Brown is Beautiful: Benefits of brown foods in your daily routine
Brown is often under the radar in wellness, but it truly is a thing of beauty! This understated color does so much behind the scenes and deserves more recognition for its contribution to overall wellness.
What inspired me to write about this? While creating the recipe for French onion rice (inspired by my friend Gisela who told me she first tried our mushroom brainiac with onions and rice-genius!) I saw such beauty in deglazing a pan of brainiac coated caramelized onions and sliced cremini mushrooms with sherry, and a white bean and almond mylk “cream”. In my eyes, it was mesmerizing, almost like the classic chocolate and vanilla swirl in the land of sweet, only this was rich, full of nutrients, and savory.
The aromatics are intoxicating and could even be a candle on its own. So, as we think of wellness and “eat the rainbow” let’s give some extra credit to the color that doesn’t ask for the spotlight yet deserves a leading role!
Specifically, lets highlight the power of the mushroom. To keep it simple, let’s unpack these fungi into two categories:
-the common grocery shroom (cremini, portabella, button, shitake, porcini)
-low in calories, HIGH in essential nutrients such as B vitamins, selenium, copper and potassium…. hello healthy weight!
-rich in antioxidants and stimulate the immune system…bye bye colds (or at least a shorter life span)
-the medicinal shroom (reishi and lions mane…not the trippy ones)
-often bitter, astringent and not typically considered as a cooking ingredient, yet known to take health and wellness to the next level.
-rooted in traditional Chinese and ayurvedic medicine (I like to think of these ingredients as mother natures hidden recipe box)
-Reishi “the mushroom of immortality” prized for its ability to support longevity and overall health with his adaptogenic qualities
-Lions Mane: this shockingly beautiful medicinal shroom is known for enhancing cognitive function (brain boosting), reducing anxiety and potentially nerve repair.
So next time you question your finished dish because its “so brown and needs color” don’t be hard on yourself. While they may not be as colorful as their rainbow counterparts, brown foods are packed with nutrients that promote health and wellness. From the nutritional gold mine of mushrooms and fiber-rich benefits of whole grains to the healthy fats found in nuts and seeds, these foods offer a range of benefits for your heart, brain, digestion, and more!
Cheers to seeing and celebrating the undercover color of fall…BROWN!