How to Make Chia Pudding

I wanted to share with you all my current obsession, something I literally cannot live without! Every Sunday night, I make a batch of Chia Pudding for the week and it's completely changed my mornings. Naturally, I'm not a big breakfast eater. I love to move my body first thing in the morning, then get on with my day, so typically I'll go until 12 or 1pm without eating. I'll have a glass of warm water with lemon, followed by a green smoothie or green juice, then get caught up in my day and forget to eat until the afternoon. I felt pretty good, but never great, and intuitively knew that my body needed something different to function at a higher level. Yoga has taught me so much about listening to my body and being present and aware of its changes. Over the last few years (and especially in the last few months since turning 29), I noticed that my digestion had been getting worse and worse. I experienced frequent stomach aches, food sensitivities and just an overall feeling of being bloated and weighed down. I started asking my girlfriends and yoga students what their morning food routine looked like. To my surprise, I found that most women I talked to had similar digestion issues and often went until 1 or 2pm in the day, subsisting solely on coffee.

Then, as luck would have it, my assistant Rozy and I were prepping to lead a 3 day bachelorette party yoga retreat in Mexico for 10 women and brainstorming healthy breakfast options. I picked custom Acai Bowls for the first morning and Rozy suggested Chia Pudding for the second morning. She explained to me that they are super simple to make, easy to prepare in bulk and packed full of FIBER, which women can never get enough of. It would be the perfect Sunday morning breakfast to help them digest all the delicious food, wine, and tequila from the weekend!

source: a million miless

After trying Chia Pudding for the first time on our yoga retreat in Baja Mexico, I was ready to start incorporating it into my life at home. The Sunday night that we got home, I made my first batch and ate it throughout the week. Almost immediately, I started feeling better in my body, like everything was moving around again, as it should. My favorite part is that it's portable and easy to take on the road, which I need for my lifestyle. Now, every Sunday night, it's become my ritual to take 5 mason jars, make my Chia Pudding for the week, then grab and go when I head out on Monday morning.

Here's my super simple recipe for a single serving -- 

• 1 mason jar
• Fill up 1/2 way with milk of your choice
  (I use unsweetened Hemp Milk, but can also use: Almond milk, Coconut, milk, etc.)
• Pour in 1/3 cup of chia seeds, stir vigorously for 30 seconds 
• Put mason jar lid on, seal up, leave in refrigerator overnight
• Take out in the morning, then add toppings of your choice.

My favorite toppings this month are: a spoonful of local honey, then add banana or blueberries, then sprinkle local bee pollen and cinnamon on top.

source: yummy-healthy-easy

source: sweet sugar bean

From chocolate to walnuts to passion fruit to figs, the options are limitless, and can be modified to utilize ingredients honoring every season of the year. Need more inspiration? Click here to learn 22 Easy and Delicious Chia Pudding Recipes.

Do you have your own special recipe or favorite toppings? Comment below and share your secret sauce with us!