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
A text or call from a friend saying they have delivered safely is always the best message to receive, and from my local friends these messages are often followed by: “But have you had the healing oats at Valley Hospital yet?”
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 Here Are the Easy Anti-Inflammatory Lunches I Make on Repeat
What is healing oats?
My recipe for warming healing oats starts with rolled oats. In the debate over which oat reigns supreme, my vote always goes to the one that cooks the fastest. (I have two young kids in my house, so speed is key!)
The oats are cooked in equal parts water and full-fat coconut milk, which gives the base of the oatmeal bowl a smooth, creamy texture. A spice blend of turmeric, black pepper, freshly grated ginger, and cinnamon gives the oats their beautiful yellow color, as well as a pleasant earthy 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 add a little maple or agave syrup at the end for a touch of sweetness and deeper flavor. It’s best to serve the oats in a bowl and top them with a mix of fruits of your choice (like cherries and berries) and seeds and nuts (like walnuts, chia, and flax). It really feels like you’re being hugged from the inside of your body, which is no wonder, because oats are packed with warming and anti-inflammatory benefits.
What makes this breakfast anti-inflammatory?
It’s no secret that turmeric and ginger are the most effective anti-inflammatory spices, but did you know they work better together? The combination of these two powerful spices provides more anti-inflammatory properties in combination than alone, according to research. Black pepper is also essential here. The spice has its own anti-inflammatory properties, but it also interacts with turmeric in a positive way. “Combining the spice with black pepper may help increase your body’s ability to absorb the beneficial compounds in turmeric,” says Mary-Eve Brown, a clinical dietitian at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
I also like to add cinnamon, a warming spice, to as many dishes as possible, from these oatmeal to savory chicken dishes to chili and more. Cinnamon adds lots of flavor, while increasing the anti-inflammatory properties of the dish.
Nuts are one of my favorite breakfast foods. 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 found 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 aspect of healing through home-cooked meals. After giving birth, my gift to my friends is always delivering easy, quick and filling meals. I usually try to fill them with anti-inflammatory ingredients to promote healing. Having received a delivery of home-cooked meals while recovering from a C-section, I know how comforting and caring it is to have nourishing food in the fridge. That’s why I keep the healing oat plant running in my kitchen, so my friends feel taken care of from the inside out all year round.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
