Foods to get better by...

OK - so I came down with a bug this month. I did alright, recovering in a few days, but what did I eat? I thought I'd take a picture for you!

From bottom left, clockwise:

• Oven cooked oatmeal with apples and cinnamon and a bit of goat milk
  
• Tea decoction including echinacea, ginger, lemon, fenugreek, thyme, fennel, flax, and a little licorice root (that was made for my condition on the day that I had it.. this isn't a catch-all solution)
  
• Sprouted bread, slightly toasted
• Pureed leftover soup stock ingredients
• Water with oxygen and a little apple cider vinegar
• Mochi (white,.. it was a gift) with nori paper

This was on the day that I noticed I was starting to heal, otherwise in the acute stages I'd suggest eating very little or only teas or foods cooked in lots of water (thus the soup stock!).. once the body starts to feel like it's winning, food is better suited if not overeaten, especially grains and cooked veggies. I picked at this tray all day... it was nice to have handy as I sat on my big pillow and let the healing juices flow.

Okayu - soup for the sick Japanese soul

North Americans reach for instant, MSG laden, refined and boxed chicken noodle soup when feeling ill - Japanese however reach for okayu. This is such an incredible healing tonic, I recommend it for anyone feeling 'off', or having poor energy or immunity and need to heal. This will do it!

The base, and power of this fantastic "soup" is the really well cooked rice in ample water. You can try grinding the rice first if you wish, to have it cook a little quicker, but otherwise cook 1 part brown rice to 4 parts water or more. The more time, the more water, the more healing magic.

In this thickish rice soup, add seaweed (kombu or wakame), chopped leeks or green onion, black pepper, cayenne, and/or ginger. And then finally, when at a boil, pour in a beaten egg or two, stir, and then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for as long as you can allow. If it gets too thick, just add water. AHH!!!...... healing, and surprisingly delicious despite the appearance from the photo - it really is good and nurturing!