Chia Seeds: Superfood for healthy eating, great for ketogenic diet too!

I got hooked on chia seeds at the end of last year (and now it’s a permanent habit)

Since around the end of last year, I started eating chia seeds—and I got completely hooked.

The trigger was simple: I wanted something a little sweet after dinner.But when you’re doing a ketogenic (low-carb) diet, it’s surprisingly hard to choose your usual desserts like cake or pudding.

So I tried something: I started eating chia seed pudding every night as a replacement for dessert. And the result was:

• It’s satisfying.

• The slightly sticky texture + gentle sweetness makes it feel very dessert-like.

• And most importantly, I felt a change in my digestive behaviour.

That’s when I thought: “Wait… this is actually really good.”

You see a lot of “chia is good for your gut” online, but in my case it wasn’t just theory—I genuinely felt it. And because chia seeds still aren’t that widely used in Japan or elsewhere, I thought: more people should know about this.

So today I’m going to mix in my personal experience, while keeping the content as based on my experience as possible.

Living overseas + keto = missing the “Japanese fiber foods”

I’ve been following a ketogenic / low-carb diet for a while. But there’s a common structural problem that tends to happen.

First, the basic concept of ketogenic diet means:

• You cut down staples like rice and potatoes.

• You reduce sugar—and you often need to limit fruit as well.

Also, being on a ketogenic diet often leads to meals that are:

• Higher in protein and fat.

➡️ As a result, it becomes easy to fall short on dietary fiber.
➡️ And if low fiber becomes chronic, your gut environment can worsen.

This is actually mentioned in research as one of the things you need to watch out for when doing ketogenic diet.

And if you’re living overseas, there’s another issue: in Japan, you can easily get “perfect fiber foods” that are also low-carb, like:

• Konjac

• Seaweed (wakame, hijiki, kombu, etc.)

But overseas, those foods can be hard to access. I live in New Zealand, and if I want konjac or wakame, I usually have to go to a Japan Mart—so I can’t realistically eat them every day.

For me, chia seeds fill that “missing fiber slot” surprisingly well.

What are chia seeds?

Chia seeds are the seeds of a plant called Salvia hispanica (mint family). They’re tiny, but their most famous feature is that they swell and form a jelly-like coating when they absorb water.

That “swells in water” property is exactly why they’re easy to turn into dessert—and it also connects directly to the story about dietary fiber.

You might occasionally see “chia seed pudding” on café menus—yes, that’s it. And the nice thing is: once you have chia seeds, you can make it at home and eat it every day.

Where to find chia seeds in NZ supermarkets (Woolworths)

From my experience, chia seeds in New Zealand supermarkets (Woolworths) are usually located in one of these places:

• The dried fruit / seeds section (near dried apricots, sunflower seeds, etc.)

• Near the baking section

• A “healthy” section with sugar-free / gluten-free snacks

I usually buy a 200~250 g pack from Woolworths (a very standard and convenient size).

Here is a package of Tasti brand chia seeds (250 g). At the time I’m writing this blog, one bag was about $6-7 NZD.

Nutrition: why chia seeds can look “high-carb” but still fit ketogenic diet

First, here is the nutrition label from the Tasti chia seeds mentioned above.

For dry chia seeds, per 100 g, it lists something like:

• Energy: 1870 kJ

• Protein: 16.5 g

• Fat: 32.5 g

  • Unsaturated fat: 26.1 g

  • Omega-3: 20.0 g

• Carbohydrate: 7.7 g

  • Sugars: 0.8 g

• Dietary fiber: 31.9 g

• Sodium: 16 mg

Even though this is “per 100 g,” what really jumps out is:

• A huge amount of dietary fiber

• A lot of unsaturated fat

Honestly, this is the kind of label that makes you understand why people call it a “superfood.”

And if you look at USDA-style data for dried chia seeds, per 100 g it’s roughly:

• Calories: ~486 kcal

• Carbohydrate: 42 g

• Dietary fiber: 34 g

So if you think in terms of net carbs (carbs minus fiber), chia becomes much lower-carb than it looks at first glance.

The “real identity” of chia fiber: mucilage

The main reason chia seeds become jelly-like in water is because the seed coat releases a sticky polysaccharide called mucilage. In papers and reviews, it’s often discussed as “chia seed mucilage.” (Reference: Segura-Campos, 2014)

So what is chia mucilage?

