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.
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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?
When I was little I was always a big tapioca pudding fan and this looks just like that but far more nutritious!!! I can’t wait to give this a try, great breakfast idea : )
I’m not allergic to nuts, but my skin sure doesnt like them anymore… Which was a completely random change. All my life I snacked on them non problem and then bam two years ago I started buying the Trader Joe’s “Raw Mixed Fancy Nuts” by the handful and right away my skin went crazy. I have noticed coconut, sunbutter and other oily nut butters (including peanut butter) would always cause me to break out shortly after. And have very oily large pores. Have you already tried eliminating nuts? I know soaking them helps with the acne thing for me at least, but probably not all store bought nut butters, almond flour etc. are soaking their nuts before making their products. Just a thought… hope this helps :)
Hi Angela, I really love this post. I’m a huge fan of chia seeds :) I first learned about them from reading the book Born to Run. I love that book. That’s where I learned that my feet are hurting because I’m not running barefoot! Now I use Vibram Five Finger shoes. I use chia seeds in a lot of my food especially my breakfast shakes :) They are loaded with Omega’s! Thanks for sharing!
HI Angela,
I really enjoy your website. I was wondering if you could suggest a replacement for bananas in this recipe. I was advised by my acupuncturist not to eat, they really slow down my digestion.
I really hope you find out what is causing your skin reaction.
thank you,
Joanne
This was SO amazingly good!! I made it up last night and I can probably get 3 servings out of it. I heated it up in the microwave for 1 min. added a Tb. of peanut butter and some walnuts for a banana peanut butter nut bowl! Yummy!
I just made this and absolutely loved it. I added fresh blueberries and whole raw almonds as toppings. I also skipped the vanilla extract and added extra almond milk to thin it out a bit. YUM.
Thanks for posting this awesome recipe, Angela!
Love this recipe! I have been adding chia seeds to EVERYTHING lately!
I hear ya- I have allergie issues plus living in L.A. SMOG I might add !! and my skin totally gets a beating. Plus then you hear everything under the sun on what it could be!
Just know it is a phase. ;)
I had a similar skin problem about 6 years ago. The skin around my nose and mouth got really dry, red, and inflammed. It happened during the winter time so I associated it with the weather. Now that I look back I was really stressed at the time. I also had an allergic reaction to soap around the same time and got hives all over my body. I’m not sure if the two were associated or not. Eventually it cleared up and went away. Knock on wood that it never returns. I hope your skin clears up soon. I know how frustrating it can be.
I can totally relate! Growing up I would get seasonal itchy patches on my feet that would flare up and drive me crazy but when I turned 30 and had some stress with my business the rashes went up my legs and settled around my mouth. It’s irritating, red, inflamed and I get fevers frequently. As others have mentioned I got blood tests done for allergies and came back with eggs, dairy and almonds being very high. But with further research I found that the test can change drastically depending on when you get your blood drawn and the allergens can change based on what you’re eating. I also didn’t want to give up eggs & dairy so I went on the GAPS diet to heal my gut and have had great success while following it. Now I’ve modified it to make it fit my current lifestyle a little better. The main thing I think that has caused my allergies is having a leaky gut that was caused by a bad case of food poisoning while traveling/stress/eating some GMO foods.
I am so surprised that someone with such a healthy and restrictive diet would have a food allergy?
Everyone says they love your blog, and I don’t want to be repetitive, but… YUM!
Tons of other people also say they’ve had skin problems their whole life, and sadly I’m with them on that too. I’ve had the DRIEST skin I’ve ever seen. I’m talking cracking, aching, flaking, uncomfortable skin. I recently discovered NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques), and for the first time EVER my skin feels and looks good- without crazy amounts of who-knows-what-is-in-this lotion. I did start using all natural lotions, week-long juice fasts, flax seed, fish oils, coconut oils, etc., etc about 3 years ago, but since addressing allergy issues I never knew I had in the past year I am finally seeing the new healthy stuff grown in!
