chia seeds – Livingleen

What a beautiful week. I can not believe this week is ending in such a rainy weekend but it gives Phil and I a perfect excuse to get things done around the house. The rain better clear up by Sunday though because I am teaching at an outdoor neighborhood festival. Sunday Streets SF kicks off this weekend on Valencia St. and I am teaching a class to represent Moxie & bring yoga to the neighborhood. Come out to 1252 Valencia (where we’re set up) at 11:30 if you’re in San Francisco. As promised previously, Phil and I kicked things up a notch this week and I even added some juice to really hydrate and boost my energy. In honor of making things even healthier, this week’s Foodie Friday is an oldie but goodie…almond joy chia pudding. I absolutely love this stuff, so does Phil (he actually requested it), and the best part, it takes next to nothing to make.

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Almond Joy Chia Pudding

1 cup Almond Milk
1/2 cup Chia Seeds
1/3 cup Cacao Powder
4 tbsp honey
1/3 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Pinch Salt

Mix milk, honey, and cacao powder. Add chia, coconut, and a pinch of salt. Allow to set in the fridge overnight or for 6hrs. You can enjoy this all by itself of you can add it to fresh bananas, nuts, whatever you like..for a healthy snack or dessert!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

For as healthy as I am, I have only recently gotten on the Chia bandwagon. With a few more weddings around the corner, and lots of craziness the last couple weeks, I have been in desperate need of an extra boost – both in energy and in my diet. Chia seeds are a fabulous source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, a multitude of trace minerals, fiber and antioxidants!

While I have always been a huge fan of the ‘Immortal Health Elixir’ known as Kombucha, the ones with Chia seeds in them freaked me out! Kombucha is loaded with probiotics, amino acids and electrolytes so I didn’t see the need to add something else in the mix.

I always thought mixing in Chia seeds was the weirdest thing but when I read that allowing seeds to sit in liquid to form a gelatinous layer allows for slower digestion/break down of the carbohydrates, I decided to stop being such a baby and give it a try!

While I can’t say I am in love with this whole textured drink thing -something I am sure you have to get used to – I like the flavor and how full a feel after just a few sips.

The health benefits are endless and you can put them in almost anything. Unlike the more popular flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be ground/broken down in order to receive all the amazing benefits. And while this may not be the driving force behind my consumption, they’re said to have amazing weight loss benefits (likely from the full feeling you get from even the smallest amount).

Start chia chillin and see how you feel!!

Enjoy!