Health Warrior Announces First Annual "Health Warrior Chia Challenge" to Kick Off On National Running Day - June 1

NEW YORK, NY, May 27, 2011 (Press-News.org) To commemorate National Running Day on June 1, Health Warrior , a new brand of premium chia seeds and 100-Calorie All Natural Chia Energy Bars featuring only the best-sourced chia on earth today announces the "Health Warrior Chia Challenge," a month-long contest intended to introduce the modern world to the incredible health and fitness benefits of the ancient seed by encouraging daily ingestion for a month. The Health Warrior Chia Challenge asks novices and newbies alike to make a pledge to "Chia" every day throughout June by adding the recommended daily dose (2-4 tbsps) to their foods of choice. The winner, chosen at random from those who pledge to take the Health Warrior Chia Challenge by visiting http://www.healthwarrior.com, will receive a year's supply of Health Warrior chia seed products.

Co-founders Nick Morris and Dan Gluck, former Division 1 college athletes and great friends, began to "Chia" after they were inspired by the seeds' immense power highlighted throughout The New York Times best-selling book by Christopher McDougall, "Born To Run," which tells the story of the barefoot ultra-endurance athletes of Mexico's Copper Canyons, the Tarahumara. Health Warrior, whose mission is to maximize awareness for the incredible health benefits of chia seeds, an ancient superfood, is confident that the benefits of chia - increased energy and endurance, and better health and overall well-being - will be apparent after the first two weeks.

"We created Health Warrior because we experienced first-hand the health and fitness benefits of the tiny chia seed and wanted to share our discovery with the world in its purest, most natural form," says co-founder, Nick Morris. "But the goal of the company transcends the supermarket shelf and webite checkout, and we hope the Health Warrior Chia Challenge will motivate health nuts and fast food junkies alike to Chia every day, as we do, and reap the seeds' incredible benefits - no matter what brand (or delivery method) they choose."

The history of the chia seed, the fruit of a plant known as Salvia Hispanica L and a member of the mint family, dates back to Aztec times. "Chia" is the Mayan word for strength and, according to chia seed lore, the seeds sustained Aztec warriors on their conquests. But Chia was essential to not only the diet but the economy - annual tributes by the people to the rulers were paid in chia seeds! [1][2]. Moreover, the seeds were called "Indian Running Food" because they are extremely energizing. And modern science and nutrition confirms that the Aztec Warriors were right - the tiny seeds have enormous powers.

Chia seeds are a harvested, unprocessed, nutty-tasting, nutrient-dense whole seeds with omega-3 fatty acids and have among the highest antioxidant activity of any whole food. Researchers who have studied the seed have called it an "almost perfect food"[3] featuring myriad health benefits, including the ability to energize, rejuvenate muscles, hydrate, improve cardiovascular health, support detoxification, augment strength, bolster endurance, stabilize blood sugar, induce weight loss and aid intestinal regularity. And chia seeds are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth, offering a remarkable array of disease-fighting and health-promoting nutrients. In fact, chia seeds boast the highest level of Omega-3 Essential Acids found in any whole plant food.

"The following quote from 'Born to Run' sums up chia seeds' unique and awe-inspiring health benefits and was what essentially motivated Nick and I to start taking it daily - and ultimately led us to create our own top-quality products focused exclusively on the seed," says co-founder, Dan Gluck.
"A tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they're superpacked with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. 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; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home."

"Many elite athletes and runners around the world have been relying on the chia seed for its multitude health and endurance benefits for ages, but through our research we found that the seed is relatively unknown to the general public and the quality out there varies tremendously - we kept getting seeds that were dirty and had sticks in them!' 'Health Warrior is on a mission to change this, providing high quality chia so that, ultimately, the world will be inspired to "Chia" every day and lead healthier, more active lives; we hope the Health Warrior Chia Challenge jumpstarts this goal."

Health Warrior pledges to offer only the best-sourced chia seeds on earth from suppliers with farming and processes that are environmentally sound and HAACP, GLOBAL GAP, GMP, and ISO certified. Health Warrior Whole Chia Seeds are Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Raw, Gluten Free, Non GMO, and have a Glycemic Index of 1. Each 16 oz. bag of Health Warrior Premium Chia Seeds boasts an incredible level of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids, Antioxidants, Protein, Magnesium, and Calcium.

Health Warrior Chia Seeds are currently available online at http://www.healthwarrior.com and Amazon.com; a "buy two get the third free" promotion is being offered. Health Warrior's 100-Calorie All Natural Chia Energy Bars (with 1,000 mg of Omega 3's per bar) will be available online in June. Both products will be available in select retail outlets by year's end. Health Warrior Chia Seeds retail for 14.99 per bag and Health Warrior 100-Calorie Peanut Butter Chocolate Chia Bars, will retail for $10.99 per box (10 per box).

The Health Warrior Story:

Nick Morris and Dan Gluck are two former Division 1 college athletes and great friends who began to "Chia" after Nick was inspired by the best-selling book "Born To Run." Nick played football at the University of Pennsylvania. Dan played tennis at Colgate