Rather than being one single, cleanly named fiber (like konjac’s “glucomannan”), chia mucilage seems to be a mixture of multiple polysaccharides.

The sugars reported as components include:

• Xylose

• Mannose

• Glucose

• Galactose

• Arabinose

• Uronic acids (such as glucuronic acid)

(Reference: Hovjecki, 2024)

Meanwhile, konjac’s main fiber is well known as konjac glucomannan (KGM)—a water-soluble, highly viscous polysaccharide.

If we compare chia mucilage and konjac glucomannan:

Similarities

• Both are water-soluble and form viscosity easily

• Both “swell in water,” which helps fullness and makes them practical to use

Differences (important)

• Konjac: clearly framed around one main fiber, glucomannan

• Chia: framed around “mucilage,” a mixture of polysaccharides

So the properties may look similar, but chemically they’re not identical.

Either way, chia seeds contain plenty of water-soluble fiber. And while fiber isn’t easily broken down by human digestive enzymes, its effects inside the gut have received a lot of attention.

Chia also contains lots of unsaturated fat: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

Chia seeds are strongly associated with fiber, but they actually contain a fair amount of fat too. And it’s not the “fried food oil” type—it’s mainly unsaturated fat, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are generally considered beneficial.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explains that about 60% of the oil in chia seeds is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. (Reference: Harvard T.H. Chan)

ALA isn’t as famous as fish-based EPA/DHA, but studies suggest that ALA may have favorable effects, such as improving lipid markers (LDL, triglycerides) and helping lower blood pressure. (Reference: Sala-Vila, 2022)

So yes—chia seeds may offer health benefits not only from fiber but also from their high ALA content.

How I make chia pudding

This is how I personally eat the chia seeds I buy from Woolworths.

My basic ratio (makes 4 servings)

• Chia seeds: 40 g
  (I use a protein scoop—one scoop is 20 g, so two scoops = 40 g exactly, which is convenient.)

• Plant-based milk: 500 mL total
  (almond milk / coconut milk / soy milk)

Then I divide it into 4 servings: ➡️ Per serving: ~10 g chia + ~125 mL milk

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The key: the first 2 minutes of good mixing is important

Chia seeds absorb water very quickly at the beginning and can form clumps. So I make sure to:

• Mix strongly for the first 2 minutes (if you stop, clumps form)

• Keep breaking the “floating vs sinking” bias so it mixes evenly

• When the seeds mostly sink and the surface starts feeling slightly sticky, it’s good

Also: if you start with coconut/almond milk at room temperature, hydration is faster. If your milk is cold from the fridge, the initial absorption takes a bit longer.

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Soy milk in NZ (So Good) is thick, so diluting helps

NZ soy milk (So Good and similar brands) feels quite thick, and chia seeds absorb water more slowly in it. In my experience:

• Almond milk absorbs fastest

• Coconut milk is second

• Soy milk is slowest (unless diluted)

So when using soy milk, I often do:

• Soy milk 400 mL + water 100 mL (total 500 mL)

Then add chia and mix. This makes it much easier to get a smooth pudding.

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Leave it overnight in the fridge

Ideally, it’s best to make it one day and eat it the next.

• Mix chia and plant milk well

• Put it in the fridge

• After overnight soaking, it becomes stable and “pudding-like”

As mentioned, I treat 40 g chia + 500 mL milk as 4 servings.

Rough nutrition estimate per serving (10 g chia + 125 mL plant milk)

Here’s a quick rough calculation. Exact numbers depend on product and flavor, so please prioritize the nutrition label you have.

Chia seeds 10 g

Using USDA-style data (per 100 g: 486 kcal, 42 g carbs, 34 g fiber):

• Calories: ~49 kcal

• Carbohydrate: ~4.2 g

• Fiber: ~3.4 g

• Net carbs: ~0.8 g (4.2 − 3.4)

So Good Soy Milk (Regular) 125 mL

Per 100 mL: 65 kcal / carbs 5.1 g / fiber 0.3 g
So for 125 mL (×1.25):

• Calories: ~81 kcal

• Carbs: ~6.4 g

• Fiber: ~0.38 g

• Net carbs: ~6.0 g

Total (chia 10 g + soy milk 125 mL):

• Calories: ~130 kcal

• Net carbs: ~6.8 g

Note: unsweetened soy milk usually has lower carbs, which may fit keto more easily.

