Chia seed was one of the three primary foods of the ancient Aztecs, Mayas, Tehuantepecs, and Indians of what is now the American Southwest. Its benefits are wide-ranging: increased energy through a metabolically timed release of nutrients; greater endurance; and efficient weight loss based on the seed's swelling to seven times its size in the stomach, producing a feeling of fullness.

In The Magic of Chia, expert James Scheer details the seed's abundant nutrients: calcium, amylose (a slow-burning starch helpful for hypoglycemics), a vast array of vitamins and minerals, and an unusually good ratio of Omega-3 oil to Omega-6 oil. The book reintroduces this wonder food to the modern palate, with 100 tested recipes for using chia to nutritionally upgrade hamburgers, soups, salads, breads, fruit drinks, and much more. Included is updated information on the seed's recent domestication and where to find it.