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Many of the cooked breakfast cereals available on the average grocery-store shelf are made of white rice or contain grains that my body doesn’t do well with such as wheat, oats, barley, and rye--to say nothing of high levels of sugar and/or sodium.
I finally figured out a recipe that really works for my brain and Glycemic Index (smile). I cook a pot of this cereal and it lasts four or five days—depending on how hungry I am each morning.
You can often find Basmati Brown Rice in regular grocery stores. I usually can find Millet, Quinoa, and Amaranth at almost any health-food store, and sometimes at stores such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati Brown Rice (low GI carbs)
1/4 cup Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah - low GI carbs)
1/4 cup Millet (preferrably hull-less)
1/4 cup Amaranth
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup raisins (if desired)
3 cups water
Preparation
Rinse Quinoa well in a very fine strainer. This helps to remove any grit as well as the natural coating of saponin (a bitter soap-like substance that acts as a natural insect repellent).
Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to very low. Cover pan and simmer slowly until water is absorbed.
Spoon into bowls and serve. May drizzle with a tablespoon of natural Maple Syrup, garnish with berries or other fresh fruit, or use any milk-equivalent (e.g., rice, almond, soy).
The cereal refrigerates very well. To reheat, place desired portion in a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water (or in a glass container in a microwave). Heat and serve.
Quinoa notes: The Incas reportedly held Quinoa crops to be sacred. Unlike other whole grains, a nutrient-rich germ layer covers the entire kernel of Quinoa. As it cooks, this layer separates from the kernel and creates little white rings. When you see these rings, you know the grains are fully cooked.
Amaranth notes: A staple food of the Aztecs (known as kiwicha) and of the Incas (called huautli), this grain has been cultivated for thousands of years. It contains a very high-quality protein, is high in lysine (an amino acid most grains lack), supplies iron, and is free of gluten.
Millet notes: Millet likely formed important parts of the prehistoric diet in Chinese Neolithic and Korean Mumun societies, and is a traditional food in both Russian and Chinese сuisines. It provides about 11% protein by weight (very close to that of wheat), contains no gluten, and is rich in B vitamins and other micronutrients (e.g., calcium, magnesium, and zinc).
Basmati Brown Rice notes: According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, basmati rice has a medium glycemic index (between 56 and 69). This makes it a more desirable source of carbohydrates than products made from white flour.
Lower GI Carbs: Including foods identified as low or medium GI carbs, that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream, is one way to keep your energy levels balanced and avoid glucose spikes to the brain. Complex carbs that are lower on the glycemic index reportedly can:
- Help you manage weight
- Reduce the risk of developing sensitivity to insulin
- Improve management of diabetes
- Reduce the risk of heart disease
- Improve blood cholesterol levels
- Help manage symptoms of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
- Reduce hunger pangs and keep you fuller for longer
- Prolong physical endurance
- Help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
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