Embracing Dolphin Mode and the Joy of Kitchen Sink Living This Spring
- Brainz Magazine
- Mar 26
- 6 min read
Written by Jack Rasmussen, American Author and Actor
Jack Rasmussen is a leader in the worlds of performance science, the food industry, religion, education, and entertainment. Growing up in Silicon Valley and studying Business, Cinema, and Journalism at the University of Southern California has allowed him to explore creative pathways to raise people's vibration and meta-awareness within their respective fields.
Spring is the ideal season to embrace Dolphin Mode, which involves reinventing classic recipes, utilizing the power of leftovers, and experiencing fresh physical, spiritual, and emotional waves.
Dana Wharf, Orange County
According to Dana Wharf, “The Whale Watching Capital of the World,” recognized for its prime location along the migratory path of gray whales, dolphins are opportunistic feeders. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching is the oldest and highest-rated whale-watching organization in Orange County, operating since 1971. It offers tours for whale and dolphin watching. The organization has studied dolphins' diets and claims they can adapt to their environments like intelligent mammalian chameleons (Dana Wharf, 2024).
I now embrace Dolphin Mode because, as the weather warms and we approach summer (my favorite season), it is the perfect time to get fit and adopt a “Kitchen Sink” mentality. This mindset involves re-centering, reorganizing, decluttering, and appreciating the little things in life. Therefore, “Kitchen Sink” signifies “fine readjustment” and refers to the central spot in the kitchen where dishes are cleaned, items are washed, natural water is dispensed, and recipes can be crafted from scraps.
Dolphin Jack: Good food
First, I strongly advocate fasting. This is not necessarily for religious reasons; fasting can clear your mind and help you re-center, much like cleaning your kitchen sink, which can address the mess in your kitchen, and refreshing your laundry room, which can revitalize your bedroom. Eating, like a dolphin, should come from necessity, not compulsion.
According to Hone Health, David Sinclair, a top longevity expert and founder of Tally Health, has lowered his biological age to 42 from 53 via a daily 16:8 fasting schedule to activate “autophagy,” a process through which your body gets rid of old and damaged cells. The 16:8 fasting schedule means only eating within an eight-hour window and fasting the other sixteen hours straight. This healthy habit promotes weight loss and has allowed Sinclair to age backward, thanks to an exercise routine and a plant-based diet featuring colorful vegetables, less sugar, green Japanese matcha, and plenty of fluids (Harding, 2024).
Similar to Sinclair, I have found comfort in minimalism and discipline. Like my lifestyle, I prefer to keep my pantry light: nuts, fresh fruit, vegetables, protein bars, protein powder, Extra gum, hot sauce, oats, peanut butter, almond butter, coffee, and water. My favorite meal is my peanut butter oatmeal, which often constitutes my breakfast and lunch. A plant-based diet, or even a “pollo-pescatarian” diet, as I call myself, does not need to forfeit taste or texture.
Texture taste
Humans can detect five distinct tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami (or savory). Textures introduce a new dimension to the sensory experience of taste, unlocking and enhancing various flavor combinations. The crunchiness of garlic-roasted asparagus, the creaminess of sweet potatoes, and the chewiness of 7-grain whole wheat bread can come together to create a vegetarian open-face sandwich that embodies what I call C-Cubed: crunchy, creamy, and chewy, representing the ultimate combination in every bite.
Fruits and vegetables may get hard, soft, or firm texture descriptors. A freshly cut apple should be crunchy and crispy to me. Other descriptors may include smooth, rough, sticky, lumpy, or gritty. The beauty is that texture description has a lot of nuance and variety as you journey through different food groups and cultures. Of course, some uniform foods even have multiple textures, such as cake with its soft sponge and often crunchy or creamy topping. How food feels in your mouth, the sound it makes when you chew it, and its appearance can contribute to its overall texture profile and the texture experience. “Rheology” is the study of the physical properties of food, which food scientists look at to further understand how texture is curated and perceived, as everyone digests texture differently to their naked eye.
The Jack Razz “Kitchen sink oatmeal” recipe
My signature vegetarian-friendly oatmeal has worn many hats. I have gone from almond to oat to coconut milk, and from bottled to tap water to constitute the base. I have also switched up the fruits and the butter topping, trying different peanut butter and almond butter brands.
I have recently been devouring Happy Village Organic Sun-Dried Figs. These beautiful, chewy purple fruits are delectable, fiber-rich, and unsulfured. Of course, they are Non-GMO Project Verified, USDA Organic, and certified gluten-free. I gravitate toward them because of their irresistible texture, featuring chewy outer skin and a soft, smooth, seedy, and sweet meaty interior. They are the centerpiece of this heart-healthy concoction.
