That Old Groat!

Motivational speaker Joel Osteen would sometimes joke about the “old goat” referring to a long time spouse walking out on a marriage, leaving for someone younger. Without trivalising the pain of abandonment, the old goat – the one leaving – doesn’t deserve your love and affection, at all!

But jokes aside, it’s easy to take the other person for granted especially when you’ve been married for decades. To criticise and point out all of their obvious shortcomings and overlook our own. Perhaps, if they were perfect, they probally wouldn’t have picked us, in the first place?

Point is, nobody’s perfect.

My topic of choice for today is the old groat. The old oat groat to be precise, which is to me, a step up from steel cut oats.

Still on the topic of eating wholesome foods, as is, in their original state, we cannot ignore the fact that steel cut oats come from oat groats – the wholegrain. And what better way to consume it except in its entirety. Usually, only the husks are removed leaving all of its natural nutrients intact.

Now you must be thinking, if steel cut oats take 20 minutes to cook then the oat groat must take forever! Haha! You’re not wrong BUT there is a way out!

This method of enjoying the oat groat porridge that I’m about to share with you is so simple, I wonder why I never thought of it before.

Best part is, you can also use this same method to cook steel cut oats and just about anything because it really saves you time!

Some would call it the thermal magic pot, while others call it the wonder pot.  Regardless, it does magically cook your food to a wonderful perfection without gas or electricity. So you don’t have to worry about it overcooking and destroying all the healthful nutrients.

Again, this recipe Serves 1:-

Remove inner pot from insulation

Bring 1 cup of distilled water to a rapid boil

Add ¼ C of oat groat

Add any other ingredients

Let it simmer for 5 minutes

Turn off the flame.

Stir in seasoning/maple syrup/honey to taste

Remove the inner pot from stove and straight into the insulated outer container and leave it to cook overnight.

It’s that simple!

Come next morning, your pot of oat groat porridge will be slightly warm but light and fluffy and ready to eat!

I’m so gonna try cooking other dishes in like manner and if you have healthful oat groat recipes, pray share!

Love,

Lynette Tan

I Steel Love U!

I must admit. 

It took us a long time to accept that we were different - he had a sweet tooth and I didn't. 

Like how most couples begin, we were just so nice, so lovely, so sweet to each other. We would do anything and ate everything we could to please the other person. 

Most of our dates ended on a sweet note, literally. Sometimes it was a moist red velvet or carrot cake. Other times, it was tiramisu, oreos or New York cheese cake. To top it all, these were almost always "lethally combined" with either a hot chocolate, some ice-blend or thick milkshake.

I thought that was love. Saying 'yes' to his every suggestion as a sign of us "going the same way". 

Slowly but surely, I was piling on the pounds. But still, I couldn't say, no. And it wasn't until I started looking ridiculous in my usual outfits - I was bursting at the seams - that raised a red flag for me.

Again, I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth so I came up with excuse after excuse why I couldn't have those cakes. After a while, he got the idea. 

Where am I going with this?

It's okay to be different. You don't have to like the same things to stay in a relationship. You just have to be united. And in the famous words of Pope Francis, "Unity doesn't mean uniformity."

I was reminded of this season in my life only because out of the kindness of his heart, my husband has been offering me his sweet steel cut oats porridge in the mornings. By now of course, he knows that I prefer savoury to sweet stuff so for a balance of tastes, I came up with a savoury version of the steel cut oats porridge. 

The following recipe is for you if you don't have a sweet tooth, like me!

Serves 1

Ingredients:-

1/4 C pre-soaked steel cut oats

1 C distilled water or chicken/fish broth

1 large red onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 large egg (optional)

1 medium carrot, diced

Vegetable salt and pepper to taste

Method:-

On low heat, stir fry the garlic and onion in a generous amount of olive oil till fragrant

Add diced carrots

Add the distilled water/broth, bring it to a boil

Add pre-soaked steel cut oats 

Let it simmer for 10 minutes

Turn off the flame and while stirring the porridge, add the egg

Add vegetable salt and pepper to taste

Try and see if you like it! But if you don't, that's okay too!

