Making things better: savory oatmeal

One of my many, many issues is that I’m fixated on betterment. This extends far beyond my own personal habits and diet. Truthfully, there are no limits. You think a certain hotel is amazing? I will have some ideas to make it better. You liked a book? I’ll explain how it could be tweaked and improved. My boys may ask me to check a math problem. Perhaps they got the correct answer but their handwriting? You get the picture. If I didn’t balance this exhausting tendency out with also being an avid complimenter nobody would want to come near me.

Sometimes I gather improvement ideas from others. Last month, I interviewed the inspiring Tricia Williams (perhaps you’ll recall her healthy donuts). She mentioned she enjoys “savory oatmeal with spinach, onions and shitakes”.  Oatmeal is typically sugar laden with maple or brown sugar, fruit, dried fruit or all of the above…but it doesn’t have to be. Your first meal of the really sets the tone for cravings and I encourage clients to curtail the sweetness. This means plain yogurt instead of flavored, smoothies with 1 fruit versus 3 but savory oatmeal? Genius.

Unlike Tricia, I’m a little too lazy and time-strapped (in her defense she saves this breakfast for the weekend) to sauté onions in the AM so I tried my hand at easy savory oatmeal options. First I paired 1 serving of oats with truffle salt, grated carrots (slightly sweet but not with the ingredients it was hanging with) and Kerrygold butter (photo above). I was sold

Then I bought this “cooking matcha” at Palais de Thes. Joanna, of office “snack queen” asked, “how is that different than regular matcha?” My reply “I have no idea but the tea lady sold me on it.” So into the oats went matcha, coconut oil and Himalayan salt.  I tasted it and it needed more flavor- so I minced some fresh ginger “sprinkles” and it was really good.

In our upcoming “Carb Riff” newsletter we’ll tell you about another exciting oatmeal to try but until then…savory oats it is. I’ll be tweaking my combos to make sure they get better and better.

Do you have “better” issues too? With all things or just certain things? Are you an oatmeal eater? Have you tried savory oats?

Smoothie Scientists and Giveaway

Yesterday we sent out our “Smoothie Support Group” newsletter tackling your most pressing smoothie issues: how to ensure your smoothie isn’t a gazillion calories, solutions for those of you who feel you rather eat versus drink your calories and the most common smoothie query “do I need a Vitamix?”

When I last posted about smoothie ingredients, one commenter said “You talk about things you put in your smoothies a lot and I have this image in my head of you with a zillion potions and powders, in a lab coat

Carolyn and I in front of Smoothie Central cabinet with all sorts of powders and mix-ins

That’s all Carolyn and I needed to read…enter your Smoothie Scientists in our labcoats. Here is our video debut (we’ll hone our skills, I promise) with our Thin Minty Smoothie.

6oz Harmless Harvest Coconut water
1 cup frozen blueberries (if you skip berries be sure to add ice cubes)

1 handful kale

1 scoop Sun Warrior Chocolate protein powder

1 Tbs Cacao nibs or powder

¼ avocado

Organic Peppermint extract
pinch Himalayan salt

6 drops NuStevia

Cacao, if you’re not familiar with it, is what chocolate is made from. The powder or nibs are high in fiber (good to get things moving), it keeps LDL or bad cholesterol from doing nasty things, is a mood booster and a source of magnesium (most people are magnesium deficient).

Turmeric Carrot Smoothie with must-have Strawesome 

I love to “smooth” it’s true and have been playing around with my Turmeric Smoothie

 6oz ice water (or I tried with carrot juice too)

1 scoop Vanilla Sun Warrior

½ frozen banana

1 tsp. nut butter (used cashew butter)

Ice cubes

Cinnamon

¼ to ½ tsp. turmeric

NuStevia (used their lemon flavor)

Reasons everyone should add turmeric to your diet daily:

• Weight loss- studies (yes on rodents but still) show turmeric added to diet resulted in less weight gain; less lower body fat, if you’re a “pear” turmeric is for you.
• One double blind, placebo-controlled study found that turmeric reduced symptoms of bloating and gas in people suffering from indigestion (love well executed bloat study).
• It is a natural liver detoxifier, important in the summer time with perhaps more cocktails consumed
• Good for healthy skin and conditions such as psoriasis
• It is a potent anti-inflammatory with zero side effects; therefore, it is a natural treatment for arthritis, soreness following exercise and nature's Advil
• Prevents various forms of cancer from spreading, described as “turning off cancer cells”

I want to try turmeric in a smoothie with Socal Cleanse hemp protein (which made our protein powder Hall of Fame). It’s what we call our Monday morning protein- excellent for bloat or when PMS strikes. Socal has generously offered to give away a bag of their protein to one of our thirsty (we didn’t say bloated) readers.

To enter comment below and tell us where you stand on the smoothing spectrum (smoothie newbie or seasoned smoothie maker), what your favorite smoothie is and what type of blender you use. If you haven’t lost your smoothie v-card, what’s holding you back?