Food as Medicine
Congee is magic! Known in the east to restore and harmonize the middle. This ‘rice porridge’ gives a reset to the the digestive system and The Breakfast Cure is doing it right! Karen is a small business owner out of Oregon who has created an amazing and accessible way to access this medicinal food. Check it out for more info.
Do a quick search but the main thing to know is it is 1cup of rice (basmati/white/jasmine) to 6-8cups of water. Sounds soupy and delightful doesn’t it?
There are SO many recipes online if you want to free-form it. Sweet or savory, this simple cuisine is wonderful with simple ginger and scallions (with an egg on top?!) or with cinnamon and nutmeg. Congee is a great alternative to oatmeal!
Kitchen Inspiration
If you didn’t know, I LOVE to cook. The Crock-Pot® and Instant Pot® make meal planning and prepping manageable when time doesn’t allow me to have my kitchen therapy (yes, did I mention I love cooking?). I value nutrition as a source of replenishment, fuel and pleasure and I am not willing to compromise around it. My body certainly tells me when I do and it’s just not worth it! Sometimes I need a little inspiration and I often start with an ingredient I am either craving or have on hand and I build out/seek out a recipe based on it. With having dietary restrictions, I will often modify for what my body is needing/wanting so I rarely stick to a recipe in its entirety, so please feel free to play with what works for you.
Without disclosing and projecting too much, I want to say that I do not subscribe to a specific diet because my body changes and likes a variety of intake. With learning about each persons constitution and conditions will dictate what each body needs and is specific to everyone. With that said, I am pretty strict with no gluten and no cow dairy as an allergy. The avoidance of gluten has been transformative for my overall health in the last several years. My family has a lot of autoimmune conditions so as prevention, I avoid and feel way better without. So with that said, I often search for paleo, AIP (autoimmune protocol), anti-inflammatory, recipes and then modify if I’d like to accompany it with rice or quinoa, etc.
PaleOMG -- This rad local gal named Juli Bauer is nailing it! She has great recipes and I find them to be healthy, well rounded and nutritious. More on the Paleo spectrum so if your body prefers a low-carb dietary preference, check her out!
I honestly Google Crock-Pot® and Instant Pot® recipes all the time. If I have base ingredients or flavor cravings that I’m in the mood for, I’ll add that to the search… here are a few of my favorites that I source for inspiration:
Paleo Hacks for crock pot inspiration.
Paleo Leap has crock pot gems you’ll make again.
What Molly Made is absolutely accessible and delicious for busy worlds that don’t want to compromise on nutrition! … the desserts are divine ;)