So Good Coconut Milk (Unsweetened) 125 mL

Per 100 mL: 23 kcal / carbs 0.3 g / fiber 0.9 g
For 125 mL:

• Calories: ~29 kcal

• Carbs: ~0.38 g

• Fiber: ~1.13 g

Total (chia 10 g + coconut milk 125 mL):

• Calories: ~78 kcal

• Net carbs: ~0.8 g (mostly from chia)

If you only care about keto “compatibility,” coconut milk (unsweetened) is probably the better option.

My favorite chia pudding + fruit combinations

Once the pudding is ready, adding fruit or sauce makes it even better. There are tons of chia recipe sites, so here I’ll only share the combinations I’ve actually tried and loved.

Yogurt + frozen blueberries (classic, strong)

• Just add about 2 tablespoons of yogurt and frozen blueberries on top. 
• The tangy yogurt and the sweetness of blueberries match the sticky chia texture really well.

Feijoa + unsweetened whipped cream (very NZ, and surprisingly perfect)

• Feijoa is a common fruit in New Zealand. The tropical taste plus cream becomes very elegant. 
• Unsweetened whipped cream is also keto-friendly.
• Personally, this is my #1 recommendation.

Mango (small amount) + coconut milk pudding

• Sometimes there’s a sweet mango sauce made from simmered frozen mango. 
• It goes extremely well with chia pudding, especially when the pudding is made with coconut milk. 
• You can even add a splash of extra coconut milk.

**Fruit contains sugar and calories, so if you’re doing keto, adjust the amount based on your own daily limits.

Chia effects: for me, there was a clear change after about a week

How fast do you feel an effect? This will vary a lot person to person, but here’s my experience. People often say chia causes bloating at first. For me, during the first few days, I honestly felt a bit of abdominal fullness.

That’s not surprising—suddenly increasing dietary fiber can do that. If you’re worried, starting with a smaller amount seems wise.

Tips when starting chia seeds

• Start small (too much too soon can cause bloating)

• Drink enough water (it absorbs liquid)

• Avoid clumps (mix well for the first 2 minutes)

• If you have existing GI conditions or concerns, consult your doctor

• And of course—don’t overdo it

I usually eat one serving a day as a dessert replacement after dinner. Sometimes I do two servings (lunch snack + dessert), but only about once or twice a week.

For me, after about one week, I clearly noticed:

• Stool texture changed (softer, more moist, kind of “thick”?)

• Better consistency / cohesion

• A sense of stability

Summary: chia seeds might be great for both “gut” and the “ketogenic dessert slot”

Chia seeds aren’t flashy health food in my mind. They’re more like a practical tool that helps with daily life:

• You can add dietary fiber every day

• You can create a keto-friendly dessert “slot”

• If you can’t easily get seaweed or konjac overseas, chia can help fill the fiber gap

• Chia also contains plenty of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid

If you’re like me and you miss having something sweet after a meal, chia pudding is honestly a great option. It’s easy, available at normal supermarkets, and not an expensive “luxury health food” (around $6–$7 for a 250 g bag). I buy a bag almost every week.

If you’ve never tried chia seeds before but feel curious now, I hope this helps!

**Japanese version of this article is here**

Barley rice for healthy eating

It is well known that rice is served daily in many Asian countries as the main source of carbohydrate.

In Japan, many people eat rice daily. But did you know that Japanese people often mix other grains into their rice to make rice more nutritious?

One of the “healthier” rice that is popular among people of Japan is barley rice.

What it barley rice?

In normal white rice, the bran and skin of rice is removed. While this process makes rice white and tasty, it removes most of nutrients.

So people in Japan sometimes choose to eat brown rice, or mix other grains with white rice to supplement nutrients.

One example of this is barley rice; where white rice is cooked with some added barley.

Many people in Japan  eat barley rice because it has many health benefit.  These include:

• Improving constipation
• Helping you lose weight
• Reduce bad cholesterol level
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Lower glycemic index – better for diabetic people

So when our family used to live in Japan, we cooked barley rice  often.

But now we are back in New Zealand, we wondered if we can find “barley” suitable for cooking barley rice.

Pearl barley: can they be used to cook barley rice?

So we headed to our favorite organic shop: Huckle Berry.

Huckle Berry　→　http://www.huckleberry.co.nz/

Huckle Berry sells many types of organic food. They also sell various beans and grains in bulk (priced per kg).

