Posted by Judy Moon
It’s the mid seventies, Christmas morning and I am in Christmas heavenly glee sporting my new Mood Ring and figuring out what “tricks” I am going to teach my Pet Rock.
If you have no clue what these much coveted by young girls in the 70’s items are, I’ll give you the skinny. Starting with my favorite first – the Mood Ring.
“A mood ring is a ring that contains a thermochromic element, such as liquid crystal that changed colors based upon the temperature of the finger of the wearer. Most new rings come with a color chart indicating the supposed mood of the wearer based upon the colors indicated on the ring.”
The funny thing about it was that as soon as soon as you went outside (which would be about 20 degrees F in December in Northeast PA where I grew up) the ring turned black – which meant stressed. Not what you want to be rockin at 12 years old.
Next up – The Pet Rock, created by Gary Dahl.
“Dahl imported the rocks from Mexico, packaged them in a cardboard box that mimicked a pet carrier – complete with air holes and a bed of straw – and included a 32-page pet training manual with tips and tricks on how to train your new pet to “sit,” “stay,” and “attack.”
I know, sounds silly, but they were a fun, joke kind of a gift and what can I say “everyone had one”.
Which brings me to chia pets.” Animal figurines which have live herbs that simulate the fur or hair of the particular animal. “They surfaced a few years after the pet rocks and mood rings. For some reason the chia pet never called me.
However, chia seeds have made their way in to my daily adult life. I use them every morning in my breakfast smoothie. They are high in antioxidants and fiber and are an Omega 3 powerhouse. Here is the full breakdown from Dr. Axe –
Chia Seed Nutrition Profile
The reason Chia seeds are so beneficial is due to them being rich in fiber, omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins and minerals such as (1):
- Dietary fiber (11g – 42% recommended daily value)
- Protein (4.4g – 9% RDV)
- Omega-3 fatty acids (4915 mg)
- Omega-6 fatty acids (1620 mg)
- Calcium (77 mg – 18% RDV)
- Copper (0.1 mg – 3% RDV)
- Phosphorus (265 mg – 27% RDV)
- Potassium (44.8 mg – 1% RDV)
- Zinc (1.0 mg – 7% RDV)
Chia also contains essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, Vitamins A, B, E, and D, and minerals including sulphur, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, niacin, thiamine, and they are a rich source of anti-oxidants.
Honestly, I think my favorite part of using the chia seeds is that it makes me smile. I can’t help but think of Chia Pets, which makes me think of Mood Rings, which makes me think of Pet Rocks, which reminds me of being a kid again. If someone told me when I was twelve that I would be throwing a scoop of chia seeds in a blender with a bunch of other stuff and drinking it for breakfast I would have said “eeww gross” and thought “no way” as I drank the last sip of my Tang instant breakfast drink. Come on, the astronauts were drinking it, it had to be good right?
The thought of Tang makes me now say “eeww gross, no way”.
What’s your favorite way to use chia seeds?
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mood_ring
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Rock
