I love mornings, it has something to do with new beginnings, coffee, and feeling rested. Mornings are magical. The best mornings are those where you make time to watch the sunrise, or you’re about to embark on a road trip, or you just slept well and feel super productive. Obviously I absolutely loathe them when I’ve gone to bed too late, drank too much delicious red wine the night before, or woke up in the middle of the night with a bout of insomnia.
I love carbs too (random, I know, yet strangely relevant to this blog post…please read on).
Why do I feel like this part of my identity is something to be ashamed off? I’m fairly certain Mr. Noakes would be displeased with me.
I could’nt for example live without potatoes, for me, they are the holy grail of comfort food. I’m sure I would fall into a deep, dark depression if I had to give them up
And rice…curry without rice would be like winning the lottery but not being allowed to spend the money….ever.. I feel sad just thinking about it.
How would I cope without my beloved morning oats porridge & muesli (nerd alert!)…and sourdough bread, I would rather lose a kidney then give them up, okay maybe not a kidney but you get my drift.
I think there should be a clear distinction between good carbs, and bad carbs; like refined, surgary foods, low fat food full of additives and highly proccesed foods…all parading as healthier alternitives. Not to mention store bought bread full of weird ingredients and human or animal hair disguised as ‘flour improver’. Yes, you read right and yes it is a good idea to start baking your own, or dropping subtle hints for a bread machine for christmas.
I believe good carbs are good for you…sweet potatoes, squash, oats & brown rice are among my favourites…and although I try and stay away from wheat I make a regular exception for sourdough bread (ideally made from unbleached non gmo flour) and moist chocolate cake (life is too short to live without it).
My point is I think we have lost our way when it comes to food. Warning: If you dont feel like a lecture skip this paragragh…Perhaps we should rethink our food philosophy. Should eating be about weightloss, or nourishment & balance? Maybe if we ate only whole natural foods we would become shiny beacons of health? It seem awfully radical to cut out whole food groups.
And speaking of balance, do we really need as much animal protien as we think we do?
It would certainly be kinder to the planet & livestock farm animals if we became vegetarians for at least half the week and only chose free range and organic meat. Here are 7 great reasons to eat mainly whole plant based foods.
I love cooking & eating good food. Interesting, healthy, yummy food. I am not a strict vegetarian…but dig vegetables and plant based foods. I suppose I am a bit of a hippie when it comes to food.
In a perfect world we would all have organic veggie garden’s, sprout seeds, bake our own sourdough bread and perhaps have a cow called Esmeralda….But I know this is unrealistic, our lives are far too busy and fast paced.
I say let’s just eat & live a little more slowly, cook from scratch using whole, natural organic or free range ingredients where possible, and strive towards body balance & harmony.
Since its spring, which for me embodies new beginnings, and since I have this love of mornings, the first recipe I am sharing is my Yoga Kitchen Bircher Muesli…celebrate spring and begin your day in the healthiest way possible….and remember, make time for a sunrise soon.
Bircher Meusli is traditionally made with raw oats, nuts and seeds that have been soaked overnight in either milk, water or a milk substitutes (like rice, soy or almond milk).Ā Bircher Muesli is packed with nutrients and minerals like zinc, vitamin E, B vitamins, Omega 3, protien & fibre, and it will easily keep your hunger at bay until lunch. Soaking the muesli maximises the absorption of nutrients in your body. Cinnamon stabilises blood sugar levels and makes it even tastier
I like the following version that will serve 2 – 3:
Ingredients:
2 cups of raw rolled oats (gluten free if you are celiac)
3/4 cup of seeds & nuts consisting of raw almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds
3 x tablespoons of shredded coconut
1 x Pinch of ground cinnamon
(you can also add chia seeds for extra goodness)
How:
Scoop your bircher muesli mix into a mason jar (that is a preserving glass jar) and pour in your choice of milk, water or milk substitute until the oats, seeds & nuts are covered to about 3cm above the surface of the muesli.
Stir and then put the lid on your jar and store it in the fridge overnight.
In the morning you can give it a stir and take it out to become room tempreture.
I like to add raw local honey, berries & sliced banana before eating
In my next post I will be exploring vegetarian sources of protien, the benefits of a more plant based diet and sharing a tasty vegan recipe crammed full of protien, until then, happy eating.
With love & gratitude
Marlien
