Ni Hao Noodle Soup is one of my morning favorites. A bowl of soup for breakfast will warm you up and fill up your belly.
This particular soup is so fantastic because it tastes good, it is healthy, and you don’t have to be a graduate of culinary school to make it. Cook some noodles, chop some veggies, throw them in a pot with water, turn up the heat for 5 minutes and that’s it!
Eating soup for breakfast ignites your digestive fire keeping you strong and energized for the rest of your day.
Fill a pot up with filtered water, bring to a boil and add the rice noodles. Turn down the heat and let them cook for 6 – 8 minutes or until tender. While these are cooking, in a separate pot turn the heat to medium high and add the coconut oil. As soon as it melts throw in the chopped carrot, cabbage, and zucchini and stir fry for about a minute or until veggies start to soften. Add enough filtered water until the veggies are covered and let cook for another couple of minutes. As soon as noodles are soft drain the water, rinse them, and add them into the pot with the veggies. Upon serving add tamari, a dash of toasted sesame oil, chopped green onion, cilantro, and a boiled egg. Eat with chop sticks and soup spoon.
If you notice that you have a reaction to wheat and gluten containing products then it is best and very easy to avoid them. Many stores including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, and Ralphs carry gluten alternatives such as rice or quinoa noodles. Although these alternatives are processed foods they may not cause a reaction and may be tolerated better by your body.
How can you tell if you have a wheat or gluten sensitivity? Common complaints include foggy thinking, depression, itching, eczema, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, irritability, and aching joints. If you have any of these symptoms try avoiding gluten for a couple of weeks or do an elimination diet. If these symptoms disappear you may have a sensitivity and should stay on a gluten free diet and/or seek further testing.
With a vast drop in temperature, darker skies and rainy days, winter is the most yin of all the seasons. It is associated with the kidney and bladder organs, the color black, the element water, the emotion fear, and salty and bitter flavors.
Goji berries are one of the most well known Chinese herbs in the US. Used for over 2000 years in China, they were first mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, the oldest known book on Chinese herbs in 200 BC. They are prized for their ability to tonify blood and yin without causing stagnation. Consumed daily in China as a food and herbal medicine, goji berries are revered for their anti-aging properties. They are used in many beauty tonics.
