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Thursday, February 11, 2016

Shakeology Chia Pudding

I think being cold hurts.

Hurts like being punched all over. Each November I kiss the feeling in my feet goodbye until March, and grouse about how unfair and awful the winter is. I seek solace in one of three places: the shower, my car, and underneath my electric blanket. I can only imagine what might happen if I lived north of the Red River...

For my birthday, my sister was moved to sent me a tank top she saw at Old Navy. I modeled it for her in this picture:


When winter rolls around, about the last thing I want to do is drink a giant, frosty Shakeology for breakfast.

There is a time and place for an icy Shakeology. Winter in Texas is not one of them.
However, I am committed to having my healthiest meal of the day every day (six years running!), so when I discovered the meal I'm about to share with you, I was ecstatic.

It's Shakeology Chia Pudding.

But first! A primer on chia seeds.

Perhaps chia rings a bell? Perhaps you remember that they used to be "pets"?

These are the same chia seeds. But now we know that, in addition to an interesting conversation piece on your mantel, they are also a nutritional powerhouse!

Chia Seeds In A Bowl

Here are the stats:

Chia seeds are rich in fiber, omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins and minerals such as 

Dietary fiber (11g – 42% recommended daily value)
Protein (4.4g – 9% RDV)
Omega-3 fatty acids (4915 mg)
Omega-6 fatty acids (1620 mg)
Calcium (77 mg – 18% RDV)
Copper (0.1 mg – 3% RDV)
Phosphorus (265 mg – 27% RDV)
Potassium (44.8 mg – 1% RDV)
Zinc (1.0 mg – 7% RDV)

Chia also contains essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, Vitamins A, B, E, and D, and minerals including sulphur, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, niacin, thiamine, and they are a rich source of anti-oxidants.

Sounds like a good way to start the day to me!

You can get chia seeds at virtually any grocery store, as they have become really popular. You can sprinkle them on salads and in smoothies, but it's important to know that chia seeds soak up liquid and expand. The best way to use them (particularly in the pudding I'm sharing today) is to soak them for at least 20 minutes, but preferably overnight.

Here's what we do: get a small mason jar and spoon in six tablespoons of dry chia seeds. Fill the mason jar with water to about 3/4 full. Let the seeds soak overnight in the fridge. They will stay fresh for about a week, and each chia pudding uses about one heaping tablespoon of the soaked seeds. I'd estimate that we get about 8-10 tablespoons of soaked seeds from the jar. Remembering to soak the seeds is the hardest thing about chia pudding...and that's not so hard, is it?

Okay, now to the good stuff. Shakeology chia pudding. What I love so much about this recipe is its versatility. If you like fruity, make it fruity. If you want chocolate pudding, make it chocolate. I'm going to give you the base recipe and some of my favorite variations. Here's what you need at the very least:

- 1 heaping TB soaked chia seeds
- 1 scoop Shakeology, any flavor
- Fruit, any kind (optional)
- Liquid (water, milk of any kind), amount varies

That's the bare minimum, but we tend to go nuts with this. Here's how I like to do it:

Apple Pumpkin Shakeology Chia Pudding
- 1 heaping TB soaked chia seeds
- 1 scoop vanilla Shakeology
- 1 diced apple (cooked by itself in microwave for 1:30)
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
- Cinnamon
- 1TB flax seeds
- 1 TB hemp seeds
- Water (mixed in slowly until I reach a pudding-y consistency)
- 3 TB walnuts on top

Oh...My mouth is watering thinking about it. I seriously think I need an intervention. Here's another one.

Chocolate Berry Shakeology Chia Pudding
- 1 heaping TB soaked chia seeds
- 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
- 1 cup frozen strawberries and blueberries, thawed in microwave
- Cinnamon
- 1TB flax seeds
- 1 TB hemp seeds
- 1 TB cacao nibs
- Water (mixed in slowly until I reach a pudding-y consistency)
- 3 TB walnuts on top

Not only does it taste amazing, but it does not leave me feeling cold from the inside out. You have to try this! And if you're not already drinking ingesting the healthiest meal of the day, please do yourself (and us!) a favor by ordering a month's supply here. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, so the only risk is that you'll come through a month a healthier person. 

Cheers!

Workout of the Day
P90X3 Decelerator

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Sport Wedding Bands

Confession 1: I really only wear my wedding ring if I dress up.

Confession 2: I rarely "dress up." We're talking one or two days a week, usually church and home school co-op day.

I feel kind of bad about it. I mean, Zach spent a pretty penny on those rings and we've got 13 years going over here...I ought to represent! But I don't really like wearing jewelry that much, I don't like getting my pretty ring dirty with the messes I make in the kitchen, and I inevitably scratch one of the kids in the face whenever I have it on.

At Christmas Zach mentioned he'd like to get a sport wedding band that he could wear while training. It's basically just a piece of rubber that isn't going to get tarnished or broken, or hooked on a piece of metal and tear off a digit. I'm for all those things, so I got him one. And it was so cool, I bought one for myself, too!


Zach's (black) is a BULZi brand ring (order on Amazon here) and mine (gray) is a ThunderFit brand (order on Amazon here). 

What I like about my ring is that it's comfy, and I can wear it anytime, anywhere. I don't care if it gets chicken guts or chicken poop on it (both very real possibilities). It will not maim anyone's face, and I can wear it while working out. Both rings were really cheap, so it's been funny to hear the amount of comments both of us have gotten about them. People are surprised when I tell them it's just rubber. 

I've heard of hard-core exercisers getting tattoo wedding "bands" instead of wearing a ring. If you're anti-tattoo, I think this is a good alternative! Personally, I'm glad for the chance to represent even when I'm not "dressed up." 

Workout of the Day
Yoga Camp with Adriene Day 4

I know, I know! I haven't posted about how our Ultimate Reset ended up. I will soon. It's just that things haven't changed much since it "ended." I'm eating many of the same meals, still drinking a gallon of water a day, and still feeling AWESOME. It was a great experience.