If you’ve heard about the benefits of oatmeal for an empty stomach, then you must definitely check out a bowl of congee, a special type of rice porridge. Not only does it delicious, it’s very easy to digest and will get you back in feet in no time.
Congee Is The New Oatmeal
Congee works in the same way as oatmeal. It isn’t that oatmeal contains any special nutrients that promise an instant cure for stomach disorders, but it’s bland and easy to digest nature can work wonders for your digestive health.
Science Says Yes
In fact, the benefits of rice porridge weren’t just known to the ancient Chinese. As per a study done by Harvard University and published in the journal JAMA:Internal Medicine , porridge is perhaps the key to a long and healthy life, with experts advising a bowl of porridge a day to keep heart disease at bay. As lead author Dr Hongyu Wu of Harvard School of Public Health says, “These findings further support current dietary guidelines that recommend increasing whole-grain consumption. They also provide promising evidence that suggests a diet enriched with whole grains may confer benefits towards extended life expectancy.” Earlier studies have also emphasised on the positive health benefits of whole grain consumption, which includes boosting bone mineral density, lowering risk of diabetes and blood pressure as well as increase healthy gut bacteria, among others.
Here’s a simple congee recipe to get you started.
Image Courtesy
Add rice, salt, stock and ginger in a pot, bring the mixture to boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Keep stirring to ensure the rice doesn’t stick.
Simmer until the congee is thick and creamy or if it’s over an hour. Add salt and other garnishing flavours as required and serve while hot. You can check out more recipes online.
Featured photo credit: Dion Hinchcliffe via flickr.com
