Give your breakfast routine, and your body, a little oomph with a spoonful of congee. Congee is a traditional Chinese food to help your body tame heat-related symptoms from colds, flus, and inflammatory conditions.

Scoop up some porridge made from rice and add in other ingredients to support your body’s efforts to cool and nourish. Congee is rice cooked lowly and slowly in a lot of water to porridge consistency. This soup-like porridge is easily digested and builds blood energy, supplying your body with power it needs to tame heat symptoms like fever and inflammation.

With its cooling and demulcent (relieving inflammation or irritation) properties, Congee is beneficial during sickness but also popular as a nourishing breakfast choice for those needing spleen and digestive support.

Congee in a crock pot is an easy way to cook up some of this wholesome goodness and you can throw in other ingredients to add a dash of flavor or to further supplement vitamins and minerals your body needs to feel relief.

Basic slow cooker recipe:

1 cup rinsed rice
6 cups liquid, like water, dairy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk

Place the rice and liquid in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. The amount of liquid you use, determines the thickness of the porridge. For a sweeter congee, add fruits or dried berries and spices like vanilla or cinnamon.

Dr. Stueber’s favorite toppings are goji berries with walnuts and a little honey.

~ Julie Taylor