Many of these organic bulk beans/grains are hard to find in a regular supermarket.

Some of grains/beans that are sold at Huckle Berry, that may interest Japanese food lovers are….

• Millet …these grains are sometimes mixed with white rice to cook nutritious grain-rice. Japanese cooking uses specific millets called “Hie” and “Awa”, but I am not certain which these millets are closely related to.
• Azuki Bean　…These beans can be used to make red-bean pastes, used in Japanese traditional sweets.
• Rice Flour　… Rice flour. You can use them to make some Japanese sweets, or these can simply be used for gluten-free bakings.
• Miso、Wakame、Kombu　…Miso (Soy bean paste for miso soup), Wakame (Sea weeds for soups and salad), Kombu (Kelp for cooking or making soup) are also sold at Huckle Berry. These are all nice to use in Japanese cuisine, but many of these are organic and high in price. It may be cheaper to find alternatives at Japan mart.

At Huckle Berry, we found barley we were looking for.

These were called “Pearl Barley”.

Barley that have skins and bran removed are called “pearl barley”. They can be cooked with other ingredients to make a nice filling for a soup.

Mmm these “pearl barley” do not look that pearly. They look rather brown, compared to barley we get in Japan.

Barley that are used in Japan to cook barley rice are flattened by mechanical pressure. That way these “pressed-barley” are cracked and easier to absorb water/cook.

Pressed barley look similar but not as flattened as rolled oat.

Anyway, we decided to give these “pearl barley” a go and used them to cook barley rice.

How to cook barley rice

Cooking barley rice is simple; you wash and prepare white rice and water,  then add barley and extra water.

Typical ratio is one cup of uncooked rice, add 50g of uncooked pearl barley and 100ml extra water.

Of course if you prefer more or less barley, you can adjust the amount of barley.

For each 100g of dry pearled barley added, you want to add 200ml of water.

This time, I decided to reduce the amount of barley than the typical ratio, and cook 1.5 cups of uncooked rice with 50g barley, following steps below.

Step by step: cooking barley rice

1. Wash 1.5 cup of uncooked white rice.

2. Place washed rice in a rice cooker with right amount of water. I simply use the water level guideline on the rice cooker bowl.

3. Add 50g of pearl barley. Add extra 100ml water.

4. Mix barley and rice.

5. Let it sit for at least one hour, to allow both rice and pearl barley to absorb water. I recommend letting it sit longer if you can (like 2 – 4 hours) if you have enough time before meal.

6. Turn the rice cooker ON and cook rice.

7. When cooked, let it sit for 10 minutes, then use rice scoop to gently mix rice a few times.  Serve in a bowl.

FINISHED!!

How do barley rice taste?

When we tried barley rice…. rice is well cooked, but pearl barley grains stayed quite hard.

Pearl barley were very chewy. I think they could be softer if they were allowed to absorb water for longer.

In Japan, barley rice is cooked using pearl barley that are partially flattened by mechanical force; these are called “Oshi-mugi” (=pressed barley)

These pressed barley absorb water and cook faster, so they have similar consistency as rice, while having more sticky-texture.

So overall, the attempt to cook barely rice using pearl barley available in New Zealand was a success, with some room to improve.

Perhaps soaking pearl barley alone over night before mixing with uncooked rice may help.

Barley rice does have characteristic brown appearance of barley and some taste from barley.

So I do not recommend using barley rice for a dish that requires plain white rice, like sushi.

On the other hand, barley rice can be easily combined with curry or stew, or used in fried rice.

Summary

Pearl Barley available from local store in New Zealand can be used to cook barley rice!

• Barley rice has many health benefits compared with regular white rice
• We found some pearl barley in local Huckle berry store
• These pearl barley can be used to cook barley rice, albeit a bit firmer than ideal.
• For 50g dry pearl barley, add 100ml extra water.
• Let pearl barley absorb water for at least an hour (a few hours + desirable)
• Barley rice goes well with curry & rice, or fried rice meals.

Today, barley rice was served with Japanese fried chicken and miso soup, a nice authentic healthy Japanese meal!

How to get rid of constipation: New Zealand way?

My family of two parents and two children currently live in Auckland, New Zealand. When we initially moved here, both myself and my elder son experienced constipation.

On the contrary, my husband and younger son never had constipation – I guess it is the type of body we have…

So how did I, myself, and my poor elder son manage to come out of our constipation? We found two methods that worked for us….

