Moon Juk, the Period Porridge
From our Embodied Menstruation :: Menstrual Attunement E-Course. Click here to learn more.
Food Therapy is a huge part of my practice. I teach folks with menstrual cycles that during their periods (moontime), the ideal foods to consume are cooked, warmed, and nourishing. An ideal dish to incorporate all of these aspects is a porridge. In walks in Moon Juk (juk is Korean for porridge), the period porridge. Here are the ingredients and why it's so beneficial during our restorative bleeding time.
Adzuki Beans: Easily digestible protein & helps with blood circulation. You can find this in the bulk section of most health food stores and also in your local Asian grocery store.
Job's Tears: Also known as coix seeds. These are gluten-free! It simultaneously drains fluid retention (bloating) while nourishing body fluids (beautifies skin) and reduces inflammation in the body.
Rice: Super easy to digest, sweet rice is a little higher in protein. You can find sweet rice at any Asian grocery store.
Longan Berries: Blood-building tonic
Moon Juk (To be consumed all 4 days of your period for breakfast or snack) 4 servings:
1/4 cup adzuki beans
1/4 cup job's tears
1/4 cup jasmine white rice
1/4 cup sweet rice
1/4 cup longan berries
Here's a video from my mentor on how to make it!
I personally like to soak the first 4 ingredients for several hours or overnight to further increase the digestibility. Rinse until the water runs clear. Add all ingredients including longan berries into a crockpot. Add 6-8 cups of water and cook on low overnight. (Note: some crockpot temperatures vary. If yours runs too low, you may need to use the high setting and just add in more water) It is more beneficial if you cook this slow and long so that you can pull out all of the benefits. You can also use the "porridge" setting on most rice cookers. For rice cookers use 5-6 cups of water. You can also use your Instant Pot on the porridge setting.
Moon Juk can be enjoyed like an oatmeal porridge or you can warm it and blend it into a warm smoothie. I love the warm blended version. Feel free to sprinkle some cinnamon on there. Add a bit of honey to sweeten if your heart desires. See the pics below for the porridge and warm blended versions.
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xoxo, Kris