I'll steel love Ü!

Love,

Lynette Tan

Man of Steel Too

If you've been reading my blog, you'll realise that I've cut out carbs from my diet a long time ago. And I'm not about to reintroduce it back in any way, form or fashion.

I'm again suggesting that if you find it challenging to give up carbs, there are more nutritious, healthful alternatives that you could consider switching to, on your way to giving up processed carbs like I have.

I'm saying this only because I know how difficult it is to make the switch. And that can't happen overnight. In fact, my own husband, Jedidiah, still craves the occasional prata, mee soto, bread and curry chook... you get the picture!

But he has also cut down carbs very significantly over the years. He's a lot more conscious about what he eats, and paces out his meals of carbs and non-carbs just so that he still gets to indulge, but not excessively. And over time, he's also acquired a taste for salads, proteins, nuts and seeds - without having a hangover for carbs! 

Loss of more than 10kg over a decade

One healthy alternative that I've introduced him to is the steel cut oats (SCO). Since then, he's become a fan of this hot cereal as his first meal of the day. This breakfast recipe I'm about to share with you is something simple he cooked up. 

As mentioned in my previous post, SCO is the least processed of all manner of oats so naturally it requires a slightly longer time to cook, about 20 minutes. But when you soak it overnight, you cut the cooking time down to just ten minutes.

The following recipe serves 1:-

Pre-soaking SCO in filtered water

Preparation:-

So what you do the night before is scoop seven heaped tablespoons of SCO into a mason jar and fill it with filtered water till it more that covers the oats and then cap it and leave it in the fridge overnight, then drain it the next morning.

Ingredients:-

7 T pre-soaked SCO 

1 C or 250ml distilled water

1 t of raw honey or 100% pure maple syrup

A dash of cinnamon

A handful of raisins, diced bananas, dates, or figs

Cook pre-soaked SCO on low heat for ten minutes 

Method:-

Bring 1 C or 250ml distilled water to a boil

Add the pre-soaked SCO 

Set the kitchen timer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally 

When ten minutes is up, turn off the flame and stir in some or all of the ingredients as suggested above

Cooked SCO with raisins and banana chunks

According to Dr Norman Walker, author of The Vegetarian Guide to Diet & Salad, breakfast food recipes like the one above contain mostly sugar and starch and go best with fruits such as bananas, dates, figs and raisins only. And for that reason alone, I do not recommend adding acid, semi-acid or proteins for fear that that may interfere with optimum digestion. 

In my next post, I'll share a somewhat similar but different SCO recipe so stay tuned if you prefer a more savoury concoction that's suitable for a light lunch or dinner.

Love,

Lynette Tan

Woman of Steel

I first came across the term "steel cut oats" in the book Smart Fat by Steven Masley and Johnny Bowden and that really got me wondering about oats in general.

To my mind, there was only Quaker Oats - the instant one and the not-so-instant one. Mostly flat.

It didn't occur to me that oats were grains, whole grains in fact that come to us dehusked, steamed and rolled and toasted. I can only imagine that after all that processing, most of its healthful, natural goodness would have been literally "rolled away"! And that disturbed me very much indeed.

According to Dr Rex Russell, author of What the Bible Says about Healthy Living. One of the principles he espouses is to eat foods "as is" - in their original forms. And that's exactly how I have been making my food choices.

So in that regard, steel cut oats is a clear winner!

See, all manner of oats are first lightly roasted at very low temperatures to preserve and extend their shelf life. But for steel cut oats, that's it! No further processing is required or done except to chop them into pieces.