Going overseas could be a cause of constipation?

People often experience constipation after moving overseas. This could be due to various reasons, like changing in diet or high stress levels you might experience after relocating.

This was the case for our family too, when we moved from Japan to New Zealand. We (mainly myself and my son) became constipated party because we were stressed and tired from the move.

On top of that, all the root vegetables like Daikon horse radish and Gobou, and all the sea weeds that we used to eat in Japan were rich in soluble fibers. But we were no longer eating much of such food after arriving in New Zealand – so there was a lot of dietary changes.

What is easy natural remedy for constipation??

It is important to go see a doctor when your constipation is really bad. But if you can manage it with other means, that would be better too.

So we looked into various “can-do-at-home” ways to solve constipation, and we found two methods that worked particularly well for us.

First is “laying flat on your tummy” method that was featured in Japanese TV show. The second was the very Kiwi way… both as described below.

Easiest method EVER to relieve constipation

So the first method is to lay flat on your tummy method. It is easy and does not cost anything, you can try it right now.

Here is how:

1.First, you lay flat on your tummy. Make sure to lay on a hard surface, like directly laying on a carpet or even wooden floor.

2.Keep laying down for about 10 minutes. Make sure your tummy is flat.

3.After 10 minutes, wiggle your body like you roll half-way on your right, then half-way on your left, half-way on your right, half-way on your left…..

4.You can roll all the way if you want. Make sure to use the whole body to do above half-rolling exercise.

5.Your arms, shoulder, and of course the whole abdominal should come in contact with the floor when you roll on them.

6.Do this rolling exercise for 2-3 minutes.

*Note that this method is not recommended straight after having a meal or when your stomach is full. Try it between the meals when our stomach is reasonably empty.


How does this method help with constipation? This method works by stimulating your bowl movement. Your bowel movement is often blocked by too much gas in your body.

By laying flat on your tummy, exit from your bowl (rectum) now faces upwards and helps gas to float out (eventually resulting in a fart) and helps reduce the gas.

Then the rolling motion helps stimulate your bowl to move.


This method was very effective for us. We could feel our bowel moving after doing the laying flat-rolling exercise, although going toilet was a while later.

If you perform this everyday, many people will see improvements in your bowel activity over a week or two.

Since it doesn’t require anything else other than 12-3 minutes to lay down while watching TV, I it is risk-free cost-free method everyone should try.

Good food for constipation? Try Kiwifruit!!

The second method that really worked for us is…. kiwifruit!!

There are many foods that are said to be good for relieving constipation. Well when I asked around to local people in New Zealand, many people suggested “Kiwifruit will do the trick!”

People like distant family members or preschool teachers, and plunket nurses even recommended kiwifruit.

I suppose it is very New Zealand way to relieve constipation… considering our national bird is Kiwi bird and we produce a lot of kiwifruit in New Zealand!


So we gave this a try, went out to the local shop and bought a bag of kiwifruit.

…. and it works!!

I think it works better than the famous prune juice or “natural fiber drinks” in the health section.


Kiwifruits are rich in soluble fibers like pectin and are also rich in digestive enzymes; both are very healthy for digestive system.

So I guess these active nutrients makes kiwifruit a very good food for helping constipation.

It is so easy to eat as well – just chop a kiwifruit in half and scoop it with a tea spoon!

If kiwifruit is too sour, you could try the gold kiwifruits that are much sweeter and much less acidic. In my opinion normal kiwifruit has stronger effect on relieving constipation, but eating gold kiwifruit is still much better than not eating kiwifruit.

Kiwifruits also are rich in Vitamin C, so combined with constipation-relieving effect, it is a good fruit for our beauty!

These are good ways to get rid of constipation in kids too

So here is the summary of the methods introduced:

• Try eating kiwifruit – even more so if you are in New Zealand!
• Start right now- laying flat on your tummy & rolling exercise

Regularly eating kiwifruits and laying on our tummy before going to bed, we are pretty much constipation-free at a moment.

So in our view, both of above  are very powerful methods for relieving constipation.

They are both natural and cost-effective methods too; and doesn’t require anything in particular (just kiwifruit). So you could try on your children too.

Good luck with getting rid of that constipation and happy toilet life!





Constipation: How to Treat Constipation: How to Prevent Constipation: Along with Nutrition, Diet, and Exercise for Constipation