Yes, spring is here this year with a bit more crisp air along with the bright sightings of beautiful early blooms of daffodils and tulips that people have planted. I always enjoy the opportunity for a nice walk this time of year; when you can see and talk with people who are caring for their gardens and exchange a chat or a soft hello. Walking outside is a part of my day that I look forward to as the season opens. To prepare myself for my walk I enjoy a nice warm breakfast.
If your seasonal transition has been anything like it is in my neck of the woods, the crisp air still requires a good layer of jacket and pants to feel comfortable in the sun. So too does our digestive system require laysrs of warmth. Our digestive system works best when our internal organs and body temperature remain constant. So to prepare my belly for the day I enjoy a bowl of oats. Though we may associate oats primarily with colder temperatures we find in the winter; oats can be eaten all season long.
In an article written in the New York Times, Dining section (page D3, Wednesday March 12, 2014) by Martha Rose Shulman “Older Grains Power a Hearty Breakfast”, the author praises the wonderful nutrient dense additions to her daily oats that I too have enjoyed.
One such is amaranth. Considered an ancient grain, though is more of a seed by nature, these little seeds from a plant add nice nutty flavoring. They are actually a relative to beet or a chard therefore they act similarly in properties to a dark leafy green. Amaranth seeds are loaded with vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron and wonderful amino acids like lysine. Cereal grains that are originated from wheat contain relatively low amounts of amino acids.
The author makes mention that she particularly trys to sit down to her receipe of “Rolled oats with Amarnath Seeds Maple Syrup and Apple” which you can find here
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/health/rolled-oats-with-amaranth-seeds-maple-syrup-and-apple.html; when she has an early workout where she needs a good energy boost.
Her suggestion is to soak the oats overnight, along with the seeds she will enjoy the next morning. She cooks them the next day in the microwave- (thought I can not advocate for such a methodology) she does liken it to the stove and says the time is about the same 2-4 minutes to cook.
My prepartion for oats and amaranth is simple. I use a crockpot. Place oats and a small sprinkle amount of amaranth (no more than a teaspoon or small finger sprinkle) in a pot with water (1/2 cup oats to 31/2 cut H20). Cook on low overnight and voila!
So if you find yourself opening your mornings with a walk around your neigborhood, make sure to give your belly a good warm start to the day and enjoy your oats with a sprinkle of amaranth. You’ll be happy you did inside and out.
In health,
Safara
