What could be better than a chia chocolate pudding that not only delights your taste buds, but also soothes your stomach? Whether you have digestive troubles or simply want a tasty and nutritious treat, this dairy-free chia chocolate pudding is a must-make.
Do you have a favourite snotty food? Let me be more polite. Do you have a favourite mucilaginous food? If you’ve never encountered this term before, mucilaginous foods are incredible for healing the digestive tract. It makes perfect sense that mucilage would help to heal a mucus membrane, which is what lines our insides from top to bottom.
Some common mucilaginous foods are:
The somewhat slimy, goopy factor of these foods is their exact power. They promote digestive healing and are gentle, nourishing and soothing to the mucous membranes and cells of the intestines. They are calming and can reduce or ease pain.
When I was healing from Crohn’s disease, I relied on mucilaginous foods regularly. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) involve ulcerations and inflammation throughout the digestive tract. The challenge we have with IBD and IBS is often that our digestive tracts are so angry that they are unable to properly absorb nutrition from the foods we eat, and perpetuate the growth of the bad bacteria that are implicated in the onset and flare of such conditions. We need that nutrition: all those vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and phytonutrients to heal and repair. The first step then, of course, is to stop that anger cycle and begin to heal.
The Health Benefits of Mucilaginous Foods
Think of how awesome aloe feels when applied to a burn. Now imagine that soothing action happening to the hot, hot, heat of intestinal irritation and inflammation. Suddenly those snotty foods are looking pretty great, right?
An added benefit of these slimy foods is often the power pack of nutrition they offer. Aloe, for example, is also anti viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory – all important factors when trying to heal. Now there has been some debate, largely among the GAPS diet followers, regarding mucilagenous polysaccharides and that the slime factor hampers digestion and the growth of beneficial gut flora. I do believe, however, that as long as you are not in an acute-flare stage, they are monumentally healing.
The healing power of these mucilaginous polysaccharides include:
Helps stop the bleeding, damage and leakage of the intestine wall.
Relieves autoimmune response and allergic conditions.
Helps to effectively balance and restore proper immune system function.
Reduce inflammation: very strong anti-inflammatory agent.
Encourages and increases the tissue healing process.
Prevents the production of to much stomach acids, which lead to heartburn, acid reflux disease or gastro esophageal reflux disease known as GERD.
Maintains or correct fluid levels within the colon after continued use, eliminating both diarrhea and constipation.
Helping all the body’s systems work together as they should: proper digestion, absorption of foods and nutrients are no longer a problem.
Protects and encourages healthy flora in the digestive tract.
Controls chronic yeast growth to ensure that normal healthy flora may remain.
Chia Chocolate Pudding: The Benefits
There are so many things to love about this chia chocolate pudding, both flavour-wise and nutritionally. Some of the awesome ingredients here include:
Chia seeds. These are mucilaginous, rich in protein, fibre, anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, calcium, iron, magnesium and antioxidants.
Coconut milk. This beneficial fat is fantastic for the nervous system and has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. You can discover 12 delicious ways to use it here.
Raw cacao. Cacao is extremely high in antioxidants and magnesium, which helps our intestinal muscles relax.
Collagen. This amino acid helps to soothe the digestive tract and improve nutrient absorption, plus it’s great for our hair, skin and nails.
This chia chocolate pudding is one of my favourite things to eat. You can jazz this up with mint, cinnamon or nutmeg, top with fresh fruit or cacao nibs, or dollop with coconut whipped cream. You can also amp up the mucilage factor by adding in a bit of aloe. It’s very versatile, creamy and delicious!
Print
This delicious dairy-free pudding is rich in protein, gut healing fats, magnesium rich raw cacao to relax the colon and other smooth muscles, and is naturally sweetened with whole dates.
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup chia seeds (grind first in a coffee grinder if you don’t have a Vitamix or something similar)
2 Tbsp collagen (optional)
2 Tbsp flax oil
1/4 cup raw cacao
4 medjool dates
Instructions
Place all ingredients in your blender (or food processor) and mix until smooth.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes and go!
Prep Time:8 mins
Category:Snack or Dessert
Image: iStock/Lilechka75
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
Reading Time: 3 minutes 
Think of how awesome aloe feels when applied to a burn. Now imagine that soothing action happening to the hot, hot, heat of intestinal irritation and inflammation. Suddenly those snotty foods are looking pretty great, right?
An added benefit of these slimy foods is often the power pack of nutrition they offer. Aloe, for example, is also anti viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory – all important factors when trying to heal. Now there has been some debate, largely among the GAPS diet followers, regarding mucilagenous polysaccharides and that the slime factor hampers digestion and the growth of beneficial gut flora. I do believe, however, that as long as you are not in an acute-flare stage, they are monumentally healing.
The healing power of these mucilaginous polysaccharides include:
Think of how awesome aloe feels when applied to a burn. Now imagine that soothing action happening to the hot, hot, heat of intestinal irritation and inflammation. Suddenly those snotty foods are looking pretty great, right?
An added benefit of these slimy foods is often the power pack of nutrition they offer. Aloe, for example, is also anti viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory – all important factors when trying to heal. Now there has been some debate, largely among the GAPS diet followers, regarding mucilagenous polysaccharides and that the slime factor hampers digestion and the growth of beneficial gut flora. I do believe, however, that as long as you are not in an acute-flare stage, they are monumentally healing.
The healing power of these mucilaginous polysaccharides include:
