Soulfood, Baby: Porridge to Make You Happy
Guest
Here comes the ideal breakfast: It only takes about 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to keep you perfectly fed for a long time. Enjoy!
Happy and healthy in only five minutes
#1 Ingredients:
– 1 cup of oatmeal
– 1/3 chocolate bar (at least 70 %)
– 1 handful sunflower seeds
– 1 handful walnuts
– Berries (as many as you like)
#2 Preparation:
Fill your cereal bowl with 1 cup of oatmeal and 2 cups of water (or any kind of milk). Then put your chocolate (chopped with a knife) into the bowl as well and microwave it for 2 minutes. Stir the mixture and heat it up for another 2-3 minutes.
Roast the walnuts and seeds in a pan without oil. The heat makes the taste more intense and gives them a nice roasting flavour. But be careful – the nuts burn quickly. 😉
Take your bowl out of the microwave and garnish it with your berries and seeds. If the porridge does not have the desired consistency, either add a little more liquid and/or let it swell for a while. If you are missing some sweetness, it is best to use honey.
#3 What makes it a happy porridge?
There are several components in this breakfast that will make you happy:
1. Chocolate (obviously)
Chocolate has, in any way you enjoy it, huge potential to make you happy. However, dark chocolate contains little sugar and various studies have shown that the cocoa content of at least 70 % not only improves your mood but also has hasanti-inflammatory effects. This chocolate is also said to improve your memory! Might be of good use during exam time…
2. Sunflower Seeds
By eating sunflower and other kinds of seed, the body absorbs phenylalanine, an essential amino acid. The body needs it to produce the happiness hormone Dopamine. Since phenylalanine is also used to produce Adrenaline, it can stimulate the body and lead to a better mood while, thereby, increasing its resistance to stress.
3. Walnuts
Walnuts contain a lot of Serotonin, called “happiness hormone” as well. It is a messenger substance for the excitation of nerve cells, which is especially important for information processing and transmission in the thinking apparatus.
#4 Book recommendation
If you want to learn more about healing foods, I can recommend the books “The Green Pharmacy. Guide to Healing Foods” by James A. Duke and “Heilende Nahrungsmittel” by Dr. James A. Duke.
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