Holiday Chia Pudding & Monday Things

Good evening!

I am back again with a Monday blog post from the comfort of my couch. Last night at this time I was at spin class, but I am taking it easy on myself and decided to forgo spinning tonight. I will tell you why later on, but needless to say my legs need a bit of a rest!

Last week I did some experimenting in the kitchen. I had watched a few YouTube videos online about new breakfast ideas to try - not that I will ever stray (far) away from my morning oatmeal, but sometimes it's nice to switch things up and keep the palate guessing.

I created a chia pudding that is perfect for the holidays! I mean, it doesn't beat waffles on Christmas morning by any means, but it incorporates a few holiday-esque flavours that are always fun to try when Christmas is around the corner.

You will need:

3 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup eggnog
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Add the chia seeds and spices into a mason jar, then add the wet ingredients. Shake it well to mix everything up, and seal it tightly in your fridge overnight. The chia seeds will expand as they absorb the liquid, creating a pudding-like consistency.

It will look something like this:

In the morning, pour the contents into a small pot or saucepan and heat up. I added a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, more cinnamon, and a small chopped banana on top. You can get creative with your toppings! Other options include: berries, hemp seeds, sliced almonds or other nuts, coconut, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips if you prefer to start the day with some sweetness!

Chia seeds are a good source of calcium, manganese & phosphorus. They are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids!

Since Mondays are actually my Sundays, I slept in and took it easy this morning. This meant lounging in bed looking at social media before finally getting up to have my morning water. I always start my day with about a litre of water, just to refresh and hydrate myself before the day begins. While my oatmeal cooked away on the stove, I made some coffee and opened up my laptop. Yesterday afternoon I finished this week's layout in my planner, so today I started to fill things in to see how the week was shaping up. Today didn't include any major plans, which left lots of time to putter at home and go for a long run after breakfast!

Since it has been POURING all day, I knew I would be miserable if I hit the pavement (or the soggy trails). So, I went downstairs to my trusty ol' treadmill and completed 8.3 miles (13.35km) while watching some fitness and beauty YouTube videos to help pass the time. My weekly mileage goal is 25 this week, so adding a little bit more onto my runs this week will help me achieve that goal.

After my run was done and I was showered, I ran a few errands before coming home and starting on my final fitness theory quiz. Once I have this finished and marked, then I can take the exam and register with the BCRPA! Slowly but surely it's all coming together, and it makes me excited to think of the new endeavor. Lots of opportunity, so we'll see where it takes me.

Boredom eventually set in around 4:00pm, so I figured I would head to the gym and skip spin class. As much as I love spin class, it makes for a long night because I get home at 8:30pm and I'm pretty much ready for bed as soon as I walk in the door. Anyway, I ended up running another 2.1 miles (3.37km), bringing my total running miles to 10.4 (16.7 km). Needless to say my legs are quite tired and not in spin mode! While at the gym I also completed a shoulder work out that included the shoulder press machine, front and lateral raises, shoulder presses w/ dumbbells and cable pulley, as well as some tricep and chest work. I felt good on the way home knowing that I challenged myself more tonight and had quite an active day on the work out front! It's important to focus on making small improvements each session, whether it's slightly increasing your weight, doing one more rep, etc. You cannot change if you do not at least lean outside of your comfort zone. After all, outside of your comfort zone is where change happens!

I hope you all had a great weekend & we will talk soon!