We love our bears here in the Smokies. It’s estimated there are around 15,000 in the four-state area surrounding the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and they’ve become an iconic symbol of the region.
So, it’s no wonder that of the hundreds of stories we published on The Smoky Mountain News website in 2025, it was one about relocating bears that was the most popular.
I got a question this week on LinkedIn (yes, you can find me there!) about chia seeds so let’s take a look:
What are they?: They are small black seeds from the chia plant which is native to Mexico and Guatemala. They look a little like poppy seeds but are larger.
What’s the benefit of eating/using or cooking with them?
Chia seeds are a source of fiber, omega 3-fatty acids, and protein.
The one micronutrient that most all would do well to increase is fiber.
“Fibermaxxing” has had a moment on TikTok with people conducting fiber challenges to see how much they could consume.
Most Americans don’t come close to getting sufficient fiber in their daily diet.
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Two of the trends/fads that you can expect to see reflected in products on the shelves at your local Ingles Markets are callouts for protein amounts and callouts for fiber amounts.
Both protein and fiber are macronutrients.
Most people think about protein coming from meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products and fiber coming from fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
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What are omega 3-fatty acids? They are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s) that can be found in various foods.
What are the health benefits? There have been a variety of claims about the benefits of omega 3-fatty acids from heart health, eye health and reducing inflammation to reducing risk of certain cancers, however, most of this is not conclusive and is based on observational data.
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