Sometimes we read books that transform us and the way we think, and once we’ve read them, we’re never the same.
That’s how I feel about a book I recently finished reading, The Slow Down Diet by Marc David.
I’m putting together a separate post about the key takeaways from the book, but as a sneak peek, one of them is to SLOW DOWN and listen to your body.
Sure, it’s not a mind-blowing revelation, and it’s something most of us have been told before, but I’m finally at a point in my life where I’m open enough to hear it.
The other day, after I woke up, I drank a tall glass of water, sipped my cinnamon tea, set up my oil diffuser (like a candle but better!), and did a video session of Yoga with Adriene.
I’m going through her 30 Days of Yoga series and am LOVING it!
It helps me stay focused and grounded first thing in the morning and brings more oxygen into my mind and body for clearer thinking and a boost to digestion.
After my yoga session, I was ready for breakfast and headed into the kitchen.
I’ve started being more intuitive about what I eat. Instead of just gulping down a smoothie on my way out the door, rushing to get to whatever is waiting for me for that day, I’ve been taking more time with eating. I’ve been pausing before making decisions about what to eat and paying attention to what my “gut” is telling me.
So, instead of robotically slamming a smoothie every day (typical time to belly = 60-90 seconds), I’ve gone back to basics and have been enjoying some of my favorite breakfast foods, foods I can chew.
Foods that are warm. Foods that are packed with flavor and texture.
The first image that popped into my mind as I was standing at the door of the fridge that morning was a warm and cozy bowl of oatmeal, perfect for the cooler weather we’ve been having.
For me, oatmeal is one of the best comfort foods for fall, especially when it’s full of flavors like cinnamon, ginger, clove, and maple.
My favorite oats to use are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Oats. Almost every grocery store sells them. I even got to meet Bob Moore himself at the Natural Products Expo last month.
It was super cool!
I’ll be sharing a recipe for Banana Nut Oatmeal in November, but in the meantime, give this pumpkin spice version a try and let me know what you think!
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups water
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick cooking)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed (flax meal)
- 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, lightly toasted
- Optional: scoop of unflavored protein powder (I like Vital Proteins collagen peptides)
Directions
- Bring water, salt, and oats to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir for 5 minutes.
- Stir in pumpkin puree, almond butter, vanilla and protein powder and stir. Remove from heat and cover for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in ground flax meal and maple syrup.
- Pour into serving bowl and top with chopped pecans.