Brown Rice porridge/ A day in the life of optimal health

So I apologize to anyone who has been following Recipe Spotting. This is the first time I've taken any days off of posting. I have never been so busy! I tried to make some gluten free cupcakes and failed miserably. My cupcakes taste salty and baking sodaish, my frosting taste like...I can't even say. I guess its more of a delicate procedure then I cared to admit. I was tired and felt worn out, baking was suppose to help relieve some stress. The ordeal made me want to give up....such an expensive endeavor to fail at. However I can't give up. It not in my vocabulary. So...I'll just have to figure out how to adjust and try again when things aren't so busy.

I've committed to trying to run and do Bikrim yoga everyday that I'm home. So far I did two out of 4 days. Not too bad. Considering two of those days I was in the hospitals PACU 24/7. I use to run this route at home in the summer. When I started it was 40 mins for 2.2 miles. by the end of summer my friend and I got it down to 30. Today I ran it and I made it in 20! I ran with my dogs and the poor pups barely kept up. I hope to keep going next time to see my potential for beginning my marathon challenges.

So with that combined with what my erratic sched's been like lately I've lost about 3lbs since Thursday. Maybe more I weighted after eating. If you want to know how to achieve some weight loss for yourself, check out Today's eating and workout sched, then ask yourself how serious are you about getting healthy? Because to be skinny is to be healthy and to be healthy, you have commit to moving and eating.

A student asked me yesterday, "How can I loose weight?" I told her to come back to me when she's serious. She adamently said, "BUT I AM SERIOUS!" So I began with my morning routine, immediately she complained. Then I said again, "Come back to me when your serious."

I'm getting sick of people asking me for advice and finding out that my advice is going to the back burner. I will no longer give my pearls to swine. I have given Dr. Nancy's info to sooo many people, and not one has called. so people, just come back to me when you're ready to commit...Cuz this girl don't do flings ;)

My Saturday Routine:

6-7am wake up Drink protein shake within 30 mins
8am Eat banana and strawberries (drink 8 oz water)
9am eat small handful of plantain chips (drink 8oz water)
10am Eat another banana and go to Bikrim yoga (100 mins of sweating your nuts off) drink 32
oz water
12pm Eat lunch, Spinach mixed with brown rice porridge YUM
130pm Run 3 miles (drink 16 oz water)
5pm Drink another protein shake
7pm Eat 1 Banana, carton of blueberries, and various other berries (drink 16 oz of water)

STOP EATING AFTER 6 OR 7pm!
RECIPE FOR BROWN RICE PORRIDGE

Ingredients:

Brown rice
Low sodium organic chicken broth
Green onions
Black pepper
1 Ginger
Cilantro
Chicken (optional)
Any other fun additives are welcome such as white onions etc.

Directions:

Wash the rice
Chop green onions and set aside
Chop cilantro and set aside
peel ginger and slice thinly
in a large pot throw in rice, ginger, broth and optional chicken. Bring everything to a boil. then reduce heat to low and cook for 30-40 mins or until at desired soft consistency. Stir every so often so the rice doesnt stick on the bottom.

**for my meal I mixed in spinach. This way the rice was not the star but rather an accompaniment to my spinach.

When I was young Vietnamese porridge was a treat. Only made for me when I was sick and couldn't hold down solids. Its so warm and comforting, it was a yummy treat that would always cheer me up. However I can't add all those salty ingredients that make it "Vietnamese porridge" but I'm still comforted knowing that I can still take something I love, and make it healthy. I feel lucky that I don't have to necessarily ax this from my life, but that I can modify and moderate.

Vietnamese porridge to a true Viet person is just as synonymous as Pho. I cherish this dish and its hard for me to resist porridge restaurants that server this stuff gourmet style. yum. Some photos below are not my own, they are a quick collection of various types you might find.