I’m excited and grateful to be alive this morning! You’d be amazed at the little things that excites me. This morning I woke up and laid in bed for a few minutes with my thoughts, deep breathing, mapping out a few goals in my head, contemplating what to cook for dinner today.

My body was totally relaxed. Then one of the best things happened to me. I love when this occurs! I live for these moments. Like clock work, this takes place every single morning, every day of my life (if I’m home and relaxed and in my element). It also happens when I’m away from home, however, my body has to be relaxed. This actually takes place several times of the day but it really sets the tone of the day for me in the mornings, cause of all the excitement.

Let me back up a little. Yesterday, I prepared this bowl of porridge for breakfast. Let me just say: I love porridges! They are warm, d’luscious and satiating.  My grandma NEVER went to the supermarket to buy no box of cereal. NEVER. She always prepared porridges (warm, wholesome cereals) when I was a child, so this brings back many memories for me. The Holistic Health Coach and Chef in me, has taken my grandmother’s porridges to a whole different level by adding other wholesome foods to increase the nutritional value and boost immunity. I added ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb which supports thyroid function and hormone imbalance. This porridge is such a bad ass, that it taste absolutely amazing even when it’s cold.

I knew exactly all the fiber rich ingredients that I would add to this porridge. I planned it out in my sleep. No joke, chefs do that.

This here is my fantubu’luscious chia seeds, tri color quinoa, cornmeal porridge with warm spices. As Jamaicans we almost always add nutmeg to just about any porridge or creamy drinks. Traditionally cinnamon leaves are utilized more than cinnamon sticks (in Jamaica) to enhance the flavor of porridges. Anyways, I got a pantry full of healing spices, so I added cardamon, star anise, pimento seeds and more. Remember, I’m an extremely passionate chef, a food enthusiast, so I literally go in search of all things healthy and tasty. Chia seeds are an excellent source of omega 3’s which protects the heart therefore reducing your risks of heart disease.

What I personally love about chia is that it is supremely high in fiber which promotes healthy digestion, bowel regularity and healthy stool. Did I just mention healthy stool? OMG! Healthy stools excites me! Bowel regularity excites me! i don’t know about you but I sure ain’t with being constipated. Like clock work, every single morning between 4am and 5am, (I’m an early riser), it happens. Arms length, streak free bowel movements. Sorry to be so graphic. I literally feel as if I performed my own inexpensive, non invasive colonoscopy. I fed my body colon food and my colon loved me right back. I refuse to have food sitting up in me for days, weeks, months. This has set the tone for my day.

Taking the necessary steps to ensure that I use health promoting ingredients keeps me grounded, sane, with gorgeously glowing skin, beautiful and healthy from the inside out and regular bowel movements.  I sprinkled hemp seeds on top of my d’luscious porridge. Boy do I love me some hemp seeds! I almost always add a fruit compote to my porridges and my moscato fruit compote included fresh mango, strawberry, peaches and bananas.  I forgot to take a photo after I sprinkled some golden flaxseeds on the top. I apologize.

What fiber rich foods do you add your diet?