The other reason why I'm raving about steel cut oats is because if you're still struggling with cutting out carbs from your diet, it's a way more nutritious alternative to white rice! Not only is it high in fiber, so you feel full for longer, but it also has a lower glycemic load so it helps keep your blood sugar level consistent. No sudden peaks nor crashes so no candy bar effect! 

While it closely resembles broken rice, it has a slightly nuttier flavour with a firm chewy consistency - great for making both sweet and savoury porridge/congee, if you ask me.

In my next post, I'll share a couple of recipes that I've experimented with so far but in the meantime, you might wanna keep an eye out for steel cut oats usually housed under the organic section of your regular supermarket.

Till then, have an awesome weekend!

Love,

Lynette Tan

When Food Takes Centrestage

I dunno about you but my husband and I used to spend a lot of money on food, and not all of it was nutritious.

I'm not sure if it's because of our keen sense of adventure - to wanna taste-test those fancy culinary creations or was it more because we wanted to keep up with the Joneses.

And it doesn't help when we see photos of food splashed across the different social media platforms every few seconds! Sometimes the temptation's too much to bear. And I know I'm not alone in this.

For many of us, food is an obsession - to such an extent that we willingly fork out hundreds and perhaps thousands of dollars for it without much thought. Whether our obsession is with hawker fare or Michelin-grade cuisine, all of that adds up! Also, the amount of time we spend eating alone is just mind-blowing. That includes queueing up for hours just for that famous lor mee.

Although there's nothing wrong with wanting to indulge in our appetites every now and then, my biggest bugbear is that we're spending way too much money (and time) on food that may not even be nutritious!

I'm reminded of an old proverb: "... for the heavy drinker and glutton will come to poverty...", that cautions us against the tendency to spend a fortune overindulging in food and drinks!

That's a sobering thought and a wake-up call. Gulp!

I mean if you think about it, food is nothing more than fuel for the stomach. So why do we fantasise, glamorise, and idolise food?

We've concluded that in the long run, it would indeed be profitable for us to de-prioritise food! Don't get me wrong, we still enjoy food. But we're now a lot less fussy about what we eat. Food is nothing more than just fuel for the stomach. In fact, we save a lot more money on our meals. And we have more time on our hands!

At the end of the day, I'm no food fascist. And I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but whatever it is you choose, just remember - if we're eating ourselves to great health, sure! But if we're eating ourselves to death - wasting our time and money on food that's hardly nutritious nor beneficial for our bodies - then somehow, I find that a little hard to swallow.

That's just some food for thought for you!

Love,
Lynette Tan

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The Milky No-Way

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of milk is, in general?

I mean if human mothers breast-fed their babies and, after a while, they are weaned of it, why do humans continue drinking milk throughout their lives?

And you know what's really weird?

Say if each mammalian species produces their own unique blend ideal for its babies, to ensure that the young of that species grow quickly, then don't you think there's something seriously questionable about us drinking cow's milk from cradle to grave?

Like have you ever seen a kid suckling a cow's bosom? I meant a baby goat, btw, lol!

So if a baby goat grows healthy on a mother goat's milk and and a cow's milk nourishes its calf, why on earth are humans drinking cow's milk?

Numerous research have concurred that cow's milk is on the whole found to be the most mucous forming food. It not only causes an excessive build-up of acid in the body but also inflammation. But why are humans still nursing off cows? It's because they're afraid that their nails and their teeth will fall out!

I stopped drinking milk in my 20s convinced, after I read Fit for Life book by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, that it's impossible for me have a calcium deficiency.

Fact is, all green leafy vegetables contain calcium as with fruits, raw nuts and seeds. And I usually eat a variety of these throughout the day anyway. I still have my full set of teeth, and my nails have never been stronger with no ridges, no cracks nor splits! I used to have to hide behind expensive manicures my dry, brittle nails with dark lines running right down the centre of my thumbnails so I know exactly what I'm talking about!

