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Debbie Pribele
439 posts
and
18 followers
in about 2 years
in about 2 years
Homesteading: Reflections #26: It’s not just porridge
This is
part 26
in a
31 part
series:
Homesteading: Reflections
Following yesterday’s dream, this morning, I remembered to honour and give gratitude to and for the food that I was eating for breakfast - the porridge.
The Water
According to Native teachings, water is the first medicine.
Ntam mashkiki - nbiish
(Ojibwe for: “First Medicine - water)
- When a child cries, we wash their face.
- When we are hot, we wipe our face with a cool, damp cloth.
- When we have a cut, we wash it under running water.
- When we bathe, we cleanse with water.
We know how medicinal water can be, but probably never thought thought of it that way. Most of us have not been taught it, so it is not part of our thought process.
Water: I am grateful
Water is all around us. It's an essential part of the atmosphere and makes up two-thirds of the earth's surface. Around 70 % of the human body is made of water.
It would be difficult to overstate how important water is to your overall health. You cannot live without it. Water flushes waste from your body, regulates body temperature, and aids in brain function.
The Oats
The oats came from the land. Regardless of where and how they were grown, the earth gave us the plants and the seeds. The seeds were grown as a means of rebirth for the plant and, also, become a source of nourishment for the creatures (including us) who eat it.
Oats: I give thanks
Eating oats is linked to an average 7% drop in LDL cholesterol, research shows. Many other things also affect your heart’s health (like what else you eat, how active you are, and whether you smoke), but oatmeal is a simple heart-smart start. Oatmeal also:
- Lowers blood sugar levels
- Provides antioxidants
- Promotes healthy bacteria in your gut
- Helps you to feel full to manage your weight
- Eases constipation
- Relieves skin itching and irritation
The Maple Syrup
The trees, the maple trees, as they awaken in the spring and prepare for a new season of growth, increase the flow of sap that runs through them.
The sap, filled with nutrients, perhaps even to say “a life force”, is gathered by man and boiled down to the consistency of syrup, providing us with a sweetness filled with goodness.
The sap, filled with nutrients, perhaps even to say “a life force”, is gathered by man and boiled down to the consistency of syrup, providing us with a sweetness filled with goodness.
Maple Syrup: a natural blessing
Scientists have identified more than 67 different plant compounds, or polyphenols, nine of which are unique to pure maple syrup. One of these polyphenols, named Quebecol, naturally forms when the sap is boiled to produce maple syrup.
My breakfast
The oats, cooked in the water, sweetened with the maple syrup, creates the porridge that nourished my body and prepares me for the day ahead.
And I give thanks.
- Debbie
And I give thanks.
- Debbie
a simpler life