When I create a recipe now, I like to consider the texture combinations that capture color and chewing quality. First, I pour a cup of golden old-fashioned rolled Quaker Oats into my gray bowl. Next, I put one and a half cups of crystal-clear tap water into the bowl and heat the oats for about a minute and a half in the microwave. Then, I chop up seven purple dried figs. I add a quarter cup of pumpkin seed and flaxseed granola.
Next, I get into the fruit. I chop up one regal red-green Fuji apple. I add a handful of bright pull-me-over or cover-me-up red raspberries and magical dark black-purple blackberries. I then add a quarter cup of black silk coffee concentrate to add moisture to the oatmeal and fruit.
Now comes the dry, crunchy, smooth goods to mesh with the soft, crispy fruit and creamy, firm rolled oats. I stir in a quarter cup of nutty brown mixed and salted nuts (a mixture of cashews, almonds, pecans, Brazil nuts, and macadamia nuts).
Then comes a small or quarter scoop of velvet-smooth, white, chalky whey vanilla ice cream protein powder to add more protein to the mix. Vegans can substitute plant-based soybean, pea, or hemp seed protein powder.
Then, I add the glue: a generous scoop of tropical cream, brown, creamy peanut butter for the finale. Of course, Vietnamese woody maroon-brown cinnamon is sprinkled on top to finish off The Jack Razz “Kitchen Sink Oatmeal” recipe.
The purpose of “Kitchen Sink Oatmeal” is to engulf your taste buds in a journey of texture with every bite you take, from hard to soft and crispy to creamy. The meal is also balanced, offering an abundance of protein, fiber, natural sugars, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. While encompassing a delightful blend of objects that may be sitting around in your pantry or refrigerator, we are creating a colorful bowl of nutrients, rich in textures and flavor combinations.
Zen hypertaste
Many people consider taste without taking texture or color into account. I enjoy comparing the authentic sensory palate experience to a hypercar’s high-performance horsepower. Just as the Devel Sixteen can deliver 5,007 horsepower with its V16 quad-turbocharged engine (Edkins, 2024), your taste buds can experience heavenly delight when texture and flavor are genuinely appreciated.
I recently savored a Zen Burger from Buddha Belly Burger Plant-Based Eatery, featuring crispy blue oyster Maha mushrooms, green onions, spicy mayo, lettuce, red onions, and microgreens. While eating, I observed the toasted brown bun, the bright orange shredded carrots, the crisp light green lettuce, and the grayish-blue savory mushrooms merging with sweet onions and spicy, creamy mayo. I closed my eyes and treasured C-Cubed: the crunchy combination of red and green onion and blue mushroom, the creaminess of the pink-orange mayo mixing with the umami-rich warm mushroom juice, and the chewiness of the soft buns. My attention to the food rewarded my senses and provided satisfaction.
For your next meal, reflect on how the ingredients’ colors and the food’s texture influence the tasting experience. I encourage you to chew slowly and drink water with your meals, aiming for 20 chews each bite. Do not rush the experience. Savor the emotional connection with the food. The goal for all healthy humans should be to pursue mindful meals rather than succumbing to compulsive cravings. Achieve true balance through a lifestyle and meals emphasizing convenience, abundance, and texture.
Dolphin Mode engaged. Do not be afraid to roam in the kitchen sink and explore all the texture and taste combinations readily available. Enjoy every bite. 2025 is the year of the mushroom burger, C-Cubed, and perhaps “kitchen sink.”
Jack Rasmussen, American Author and Actor
Jack Rasmussen is a leader in the worlds of performance science, the food industry, religion, education, and entertainment. Growing up in Silicon Valley and studying Business, Cinema, and Journalism at the University of Southern California has allowed him to explore creative pathways to raise people's vibration and meta-awareness within their respective fields. He is the award-winning author of Fine Dining: The Secrets Behind the Restaurant Industry (2022) and Yin Yang: The Elusive Symbol That Explains the World (2023). He has worked with the National Science Foundation, California food banks, and international directors to help alleviate food waste and teach cultural literacy, among other expressions of his storytelling interests. He wants to continue to help serve and inspire global citizens to explore the unexplored and become more cognizant of and comfortable with their authentic presence through sharing his own. His artistic aim stays true: spread thought-provoking peanut butter and connective jelly.
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