According to Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, raw sesame seeds contain more calcium than any other food on earth! So get a grinder and fill it with unhulled black sesame seeds (yes, they're more nutritious) and leave it on your dining table so you can easily add it to your foods whenever and reap the fullest benefits of it! But if sesame seeds are not your thing, other great sources of calcium include all raw nuts, kelp, all leafy greens and even concentrated fruits like figs, dates and prunes.

Right, so milk's out but what about ice-cream and yogurt? I'm a huge fan of the two, I can tell you that! And yes I can hear those pints of Ben & Jerry's calling out to me in the still of the night every now and then. LOL!

Thankfully, health pundits say it's okay to have it once in a while but have it plain (with NO additional toppings especially fruits coz they'll only ferment and putrefy inside) and on an empty stomach so that it doesn't cause indigestion, and it leaves your system asap!

Guess the point I'm trying to make is that cow's milk is simply not designed for human consumption, whatever form it takes. And if it's already an integral part of your diet, then definitely consider switching to a more healthful option like almond milk. In fact, make your own with the recipe provided in the link above and let me know how that works for you!

Love,
Lynette Tan

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Brain food: Fish Oil

Do you recall having to take spoonfuls of a yucky, thick, whitish liquid, your parents said were good for you?

I remember thinking out loud in protest each time they tried to feed me that: "What's so good about cod liver oil?"

Dreadful, right? I hated it!

This episode would replay itself many more times over the years until the orange-flavoured version - which was slightly more palatable - hit the shelves. And so for that season of my life, I didn't quite mind having the cod-liver oil.

Years have passed since my last tablespoon-full of the orange-flavoured liquid. Never quite thought of consuming it again until one fine day when I woke up with this "bright idea" that maybe I do need to take some cod liver oil after all (or some other alternatives which were just as effective)! LOL!
So that was how my search for the perfect brain food began.

At a friend's recommendation, I first started off with flaxseed oil - a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. It served me well, for a while, I think.

But still, I had the tendency to lose my train of thought, mid-sentence. And I'd forget where I'd left my things, or walk from one room to another to get something only to draw a blank when I got there. (Has that happened to you before as well?)

Point is, I didn't feel like the flaxseed oil was particularly beneficial for boosting my memory. But I kept that up for a year until I started reading about fish oil again.

From my readings and discussions with health aficionados, what really stood out for me was the importance of two omega-3 fatty acids, which is found abundantly in marine sources. Research has shown that when taken together, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) combined with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can boost brain function and prevent memory loss! EPA + DHA have also been found effective in curbing stiffness and joint pain, as well as in lowering inflammation, which is responsible for heart attacks and strokes!

Besides, given that 60 per cent of our brain is made up of fat, with 25 per cent of that fat being DHA, it made sense that we supplement our diet with DHA!

According to the authors of Smart Fat, the recommended daily dosage of EPA + DHA is 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams. And the way to figure your dose is to look at how much of EPA + DHA is contained within a 1,000-milligram capsule of fish oil. So if the bottle says each capsule has 400mg EPA + 200mg DHA, that means each capsule contains only 600mg of EPA +DHA.

So, by taking just one such capsule of fish oil every morning along with my high-fat, high-protein breakfast, I know I'll have a baseline of 600mg of EPA + DHA! This will be supplemented by my regular consumption of fish. That has so far worked well for me, much better and more convenient than having to take five flaxseed oil capsules.

And because flaxseed oil is primarily a medium chain omega-3 called alpha linoleic acid (ALA), only five percent of it would get converted into EPA + DHA in our bodies! Imagine how many flaxseed oil capsules I would have to eat to get the fullest benefit of the EPA + DHA!

At the end of the day, if you aren't used to taking either of these supplements, just make sure you get an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids from your food. Consciously choose to eat fish high in EPA + DHA like wild trout and salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, herring and anchovies two to three times per week and you'll be just fine! Otherwise, be like me: take a combination of both EPA + DHA capsules and a healthy portion of fish in your diet!

Love,
Lynette Tan

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