June 2017 – The Wandering Vegan

After a morning of Body Combat, coffee with my mum, a relaxing facial and grocery shopping, I decided to make a yummy Saturday treat. Behold, my matcha chia seed pudding!

Not only are these tiny seeds a fantastic source of omega 3, they are very versatile and can be used in so many dishes. Chia seed pudding is my go-to sweet delight. Quick and simple to make, with so many flavour combos! Matcha is a basically a powder of concentrated green tea leaves. It has a distinct flavour and isn’t for everyone but I am absolutely obsessed with it. Matcha powder can be expensive but I managed to buy a few packets when I was in Thailand. You can find it in most health food shops or Asian supermarkets. Make sure to find one that isn’t mixed with sugar or other unnecessary ingredients.

The fruit took centre stage in this shot!

You will need :

-1/2 cup of chia seeds (I used a black and white mix but any will do)

-1 cup of plant based milk

-2 tsp of matcha powder

-1 tsp of stevia or an alternate sweetener

-1/2 punnet of strawberries

-1/2 an apple

Method:

Mix the chia seeds, matcha and stevia together with a spoon. Pour in the milk and stir until everything is mixed together.
Set in the fridge for 5 minutes.
Stir the pudding again. If it is too thick, then add more milk. If it is too runny, then add more chia seeds. Leave in the fridge for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you could prepare this the night before and have it for brekkie the next morning.
Slice strawberries in half length ways and cut the apple into thin slices.
Arrange the chia pudding which ever way you like. I like to create layers with the chia seed mix and the fruit. You can make it simple or be as creative and insta worthy as you like.
Find a sunny spot, lay back and enjoy this healthy treat.

I have been MIA lately, in fact 2 months out of action on the blog. So much has been going on, from recovering from extensive surgery to taking over a Year 6 class at my old school here in Perth. It has been an emotional rollercoaster to say the least but over the recent long weekend I experienced an event that was life changing.

Dr Kat is dubbed the Oprah of body confidence and oh my gosh does she live up to that title. The Canadian sweetheart first came to my attention when she was featured on a Jungle Body insta page. I first met in her person when she ran a short session at a pilates studio in South Perth. She shared her raw and relatable story with her issues with eating disorders and body confidence. Dr Kat did not hold back and she made me feel normal! That I wasn’t the only one who was suffering.

So, after that short session I enrolled in her Body Confidence retreat which ran for 2 days at Perth Zoo. Nervously, I walked into the conference room to be greeted by a wall of flowers, goodie bags and a comforting hug from Dr Kat. Immediately I felt at ease and began to chat to the other women at my table. Over the next 2 days I was challenged to question why I repeat certain behaviours when it comes to controlling the types of food I eat and how I approach exercise. We delved deep into our ‘whys’ and were able to ‘fart’ the issues and aches we felt in our hearts to those around us. Dr Kat is real, authentic and so caring. She isn’t selling a product or a quick fix. The aim is to change our mind set to one where we appreciate our bodies and follow the 7 pillars to help us become healthy, inside and out.

Was it confronting? Yes.

Was it a struggle? Yes.

To be honest, when I came home after the first day I broke down and felt even worse about myself. It has taken a couple of weeks, but I am slowly processing what I learned over those intense two days and am making small changes to my life.

I feel as women we can be so hard on ourselves and put so much pressure to fit into the what society deems as ‘acceptable’. We need to be kinder to each other but most of all to ourselves. For more information go to Dr Kat’s website.

Thank you Dr Kat xx