Once upon a time, on a dark and stormy Monday morning, sometime before sunrise, sometime in the middle of puberty, just before leaving the warmth and light of home to seek in darkness the neighborhood bus stop, waiting for that big evil yellow thing to take me away....
What did I know of imbalanced Doshas then?
My mom apparently knew something, because she was always trying to get me to eat my oatmeal.
We all know what's up with oats: they are like the street cleaner for our intestines. "High in soluble fibre", "resulting in slower digestion and extended sensation of fullness", "proven to lower heart-disease"...
After eating a bowl of Quaker Instant Oats (apple and cinnamon flavor) every weekday from September 7, 1995- June 21, 1996, I grew to detest that brown, gelatinous, solid lump of goo....
Now, all grown up, non-pubescent, waking in daylight hours, I refer fondly to my favorite breakfast bowl, and unveil my secret recipe for PORRIDGE. It just so happens that currently my Vata is too high, and this combination of sweet, cooling, and astringent ingredients will aid me in working towards a healthy balance. This breakfast is good for anyone who is Pitta or Vata, but if you have a Kapha imbalance it may be unhelpful.
Magical Porridge (serves 2)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oats (I recommend McCann's steel-cut. Whatever you do, don't use Instant or Quick)
1 cup milk (Please use organic, don't even ask why. It is BETTER.)
1 cup water
a small handful of ground almonds (use coffee grinder, food processor, or mortar-and-pestle)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (if you grind it yourself in m&p it is super flavorful!)
dash of cinnamon
drizzle of honey or maple syrup
Directions:
I recommend following the directions on the label of your oats, just so there are no mistakes.... Cook the oats, cardamom and almonds in a mixture of equal parts milk and water instead of just water. This adds to the flavor of the oats, plus it helps produce Ojas, or "Good Vibrations" in Ayurvedaland.
See link for more about Ojas:
http://www.holisticonline.com/ayurveda/ayv-key-ojas.htm
When the oats are done, give 'em some cinnamon and sweeten with a swirl of delicious, golden honey, which is sweet and astringent, decreases Vata, and helps to cut through excess phlegm.
***If you find that your appetite is slow in the morning, try slicing up, or grating some fresh ginger and making a tea of it. This is stimulating and tasty, warming, and will help you get "in the mood" for a nourishing breakfast. It is also considered a very healthy practice to eat a piece of fruit that is okay for your Doshas 20 to 30 minutes before your regular breakfast. Your body is at its best state for absorbing the benefits of fruit right when you wake up! BRING ON THE BANANAS!!!
By the way, I will openly confess here, in my blog, that I am addicted to coffee. Depending on how things go for me, I will probably make myself the subject of a No-Caffeine Experiment at some point during our adventures together. Till then, I will remain a slave to the bean.
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