That said, I respect anybody that choses to do elimination diets for their own reasons, but forced elimination? No. That is just not right. NAET is totally non-invasive. It uses western techniques (breathing and accupressure) to eliminate allergies. No joke. I hope you look into it:)
Hello Angela,
I had the same problem a few months ago. I stumbled across an Ayurvedic line called Kama that sells cold pressed pure Aloe Vera juice as a toner. I started applying it twice a day after cleansing and all of the patches of rough skin went away. Ive been so happy with the effects of aloe vera that I’ve found another line called Santaverde that makes high quality / natural aloe vera based creams. My diet also needed a rehaul (too much sugar) but pure unheated aloe vera got rid of the patchiness in about 4 days. I think I’m hooked for life! Good luck sorting through everything. I hope my tip helps!
This bowl looks like my chia seeds want to be transformed into it. I love the toppings you used in your photos as well. Absolute deliciousness ^^.
And good luck with your skin problems.
I sometimes get red spots on my face, that look like nasty pimples, but that actually stay for less than 3 minutes and then mysteriously disappear. I fear their origin might be an allergy as well, but until nothing worst happens I won’t get myself a test, because if somebody actually tells you that you are allergic I would be so much more nervous about these little spots.
And it really IS much harder to relax if somebody tells you to do so ;)
Nora
Proper food combining to aid digestion is a skinsaver! Also, grinding the chia seeds will make them alot easier to digest (store them in freezer). I suffer from rosacea flushing and acne when I mis-combine foods or eat something difficult to digest. Food combining=eat fruit alone, proteins separate from carbs, etc. (read “Beauty Detox Solution” by Kimberly Snyder). Digestive enzymes also made a world of difference! When I do hatha yoga/acupuncture/epsom baths my skin and mindset are calmer from the relaxation!
p.s. you’re an amazing cook and person..hope these tips work for ya!
Over the last several years, I have experienced dry, red, irritated eyelids to the point where I couldn’t apply make up – but only in the winter. The doctors could not cure it or give me anything that would make it better. I changed my diet to vegetarian and it cured it right then and there. I also noticed it cured my seasonal allergies as well. Now, since you don’t eat meat I am unsure what is causing your allergy but I can recommend one moisturizer that is truly amazing that I discovered myself – from the brand Fresh – Creme Ancienne – I cannot say enough about this product. It was created by monks for burn victims, it is the richest most gentle moisturizer I have ever used. Within one use you will notice an improvement. I keep it on hand for emergency situations if I start to notice any signs around my eye of getting dry in the winter!
LOVE the breakfast bowl! In the morning I topped it with ground flaxseed, almonds, blueberries and sunflower seeds. Thank you!!!!!!!
So glad to hear that Melissa!
I just got into Chia seeds, thanks for this great recipe, I’m becoming a pre-prepared breakfast person and loving it! Thanks!
hey angela, this bowl looks heavenly….I love ur blog and i love love almost all the foods u make :-))…You are such an inspiring woman for me to be a vegan and my husband loves all the recipes i make out from ur blog…..thanks a ton….I sometimes have difficulty in adapting recipes from other blogs but boy ur blog is exactly what i wanted in my daily
life :-))….no substitutions needed :-))….thanks for all ur hard work…and hey i absolutely fell in love with the bowl that u used in this pic…looks like an iron one…can u pls tell me where did u bought it from? its beautiful :-))…
Thank you so much for your kind words! The cast iron bowls are from Kitchen Stuff Plus (I think!) take care
[ Smiles ] I have never indulged in chia-seeds for breakfast, but I am willing to try new things. Let’s hope that it goes down well.
By the way, thank you for sharing this recipe!
I made chia pussing with coconut once and it was delish! This looks soo good :)
Hi Angela,
I love your blog! You are so creative with your writing & recipes:)
You may want to try putting some Coconut Oil on your skin ( if you havent given it a try). Since it is a medium chain fatty acid it is better for you (you know that). Also, it contains anti-microbial properties that are great for your skin. I use it as a moisturizer everyday.
I suffered from acne and allergies until I was 31. After suffering for many years I was finally tested and found out I was allergic to gluten. That has done wonders for my digestive tract and skin.
I make some homemade lotions for my friends and family. My husband who suffers from Eczema has been using a product that is a staple in our home, Moringa Oil. We love it:) It’s my secret ingredient:) Give it a try. The last thing you want to do is get over the counter or prescribed medicine for your face. Go natural:)
Good luck to you. Keep up the great work!
Smiles,
Liz