Buckwheat is the star of this breakfast recipe. Why Buckwheat? Buckwheat is not a grain, it is a seed! Surprise!!!! Because it is a seed, it is, like Quinoa, higher in fat and protein than cereal grains. It is actually in the same family as Rhubarb, and is gluten free, making it a good choice for those who have Celiacs, or even those on a Paleo diet, because it is a more wild plant seed. 

Buckwheat can also be used as a grain substitute for those who have insulin resistance. Several studies have shown that adding Buckwheat to breads lower the glycemic index of the food. It also shows the ability to regulate blood sugar levels in those with diabetes, and can be used in those with Type 1. 

Unlike most grains, buckwheat DOES NOT need to be soaked/sprouted/or fermented before consuming. So, it is a good choice for day of pancakes!

Quinoa is not a grain, but a seed. Because of this little fact, it is higher in fat and protein, and does not need to be soaked (like most grains) before cooking. This makes it a healthy and quick breakfast foundation.

Quinoa flakes are similar to rolled oats, and take very little time to cook. We use these quite a bit for quick and healthy breakfast porridges.

Ingredient quality is always important. Choose the best you can and you will see a difference not only in nutritional quality, but flavor.

I think it's great to have versatile recipes. Ones that you have a base knowledge of and can modify based on the ingredients you have on hand. Sweet potato hash is one of those for me. It can be breakfast with eggs, it can be dinner with sausages, and it can be changed up with different added veggies; kale, brussels, poblanos, etc...

This recipe is from my article series "Planning Nutritionally for Labor and Delivery Part 4"

Starchy sweet potatoes help in the production of hyaluronic acid, which is essential for labor and delivery. It is also important for aging, as the hyaluronic acid keeps our skin soft and pliable. This is why it is used as skin serums to reduce wrinkles.

I love breakfast porridges…any grain…savory…sweet…It is just a very satisfying way to start my day. Many of the packages flavored varieties are ridiculously sweet, and full of all sorts of colors, preservatives, and more….yuck. 

I've just recently discovered, and experimented with cooking with fruits and herbs as sweeteners. This one turned out perfect. 

I really like the Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes. They are super easy, and simple ingredients (quinoa). 

This recipe is a good one for anyone looking to increase the nutrient density of their meal, while lowering the amount of added sugar without skimping on taste.

Yesterday afternoon I found myself with a couple of hours of free time....yes this did happen, and it is rare. My kiddos were out playing, and I was really unmotivated to do any actually housework (although it does need it). So to avoid any REAL work, I decided to get creative in the kitchen. I was also craving something sweet! 

My original idea was brownies, but seeing as I did have enough unsweetened cocoa powder to do any good, Blondies seemed like the next best idea. (I have a love affair with brownies, and was really hoping to master a good black bean PCOS brownie yesterday...next time).

Of course all good PCOS baking begins with nuts and nut flours. Nut flours are a wonderful source of fats, fat-soluble vitamins, and fiber. All nutrients that are good for PCOS symptoms...read more in my previous blog posts....

Increasing Dietary Fats to Decrease PCOS Symptoms
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Fat soluble Vitamins and the Epidemic of Deficiency in PCOS

Do you save your extra ripe bananas? I do. We can never seem to make it through our banana bunches fast enough. I don't like bananas, honestly, but LOVE banana bread. So, maybe part of me actually wants them get over ripe so I can save them up for a big batch of this amazing bread. Freezing them makes them extra juicy and the bread extra moist as well. 

I recently had enough bananas saved up to make 3x this recipe. The girls and I had a great afternoon whipping up batch after batch. Two of the loaves went back into the freezer for future deliciousness. 
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Of course, I have to mess with recipes. I cannot just love a recipe and make it the same every time. I am always experimenting. This one came out great, and the kiddos loved it. My original recipe called for equal parts sugar and flour. To me that is just crazy sweet, and it drowns out the flavor of the bananas, no need for that much sugar. So, not only did I cut it down, but I replaced 50% with coconut sugar. I also used sprouted, whole grain flour, and I added Chia Seeds, and Cinnamon.
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Chia seeds are these super tiny, super cute seeds. YES, they are the same seeds that we used as kids to make those awesome Chia Pets grow. Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia! I sing it every time I pull out the bag.

