My skin is not a happy camper lately.
I don’t know what’s up, but I know it’s ticked off. Angry. Inflamed. What’s the problem? That, my friends, is anyone’s guess. When a girl has puffy, itchy eyes and rashes on her face, it’s time to slow down and pay attention. If you’ve ever been the detective for your own strange skin reactions, you know just how daunting this process can be. Everything is questioned.
Not surprisingly, my family doctor suggested an allergy elimination diet and to examine my environment for possible culprits. I’ve switched our detergents, soaps, shampoos, and I’ve retired make-up for the time being. That was the easy part. The elimination diet and food journaling, on the other hand, are proving to be rather difficult as a recipe developer. It’s my worst nightmare actually.
Of course, skin flare ups could be from a billion things, including stress. I’m a big fan of stress-relieving practices, but I’m not so good at carrying them out in my own life. When life gets crazy and deadlines are looming, I often left my own health slide in the process. I know I’ve said it a million and one times, but I need to work on this.
As I’m leaving my doctor’s office she says, “Above all, DO NOT stress about the rashes. Stress is the absolute worst thing for your skin.”
[Is it just me or do you get more stressed out when someone tells you not to stress? ahh]
She’s so right though. I need to take a chill pill.
Of course, breakfast is a natural way to start the day on the right foot. I’m a big fan of breakfasts that can be made in advance, such as Green Monsters (just give them a good stir in the morning), raw buckwheat porridge, vegan overnight oats, and this chia pudding. Even though they take just a few minutes to throw together before bed, I’d fallen out of the habit of prepping them. But man oh man, it makes such a difference to wake up to a nutritious breakfast ready to be enjoyed!
The recipe below makes 2 servings so you can share it with a loved one or wrap up the leftovers for your next craving, which if you are like me won’t be far off.
Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl
Yield
Serves 2
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
I like mashed banana in this because it thickens the mixture while adding a lot of volume. If you aren’t a banana fan, you can omit it, but you might need to reduce the milk and I also suggest adding in your own sweetener or other fruit in its place. This porridge is especially creamy when made with Homemade Almond Milk. The thickness of the chia pudding will vary based on the kind of almond milk you use, so you can add more if necessary. If your pudding is too thin for you liking you can add more chia seeds and let it sit for 10 more minutes. Finally, if you aren’t a fan of the tapioca-like texture of chia seed pudding, try blending it until smooth.
Ingredients
Chia mixture
- 4 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 – 1.25 cups almond milk (it’s great made with Homemade Almond Milk)
- 2 small bananas, chopped small
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- two pinches of cinnamon
Toppings
- 2 tbsp raw buckwheat groats, soaked
- 2 tbsp raisins, soaked
- 2 tbsp whole raw almonds, chopped and soaked
- couples pinches of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp hemp seed
Directions
- Mash bananas in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in chia seeds. Whisk in the almond milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Place in fridge overnight to thicken. You can add more almond milk if you want to thin it out in the morning. Or, if it’s too thin, add more chia seeds to thicken it up.
- Add buckwheat groats, raisins, and chopped almonds into another bowl. Cover in water and soak overnight in the fridge or on the counter.
- In the morning, place your desired amount of chia pudding into a bowl. (Note: at this point, you can blend your chia pudding if a smooth texture is desired, but I don’t bother). Drain and rinse the buckwheat/almond/raisin mixture. Sprinkle on top of chia mixture along with a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of hemp seeds. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Have you ever dealt with a strange skin reaction or allergy? What did you do?
Hi Angela!
I have dealt with reoccurring rashes on my skin in the past and they resulted from stress and food sensitivities. Putting the stress beast aside, figuring out the sensitivities with the elimination diet was not a good plan for me. It’s a very long process and it is so restrictive. It kind of messed up my psychology around eating for a while. I believe you live in the Toronto area so if I could suggest one thing it would be to see Dr. Jason Lee (Naturopathic Dr in Oakville). He was able to detect (he was more accurate than a 200$ test I had done by another ND) and clear my sensitivities. The results are instant and it was worth my 5 hour drive to see him. If you are looking for topical relief, I recommend Florasone Cream – it is a natural homeopathic cream. I have very sensitive skin and had seen countless MDs prior to seeking/knowing about NDs and nothing worked as well as this. I know how it feels and I am wishing you clear skin soon!
