The hot tub plunge pool

I changed the water in the hot tub on the weekend because they recommend doing it every three months or so. This time the water temperature out of the tap was 16C as opposed to the 7C we had in February and consequently it heated up much faster. However I knew we had a hot day forecast yesterday so I decided to heat it only to 28C and try it as a refreshing plunge pool which I did yesterday afternoon.

Aberdeen reached 24C which is a heat wave for us and in the greenhouse with the door open (windows closed) it got to above 30C. With the hot tub plunge pool at 28C it was indeed a lovely and refreshing dip. Since it’s too small to really swim around I got cold after a bit which was nice. We’re returning to more normal cooler days again now so I’ll heat it up a bit higher although what I’ll settle on for summer I’m not yet sure. It’s easy enough to alter in any case.

Can anyone guess what grain this is in the next photo?

They are oats. Or more specifically, oats before any processing has been done to them. The technical term is oat groats and they’re what humans ate for thousands of years before the rolling machine was invented and rolled oats became the norm. But the thing is, these have health benefits: they have a far lower glycemic index, they require more calories to digest (=promote weight loss), and they are digested further down the digestive tract making them a good prebiotic for the organisms there which then produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids. One of these short-chain fatty acids is butyrate which is particularly crucial as it provides fuel for the cells lining your colon which strengthens the gut barrier while simultaneously reducing inflammation, regulating the immune system and lowering blood pressure.

They take longer to cook and need soaking but if you have a pressure cooker you can make them much faster without the need to soak overnight. I make a largish batch which I store in the fridge and eat for breakfast over the next 3-4 days. They have a nicer texture than rolled oats which can get a bit mushy. These are more like rice or pearl barley. Here’s what they look like before cooking.

And here’s my breakfast. I usually complement them with some plain soya greek yoghurt, fruit, and walnuts.