You can say bye-bye to inflammation with this fibrous and FILLING pudding!

This DIY chia bar is a MUST have for those slow weekend mornings you are feeding a house full, for a quick grab and go on busy Monday mornings, and even for a nutrient dense midday sweet tooth snack!

Chia seed pudding is a simple, delicious, and natural way to reduce inflammation in the body, and easily load up on calcium, antioxidants, omega-3, and plant based protein!  

These seeds are tiny little nutrient powerhouses! They have the ability to completely transform in size and volume. They’re also very hydrophilic – meaning they love water! They will soak up any form of liquid they’re surrounded by, making them a perfect addition to a dish that is in need of a fiber boost to become more filling!

Last week, we talked all about GUT HEALTH. Chia seeds fit our topic on digestive friendly foods, with their high levels of soluble fiber that promotes overall gut health while feeding your gut flora and stabilizing blood sugar. They act like soft bristles of a broom that “brush” your intestines, which is important for digestive health to keep things moving.

While chia seeds are also great for gut health, they take a step further by being one of the top superfoods along with CBD to help relieve inflammation in the body.

While inflammation as a bodily function is not necessarily a bad thing – it is your body’s normal response to infection or injury. Although inflammation helps your body heal and fight off bacteria, viruses and other infectious agents, it can sometimes cause harm.

When the body and the immune system begin to overreach and start attacking healthy tissues in the body, we’re met with inflammation in otherwise healthy areas of the body. With this inflammation in parts of the body that are healthy, we are met with many different health complications including autoimmune disorders like arthritis, fibromyalgia symptoms, leaky gut, and even non autoimmune disorders like asthma and diabetes.

If you’re looking to decrease inflammation and achieve optimal health, you may want to include this powerful anti-inflammatory duo in your next breakfast!

Combining nutrient-dense chia seeds with Cured’s farm to table, Colorado-grown CBD, you are giving your body all of the anti-inflammatory properties it needs to come back into balance.

How do chia seeds and CBD bring your body back into balance and reduce inflammation in the body?

1. The omega-3 fatty acids found in chia seeds, help reduce inflammation:

Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids found in chia seeds reduce inflammation and could help to lower the risk of other chronic diseases that are linked to inflammation.

The reason it is so important to maintain the proper ratio of fatty acids is omega-3 tends to reduce inflammation while omega-6 promotes it. An optimal ratio is 3:1 omega-3 to omega-6, which is close to the precise ratio found in chia seeds.

1. Flavonols and antioxidants in chia seeds promote anti-inflammatory responses

Beyond the fatty acids chia seeds provide, they also loaded with flavonoids and extremely potent antioxidants. This furthers helps to promote anti-inflammatory responses and cardiovascular health.

Containing high amounts of vitamin A, B, D, E and other trace minerals such as zinc and magnesium, they allow the body to lower blood pressure and lower the risk involved with free radical damage.

1. CBD can mediate the immune response associated with autoimmune disease that are linked to symptoms including inflammation:

CBD may play a therapeutic role in both cases of inflammation. One study in particular states that CBD may act to combat inflammation and its associated oxidative stress in numerous ways, including exerting an immunosuppressive effect on macrophages and microglial-cells (cells that play a role in inflammation and immunity)

1. CBD has been shown to reduce intestinal inflammation

It has been shown that CBD can significantly reduce chronic inflammatory pain caused by inflammatory bowel disease. Studies have shown that modulation of the endocannabinoid system, which regulates various functions in the body and has been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of IBD, has a therapeutic effect in the disorder. This study revealed a possible role for cannabinoids in the symptomatic treatment of IBS/IBD, although it has yet to be determined in all cases whether cannabinoids have therapeutic anti-inflammatory, in this specific study, symptoms were extremely reduced.

How to incorporate chia seeds and CBD into your diet?

Try out this nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory breakfast below!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup organic chia seeds
• 2 cups coconut milk (we also love other non-dairy options like almost and cashew)
• Add-ins like wild blueberries, banana, raspberries, and blackberries
• CURED Cinnamon & Honey
• Optional sweeter to taste like pure maple syrup or raw, local honey
• Optional superfood toppings like bee pollen, raw cacao nibs, and coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS;

1. Combine chia seeds, coconut milk, optional sweetener and let sit in the refrigerator the for at least 1 hour until gel forms.
2. Arrange your fresh add-ins and favorite superfoods to create a DIY Chia Pudding Bar.
3. Sprinkle with Cinnamon & Honey.
4. Enjoy!

Note: You can make your chia seed pudding thicker by reducing the liquid or adding more liquid to make it thinner. If you’re using full-fat coconut milk, the pudding will be very thick. Store any extra chia pudding in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 1 week.