Agreed – Jason is awesome! I’m a big believer in the BIE method of allergy clearing that he uses. The results are very revealing and tell you much more than any blood test would. I have severe allergy and eczema issues and this is the only method that has worked for me (and believe me – I’ve tried it all!).
Yum – having chia in the morning keeps me SO full for so long, it always surprises me!
I used to have bad acne and eczema, but it all went away when I cut out dairy :) But recently I got a red itchy rash on my face after taking antibiotics, and it turned out to be a candida problem that took nearly a year to get rid of! The antibiotics were necessary (I had pneumonia) but it really sucked. I am actually grateful for the experience now though, because it caused me to really look at my diet and eliminate a lot of not so great stuff…mainly I don’t eat any refined sugar, and limit the natural sugars as well. My skin has never been better, and I feel great! Good luck to you!
I’m sorry to hear about your skin, I wish you a speedy recovery! I used to have very bad back pain and acne due to stress until I read Healing Back Pain – The Mind Body Connection by Dr. John Sarno. I found out it was stress because I tried everything you could imagine with little to no results. Anyway, now I no longer have back pain and when I get stressed I have small flare ups with acne. After reading the above book, I went to counselling which really improved how I managed and approached stressful situations. I continue to work on certain issues but it has done wonders for me.
I sincerely wish you the best! <3
Being that the usual culprits are dairy and wheat it does make things more difficult to pinpoint it! Is there anything you eat a lot? Sometimes these are the food we develop an intolerance too over time. If it’s a food that is causing it you only need to eliminate it 2 weeks to then test it out and then even if you have an intolerance after 6 months the antibodies should be gone and most of the time people can tolerate it in small amounts.
I have a big problem with periodic dry, crazy itchy hands. I have been wondering, of late, when something is causing some sort of physical problem, why we and/or our doctors always seem to want to eliminate things. Perhaps the problem is quite the opposite and its something we are lacking. Although I don’t believe that we need the amount of protein found in the average North American diet, vegans and vegetarians need to be vigilant and its easy not to be. Skin rashes, which may be accompanied by dry or flaking skin can be a symptom of a protein deficiency.
Also for some, too much fat (good fat) is eliminated from the diet causing dry skin. So I think, for myself, as a vegetarian, and upon examination of my recent eating habits, I will up the ante on the protein for awhile and maybe add a protein powder to a smoothie with some Udo Omega 3-6-9 oil and see how my hands fare……..
have you seen a dermatologist ? i recommend getting a referral from your doctor. a dermatologist accurately defined ny skin condition (rosacea) and treatment.
Hi there!
It sounds like a lot of others have weighed in, but I wanted to too!
I am a pretty healthy eater overall, and I drink loads of water however a couple of months ago my skin started to freak out, very similarly to what you are saying. “How can I have bad skin when I do all the “right” things!?” I thought to myself. And the more I stressed, the worse it got- just as you said!
I had to go through my own deductions and realized a couple things- the cold winter rweather required me to change my cleanser to something much more moisturizing than I had ever used. Additionally, I started applying coconut oil to my face at night to help even further moisturize my face even more. As weird as it sounds, even neosporin on broken out areas helped. I also worked to get plenty of sleep to help with the repair process.
Finally, through consistent food tracking I realized how low my daily fat intake was. I follow a vegetarian diet, and pretty close to vegan with the exception of whey protein. I knew I struggled to eat healthy fath, but through tracking I realized just how low my intake really was. Upping healthy fats really seemed to help too.
Looks like now in my “old” age (almost 30!) I will have two skincare regimines, one for summer, and one for winter.
You will have to keep us updated on what helps!
