My Favorite Breakfast Is Loaded With Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients And My Friends Keep Asking Me For The Recipe
This warm and hearty breakfast is easy to prepare in advance 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 These Are the Easy Anti-Inflammatory Lunches I Make Repeatedly
What are healing oats?
My formula for reheating oatmeal starts with the oatmeal. In the debate over which oats reign supreme, I always vote for which one cooks the fastest. (I have two young children at home, so speed is essential!)
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 syrup or agave at the end for a touch of sweetness and added depth of flavor. It’s best to serve the oats in a bowl and top them with a mix of your favorite fruits (like cherries and berries) and seeds and nuts (like walnuts, chia, and flax). It really feels like you’re getting a hug from the inside out, which is no wonder, since 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 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 a ton of health benefits, as they’re loaded 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 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.
