Turmeric is yellow.

Groundbreaking stuff, I know.

Does it apologize for being yellow?

Does it beat it self up for staining your fingers and clothes?

NO!

It stands brightly in your spice cupboard saluting you with it’s brazen, sunshine colour ready to PERK up your curries and stews.

I would like to introduce to you….

‘The Pig Dance’.

https://youtu.be/T1nVXg81hbs

When I was a teenager, I created a ‘pig dance’.

I used to perform it at odd moments. Dancing around making oinking noises.

Why?

I don’t know why?

Maybe it was some sort of version of a weird mating call? Luring in unsuspecting teenage boys with the allure of my ‘quirkiness.’

In reality, I am just weird.

Brilliantly and wonderfully WEIRD!

And do you know what?

I am growing to be okay with that!

Do you ever feel like you have ‘imposter’ syndrome?

Do you ever feel like the outsider?

Do you ever feel like the ‘weird’ one?

You are not ALONE.

I spent so many years trying to fit in. Trying to make the popular kids like me. Trying not to be bullied. Trying to dress like everybody else. Trying to be ‘normal’.

I spent so many anxious nights in my room crying, wishing I could fit in. Wishing EVERYONE would like me. Wishing I wasn’t weird.

I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. Pale, freckly and weird.

I shrank myself. Shrank my body and SHRANK my personality. Making myself thinner and thinner, and iller and iller, hoping I would dissapear.

After coming out of the eating disorder clinic, I remember going back to school and people had made up stories about where I had been….

‘She moved to Scotland.’

‘She fell down the stairs and died.’

‘She joined the army.’

‘She was pregnant’

‘She became Queen of the Mole People and now has the ability to control soil, compost and all other forms of dirt!’ (Just to clarify- nobody said that one.)

Instead of disappearing, people had made up stories. They looked at me weirdly in the school halls and treated me like a fragile baby bird.

And that feeling didn’t go away. I went to drama school, I left drama school, I entered life as we know it still feeling like a MASSIVE WEIRDO.

How can we HELP ourselves?

We start to embrace our WEIRD.

That we celebrate our DIFFERENCE.

That we allow ourselves to be a little more vulnerable with each other.

That on the days that we don’t feel okay – we tell others.

That instead of shrinking ourselves or our personalities – we embrace WHO WE ARE.

WE ARE ALL WEIRD!

We all have our quirks.

It’s what makes us so unique and different.

TODAY – I want you to write down 5 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL THINGS about you.

FIVE!!!!!!! I know… Seems like a lot.

I’ll give you mine as an example –

1. I always put SALT in my hot chocolate.
2. I can move my eyes independently from each other. And shake them.
3. I eat kiwis and mangos WITH THEIR SKIN ON! And apples and pears WHOLE. Cores and all.
4. My favourite freckle is one on my stomach. To the lower right of my belly button. I used to draw a smiley face round it when I was a kid. Just for myself.
5. I am terrified of spinning completely upside down. Never done a forward roll. Hate upside down roller coasters.

Look at those things you have written down and accept that they are part of YOU.

And like TURMERIC, there are people’s lives that you BRIGHTEN up.

So on that weird and wonderful note here is my recipe for Turmeric Latte Oats.

EW! DISGUSTING! You are so weird. Why would you put Turmeric in your OATS?!

Trust me, friends. It adds a slightly sweet, spiciness to your porridge. It also contains curcumin; a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, so it’s great for gut health and some research suggests it can improve depression. Also fantastic for your skin and joints. Hello!

It’s literally SUNSHINE in a bowl.

I also whack in some cinnamon, fresh ginger, black pepper and some Macacha Peace Protein Powder for that extra bit of natural sweetness. When you eat BLACK PEPPER with TURMERIC you increase the amount of curcumin your body can absorb (the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant quality).

I’ve topped mine with fresh pears and blueberries. They contrast the spiciness of the turmeric with some extra sweetness.

Especially in these wintery months, it’s great to have some extra SUNSHINE in the morning.

Turmeric Latte Oats

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serving: serves 1 (double quantities as you go if serving for more)

What you’ll need:

• 45g of oats
• Plant based milk (enough to cover oats)
• 3 tbsp of water
• 1 tsp of turmeric.
• 1 tsp of cinnamon.
• 1 tsp of grated ginger.
• 2 grinds of black pepper.
• Sweetener – 2 tbsp of Matcha Peace Protein (or other vanilla protein powder of your choice) or maple syrup or coconut sugar.
• Chopped fresh pears
• Optional – A handful of cashew nuts

How to make it:

• Chop pears and set to one side.
• Place oats, spices and sweetener into a small saucepan or microwavable bowl.
• Pour enough plant based milk to cover the oats. Add 3 tbsp of water. Stir so it is all incorporated.
• If heating on the hob, heat at a low temperature stirring gently to avoid porridge sticking to bottom of pan. Keep stirring until the porridge thickens. Keep stirring until it reaches the consistency that you want. THICK or THIN – YOU DO YOU! You can add more milk if needed. Transfer to bowl.
• If heating in microwave, heat for 2 mins. Then stir. Heat for another 2 mins. Stir. Heat for an extra one minute if you want it slightly thicker. You can add more milk if needed.
• Top with the fresh pear (and other fruit you’d like – be creative – be weird!). Add a handful of cashews for that extra bit of protein.
• Sit down with your oats. Look at it’s brilliant YELLOW colour. It’s different. It’s unique. Just like you. Breathe and enJOY your oats.

Just remember that ALL OF US ARE WEIRD.

All of us feel afraid sometimes.

Speak out.

Speak up.

And just do you!

Much love,

Joy xx

p.s.
(Hidden JOYFULL JOY FOOD easter egg – Did you notice I didn’t add any salt to this one? That’s weird! Brownie points, if you did.)