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=History= Chia Seeds were at first a staple in the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican diet and valued highly for their multiple uses as food, medicine and oil. Chia seed use declined though during Spanish colonization as the Spanish and Columbians had several cultural conflicts. After the Spanish invasion, the seeds frequently migrated around the Americas to the Aztecs in the early 16th century. The Aztecs were known to consume the seeds before entering battle and would send the seeds to their king in homage.

Use in sport
Chia seeds are now being used in athletic competitions as well. Athletes such as Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, and Carolina Panthers defensive end, Thomas Keiser have openly said they consume chia seeds in offseason workouts in hopes of enhancing energy and help in hydration. Chia seeds are also used among the running community as studies have shown the seeds can absorb up to ten times their weight in water. Studies show that if an athlete is facing trouble with dehydration or not drinking enough water, the seeds manage to utilize the consumption of water more effectively than the human body alone. This study often is used to reflect how the Tarahumara people are able to run over fifty miles a day.

Popularity
Chia Seed consumption increased to its highest rates after the release of Christopher McDougall's New York Time's Bestseller, Born to Run was released. McDougall writes that "If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease." McDougall discovered these seeds after running with the Tarahumara, a historic Mexican tribe known for their success in long-distance running.The Tarahumaran people would survive on their long runs by consuming a diet of beer, corn, and chia seeds.

Chia Pets
The first wave of sales involving the chia seed came in the early 1990's via the Chia Pet. These pets are commonly clay figures of popular icons such as Shrek, Homer Simpson, Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama who are filled with the popular chia seeds. As the figures are watered, the chia pet starts to "magically" grow grass typically to resemble the figure's clothing and hair. About 500,000 pets a year are still sold today. . The Chia pets are meant to be tended for as a plant, needing a combination of both sunlight and water. The Chia Pets can be replanted multiple times over as long as they are refilled with more chia seeds.

Nutrition
Chia seeds have been shown to provide stomach ache relief, slow down digestion, increase hydration, and help maintain electrolyte usage. Chia seeds also are known to contain up to four grams of omega-3 fatty acids per a two tablespoon serving, which has shown to reduce risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Studies have shown this amount of omega-3 fatty acids to be the most of any whole food recognized by the USDA. According to the USDA, one serving of chia seeds consists of one ounce, or 28 grams. Per serving, chia consists of nine grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of dietary fiber and four grams of protein. The seeds also have 18% of the USDA recommended daily intake of calcium, 27% daily intake of phosphorous and 30% of the recommended intake of manganese. =Recipes= Chia seeds are typically added to other foods as a topping as they have little taste. They are commonly put into smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, made into a gelatin substance, or consumed raw. Because there is no shell, studies show that the addition of chia seeds to other products does not alter the fundamental taste. The common recipe among the Tarahumara is a recipe called iskiate, or otherwise known as chia fresca. It is compromised of water, a little sugar, and a squirt of lime.

Debate
The argument often arises over whether chia seeds actually enhance overall health. The seeds are commonly compared to another common superfood, flax seeds. Both seeds have similar amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and vitamins, causing a stir of debate over which is more nutritious. Chia seeds are found to have more calcium than flax but lower levels of iron. According to a 12-week study at Appalachian State, no reduction in body weight or body fat was found. The study did however show some benefits for heart health.

Chris Herren wikipedia page =Basketball Career=

High School
Herren attended Durfee High School in Fall River, MA from 1990-1994. His family had rich history at Durfee as his father, grandfather, older brother, and multiple uncles were all basketball stars. He excelled as a basketball player there as he scored a career total of 2,073 points. At one point in his career, Herren led the Durfee Hilltoppers to 46 straight victories and back to back Massachusetts State Championships. Chris turned down offers from schools such as The University of Kentucky and Duke University to play at Boston College University. After his senior year, Chris was named the Boston Globe and Gatorade Player of the year. He was also named to the 1994 McDonald's All-America Team.

Boston College, 1994
Entering Boston College, Chris was featured in multiple magazines such as Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, hyping his possible success. Before playing, Chris failed a drug test for marijuana and cocaine use. On November 25, 1994, in his first game for Boston College, Chris scored 14 points in 21 minutes of playing time but broke his wrist and was ruled out for the entire 1994-1995 season. Within three months of his injury, Chris failed two more drug tests for marijuana and cocaine use, and was subsequently kicked off the team and out of the university.

Fresno State, 1995-1999
After being kicked out of school, Chris transfered to Fresno State University to play basketball under Coach Jerry Tarkanian. After sitting out a year, per NCAA transfer rules, Chris made his debut, as a sophomore, on December 10, 1996 for the Bulldogs<. On November 25, 1997 Chris was found to have failed another drug test. After going to a rehabilitation center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Chris returned to the team on January 10, 1998. Chris went on to play in 86 games at Fresno State where he averaged 15.1 points per game and averaged 5.1 assists per game. He was named to the 1st-team All-WAC in his junior and senior years.

Professional Career, 1999-2006
After his senior year at Fresno State, Chris entered the NBA Draft and was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the 2nd round with the 33rd overall pick. After playing 70 games from 1999-2001, Chris' NBA career was over after a season ending knee injury. He averaged 3.2 points per game and 2.4 assists per game for his career. After being released by the Celtics, Chris went on to play professionally for various teams in Italy, Poland, Turkey, China, and Iran.

=Drug Use= As of 2012, Chris has seven felonies on his record, all drug related. In his time at Boston College he failed three drug tests while failing another one at Fresno State. As a junior at Fresno State, Chris started to use heroine. While playing in the NBA for the Boston Celtics, Chris started to use painkillers such as OxyContin, vicodin, and percocet. In 2004, Chris was crashed his car into a donut shop after overdosing on heroine. Upon returning from playing overseas, Chris started to purchase and use crystal meth. After overdosing on cocaine in Fall River, MA Chris crashed his car into a utility pole. According to paramedics, he had been dead for thirty seconds.

Recovery and Current Occupation
Chris has now been sober from alcohol and drugs since August 1, 2008. He works as a basketball coach for player development and as a motivational speaker. In 2009, he launched "Hoop Dreams" where he coaches young athletes on an individual basis. Herren speaks to schools, athletes, convicts, army members and health clinics using his battle through drug abuse to motivate others to not abuse drugs as he did. In 2011, ESPN aired a documentary, Unguarded, directed by Jonathan Hock, based upon Herren's basketball career and drug related issues. On March 20, 2012 it was announced that Unguarded had been nominated for two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Sports Documentary and Outstanding Editing.

Personal Life
Chris and his wife, Cindy, his high school sweetheart, currently reside in Portsmouth, RI with their three children.