In Oriental Nutrition, Chia Seeds are a Qi Tonic that treats dryness in the body. They moisten and lubricate not only the intestines, but the skin and hair as well. They give the body a burst of sustained and usable energy. In Native American cultures Chia Seeds were consumed before contests and battles to give those who consumed them long lasting energy.

Chia Seeds are second only to Flax in the amount of Omega 3 Fatty Acids they contain, and unlike Flax, they do not need to be ground in order to access these EFA's. 

The Nutritional Profile of Chia Seeds help make it a good food for reducing inflammation and treating insulin resistance (a growing problem in all age groups.). The Magnesium in Chia Seeds regulates the secretion of insulin and its uptake into the cells. The high fiber content is slow to break down and reduces insulin spikes. Overall, Chia Seeds have been shown to slow the secretion of glucose into the blood.
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No one in my house has issues with insulin resistance, but that doesn't mean I don't want to prevent it. So, I take steps in my cooking, especially when baking or making sweet treats, to keep the sugar levels down, and add ingredients that lessen the effects of sugar in the body. Cinnamon is a great addition to sweet breads like this one. 

In Oriental Medicine Cinnamon is not only for culinary use, but is a medical herb found in the Materia Medica. It's uses are vast. Considered a Warming/Sweet/Acrid herb, it is used to treat conditions of; common colds, joint pain, menstrual irregularity, asthma, increases circulation, night sweats and wasting and thirsting disease (diabetes).
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Cinnamon and Sugar....it just sounds right doesn't it.  There is conflicting research on Cinnamon for lowering blood sugar. Most of these focus on long term supplemental use of high doses of cinnamon not associated with a meal. One study I found researched what happened when Cinnamon was added to sugar. In this study, there was a slowing of the absorption of the sugar in the group that consumed equal amounts of cinnamon with the sugar.  The theory, based on this study, is that cinnamon binds to the sugar molecules and slows their digestion and absorption into the blood stream.
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Coconut Sugar is still a sugar. It is a lower glycemic sweetener, YES, but it is fructose and fructose is not measured by the glycemic index. The glycemic index does measure how quickly a foods raises your blood sugar. So in that regard, coconut sugar is better than regular sugar. Some other benefits of coconut sugar are that, unlike granulated sugar, it is full of minerals like zinc and iron, and an array of antioxidants. It also has a high Inulin content. A fiber that isn't digested but works as a prebiotic feeding the good bacteria in your digestive system.  So, overall, there are more benefits to using it over granulated white sugar.

Fructose does not affect your blood sugar, it does however affect your Liver. Unlike glucose, which can be metabolized in every cell in your body, fructose can only be metabolized in the liver. It's metabolism mimics that of alcohol. Too much fructose, like too much alcohol, can cause the same myriad of health issues. The key is moderation. Coconut Sugar is 39% Fructose.

Caution: Just because it has a better profile that granulated sugar, does not mean you can eat it until your hearts content. All sweets and sugars should be monitored and not overeaten. Naturally occurring sweets, occasionally, is not bad, and if you are making good choices that give you added nutrition long with it, you should be just fine. Those who have inflammatory, or auto-immune issues should be wary and monitor their sugar (of any kind) intake.

***NOTE: AS MUCH AS I HAVE TRIED TO KEEP THE GLYCEMIC VALUES DOWN, IT IS STILL NOT THE BEST. BANANAS IN GENERAL ARE A NO-NO FOOD FOR THOSE NEEDING TO CONTROL BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, AND COOKING THEM INCREASES THEIR BLOOD SUGAR RAISING QUALITIES. THAT BEING SAID, HERE ARE THE LEVELS I WAS ABLE TO REACH, AND THESE ARE ROUGH, SO IT COULD VARY BASED ON THE INGREDIENTS YOU USE AND HOW BIG YOUR SERVING SIZE IS.

​GI: 51
​GL: 27-34