Hi Angela, I’m going through the same thing as you right now. :( After my hot yoga session yesterday, I came home with rashes all over my face and neck. Not a pretty sight! I think my sugar intake has been quite high over the past week and heat from yoga just caused all these rashes to come out. What I’m doing right now is drinking lots of water and applying hydrocortisone to affected area multiple times a day! I’m also drinking herbal tea I got from an oriental doctor and taking Reactine allergy pill 2 times a day! My skin is definitely not as red and itchy as yesterday… but I’m hoping my skin clears up tomorrow for work. I hope your skin heals ASAP. Update us how you are treating your skin! :)
Hi Angela,
I’ve dealt with the exact same problem…red, itchy, swollen, peeling eyelids…about 7 years ago. I finally found relief/healing with NAET (Nambudripad’s allergy elimination technique) I’m sure you could find a practitioner in the Toronto area. I had to drive 7 hours, but it was well worth it! My allergies are gone (for the most part…still try to avoid dairy) and I can’t recommend it enough. I’d tried the elimination diets but nothing seemed to help. I was reacting to so many different foods and environmental substances that I never could have figured it out on my own.
Ugh – no fun! Been there, feel your pain. Hopefully you find something out sooner than later!
I’m reading this post very much in empathy. My skin has been problem free almost all my life, and has now decided to play up and come out in weird dry patches. I’ve been looking for things I can eat more of (maybe a lack of something in my diet was causing it, I thought) rather than too much of something, but I kind of think doing things the other way round makes sense too. Luckily, I have a bag of chia I’ve been wondering what to do with…
Sorry that you are going through quite a time of it with your skin. I’ve been there. I could email you about things that come to mind if you’d like. Just write back and I’ll fill you in on email.
As for this pudding, love it. And I havent made chia pudding in years – need to change that.
And I think this is perhaps some of your best, most beautiful food styling and use of props, light, and composition ever. I love the opening pic especially!
Hello Angela,
I have chronic hand eczema and it always flares up this time of year when the snow melts and they have to add additional chlorine to our water supply. I smell the chlorine when taking a shower/bath and my heart sinks… I just know I will be itchy all over and my hands will be raw for weeks. I was prescribed a strong steroid cream for the eczema on my hands, but I rarely use it because I’m worried about side effects. Dishsoap also makes it worse. I’ve tried using “natural” soaps, but the difference is minimal. Anyway, I hope that you figure out what’s bothering your skin. I’m in Canada (closer to the West coast) too, so I thought I might share the snow melt/chlorine anecdote.
I have been struggling with skin issues for the past 4 months. (jaw line breakouts which is hormonal) I decided to go off Birth control which I know is the calprut and my body is having a hard time detoxing all the crap leftover from the pill. I am a vegan who eats well and takes care of my body, and can fully understand how stressful it is to have to deal with problem skin.
I have been taking a natural hormone balancer and drinking lots of hot water and lemon first thing in the morning to help with cleansing the liver. It just takes time
So glad you posted about this! My skin just started acting up out of nowhere too and I was like, what?! why!? The elimination diet sounds like sooo much effort but I’ve been taking no makeup days and remembering my vitamins (finally haha) so hopefully that helps!
xoalyne ( coming from http://alyneandcameron.blogspot.com/ )
Hi Angela,
I’ve been researching buckwheat because I’ve been eating alot of it recently in Buckwheat Krispies Treats. Apparently, it can cause rashes if consumed on a daily basis. Just Google buckwheat and rashes and you’ll find the info. I’ve been eating it daily and haven’t broken out, but I’m keeping a close eye on it. I hope this helps. Rashes are no fun. Best, Marya
I hope you skin feels better soon. I am in the process of taking things out of my diet too. It seems my tummy has decided to be angry with everything I eat lately. Not cool being I need to feed myself to survive;) BTW Gorgeous pictures as always. I often visit your sight just to appreciate your photography skills! What sort of tea is brewing in the picture?
I’ve been struggling with acne flare-ups since coming to Canada, but all my life I’ve never been able to figure out why it’s sometimes terrible, and other times barely noticeable. I tend to just shrug and get on with it, but that doesn’t help during the moments when I don’t want to go out in public! Sending you thoughts of calm and healing, both for yourself and naughtily because I’d love to benefit from what you figure out! ;) xoxo
Angela,
Vitamin E oil from health food store worked better than prescriptions from dermatologist for my facial rash.