My Favorite Breakfast Is Full of Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients and My Friends Keep Asking Me for the Recipe

This warm, hearty breakfast is an easy make-ahead preparation for your week or a thoughtful homemade gift for anyone in your life who is on the mend.

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Reviewed by registered dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, MS, RDReviewed by registered dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, MS, RD

The text or call from a friend that they had a safe delivery is always the best message to receive, and from my local friends, these messages are often followed by: “But have you ever had curative oats at Valley Hospital? »

Valley Hospital is a local hospital in my area that makes a healing oatmeal and turmeric bowl for those who have given birth. My friends who had babies in this hospital became obsessed with it.

These numerous messages piqued my curiosity as to the particularity of these oat flakes. The oats were bright yellow (no doubt packed with turmeric) and topped with a variety of fresh fruits, nuts and seeds. I decided to create a recipe for them and eventually perfected it. It’s now my favorite gift for new moms and neighbors recovering from surgery. And now you can do it too.

Related: I Have Chronic Inflammation and These Are the Easy Anti-Inflammatory Lunches I Make Repeatedly

What are healing oats?

My formula for warming healing oats starts with rolled oats. In the debate over which oatmeal reigns supreme, my vote is always for the one that cooks the fastest. (I have two young children at home, so speed is key!)

The oatmeal is cooked in equal parts water and full-fat coconut milk, giving the base of the oat bowl a smooth, creamy texture. A spice blend of turmeric, black pepper, freshly grated ginger, and cinnamon gives the oats a beautiful yellow color, as well as a pleasant melting flavor that feels like it’s healing you from the inside out. Depending on what I have available, I may also add spices like cardamom, nutmeg and cloves.

I stir in a little maple syrup or agave at the end for a hint of sweetness and depth of flavor. Oatmeal is best served in a bowl and topped with your choice of combination of fruits (like cherries and berries) and seeds and nuts (like walnuts, chia, and flax). They really feel like a hug from the inside of your body – no wonder, since oats are packed with warming and anti-inflammatory benefits.

What makes it an anti-inflammatory breakfast

It’s no secret that turmeric and ginger lead the pack of anti-inflammatory spices, but did you know they work better together? The combination of powerful spices offers more anti-inflammatory properties in combination than alone, research suggests. Black pepper is also essential here. The spice has its own anti-inflammatory properties, but it also interacts positively with turmeric. “Combining the spice with black pepper may help increase your body’s ability to absorb the beneficial compounds in turmeric,” says Mary-Eve Brown, RD, a clinical dietitian at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

I also love adding cinnamon, a comforting spice, to as many dishes as possible, from these oatmeal to savory chicken dishes to chili and beyond. The cinnamon adds so much flavor, while increasing the anti-inflammatory properties of the dish.

My favorite topping for one of my favorite breakfasts is nuts. It’s no secret that nuts have numerous health benefits, as they’re packed with everything from omega-3 fatty acids to fiber. Nuts have also been shown to reduce markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, which are associated with chronic disease. My favorites are walnuts, pistachios or pecans. (Or all three!)

Finally, there is the unscientific part of healing from home-cooked meals. My postpartum gift to girlfriends is always a deposit of easy, quick and filling meals. I usually try to pack them with anti-inflammatory ingredients to promote healing. As someone who received a delivery of homemade food while recovering from a C-section, I know the relief and thoughtfulness of having nourishing food in the fridge. That’s why I run the Healing Oat Plant in my kitchen, so I can make my friends feel taken care of from the inside out all year long.

Read the original article on Eating Well.