silly question--- should I try to chew the seeds as I'm drinking or eating them (using the gel form)? Trying chia for BM reasons.

Really they are too small to chew. I just drink them down.