Rice is a great grain for breakfast

Sometimes we want sweetness, sometimes we want savory. I cook a big batch of mixed grains so I can keep it for a couple of days and have an easy and fast grain-based breakfast without having to cook (or think) in the morning. All I have to do is choose the toppings. I mostly use rice since I prefer to be gluten-free, but sometimes I also mix in whole oats, barley and hato-mugi.

To carb or not

The excessive information overload and the many different opinions about what is good for you and what is not, has caused many to be afraid of carbs and avoid grains. And yes, I agree that processed grain and simple carbs are not good for us, but not all carbs equal. Step 2 in the online program for example is about learning why, when, and which carbs we might want and need and which to avoid. Complex carbs are crucial energy supply for muscles and brain, but also essential for our emotional well-being.

Does it work for you?

Do you feel satisfied and full or do you feel like something is missing and you want to eat more? Do you feel energized after your meal or do you feel sluggish and ready for a nap? Do you feel focused and that you can think and be calm or do you feel foggy and out of sorts? These are all ways your body is talking to you and telling you if something is working for you or not. If you have digestives problems and you feel bloated, choosing grains that are gluten-free is probably important for you. For some it is only wheat that bothers the digestives system and all foods made with wheat, such as bread and pasta, cookies and cakes, need to be avoided. For some all gluten is best avoided.

The body knows

Your body has the wisdom and knows what to eat to feel better. The problem is to learn how to understand it and for most to even listen to it. Checking in with how you feel is how information becomes knowledge you can use to feel better and get healthier. In my new book coming out soon I teach you about the foods to EAT TO FEEL FULL and nourished. So often clients come to me, who want to lose weight and they believe the answer is to starve themselves by eating less. The answer is to feel full from what you eat. Starving yourself to lose weight is not only not healthy, it also often ends up in emotional eating patterns, which means you end up eating even more and it is probably unhealthy choices too.

The online self-nourishment program goes even more in-depth with self-nourishment as a life-style and teaches you how to become mindful of your daily choices and why you make them. You also learn tools to create new habits instead of falling back into the old rut over and over again.

Try this for breakfast

Here is a mixed rice; black rice, red rice, and brown rice. One with a poached egg and one with nuts and prunes.

Ingredients:

•  3/4 – 1 cup pre-cooked brown, red and black rice

alternative 1:

• 1 poached egg
• powdered ginger
• sesame seed-gomasio

alternative 2:

• almonds – 4-5 cut in chunks
• prunes – 2
• powdered ginger (you can use cinnamon if you prefer)

method:

Cook the rice in advance – I tend to cook it the night before and just leave it in the pot overnight to cool down. I use a donabe pot (Japanese rice clay pot) and use it to keep the cooked grain in the fridge too.

1 cup mixed rice needs 2 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of salt.

Rinse the rice well first and then add rice, water, and sea-salt to the pot, bring it to a boil and then to a simmer for 35 min. I turn off the grain before it is done cooking (while there is still a little water left on top of the grain) and leave it to finish on its own. Never stir your rice!

I don’t re-heat it in the morning, but if you prefer it warm instead of room temperature, then take what you need and steam heat it in a smaller pot. Just a little bit of water on the bottom of the pot will do the trick. It is just as fast as using a micro-wave and far healthier.

For the soft-boiled egg:

Make a little hole in the bottom of the egg. Bring the water to a boil and put the egg in.

The egg needs 5 -7 minutes of cooking depending on how high up you are from sea-level and how soft you like it. Rinse in cold water to stop the egg from continuing to cook.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds or gomasio before serving. Gomasio is a mix of sesame seeds and sea-weed sprinkles, which gives it a nice savory seasoning.

Enjoy!