Here's the Truth About Chia Seeds for Weight Loss

Yes, as long as it fits in with your actual normal diet. I'll be a little bit honest. Eating chia seeds by themselves won't work. Sprinkling them on pizza does nothing to help with weight.

They make everything easier. The chia swells in the stomach, and so you tend to feel full for much longer, and eating less is no longer an effort. The fiber makes the digestion slow as well and that means constant high energy levels. No more lower energy relatives come 4 pm, making you yearn for biscuits and chai now.

Chia is also easy to take. You just have a spoonful of it with your morning porridge or drink it with some water, curds, or smoothie, and you don't even realize that it is there. The importance of this isn't quite acknowledged. A healthy diet is a diet that you stick to for months, rather than a 'perfect' diet that you quit after a couple of weeks. One small tip from my experience: use about a teaspoon per day, soak the seeds first, and make sure you drink plenty of water during the day too.

One tablespoon yields approximately 4g of fibre and 2g of protein. From my personal experience, the majority of benefits come from that small amount.

You feel full longer: Chia absorbs water, expands, and digests slowly. In fact, every time I consume them for breakfast, I notice that I feel hungry much later than usual.

Reduced sugar level fluctuations: Thanks to its high fibre and healthy fat content, chia slows down the rate of carbohydrate absorption by the body. Therefore, you experience fewer highs and lows of sugar levels, which results in less unexpected eating between meals.

Healthier gut: The fibre present in chia nourishes beneficial gut bacteria, thus keeping your intestines healthy and helping them with weight management.

Less food, more feeling of fullness: You can mix a spoonful of chia in a smoothie, yogurt or oatmeal, and no one will notice that you've added something extra to your dish.

Great nutrition, low calorie load: Omega-3, calcium, magnesium and antioxidants are present in chia seeds, while calories added are almost non-existent.

Energy all day long: Not only the combination of fibre, protein and fats prevents you from being tired by the afternoon.

The simplest method. Stir one to two tablespoons into a glass of water, add a squeeze of lemon or a little honey if you like, and leave it for 15 to 30 minutes until it turns gel-like. Drink it 20 to 30 minutes before a meal so it takes the edge off your appetite.

Chia makes a smoothie much more filling. Try a banana, a tablespoon of chia, a cup of almond milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Or go berry: half a cup of mixed berries, a tablespoon of chia, half a cup of yoghurt and a splash of water or milk. Blend and drink.

Stir a tablespoon into half a cup of plain Greek yoghurt, with a drizzle of honey or a few fresh fruit pieces if you fancy. Leave it for a few minutes to thicken, and you've got a decent mid-morning snack that stops you hovering around the kitchen.

Sprinkle a tablespoon over mixed greens and chopped veg with an olive oil and lemon dressing. You get extra crunch and fibre, and nobody will notice they're eating "diet food".

If timing matters, then repetition is more important. The best time is before breakfast because you will not be very hungry during the first meal of the day. Thirty minutes before lunch and dinner works with the same idea. Drinking chia seeds mixes between lunch and dinner will suppress your appetite and help maintain blood sugar level. Chia seeds before exercise will give energy and hydrate you.

A dose of one to two tablespoons a day is enough for a grown adult. You can divide it between morning and lunch. It is not considered safe to consume more than three tablespoons of chia seeds since this may cause issues with digestion. If you have never taken chia seeds before, you can start taking a teaspoon or two and then gradually increase the amount.

Eating them dry. They swell fast and can become a choking risk, so always soak them or mix them into something wet.

Going overboard. More seeds don't mean faster results, just a bloated stomach.

Forgetting to drink water. Chia soaks up liquid, so skimp on fluids and you may end up constipated.

Expecting overnight miracles. Weight loss takes weeks of consistent habits, plus decent food and movement.

Drowning them in sugar. A chia pudding sweetened to within an inch of its life defeats the purpose.

Moringa isn't trying to reinvent your routine overnight, and that's exactly why it works. Stir it into your porridge, whisk it into a face mask, or steep it as tea — however it fits into your day, the benefits are built on something considerably more substantial than a passing trend. Start small, pay attention to how your body responds, and build up from there.