Warming Winter Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal: The Winter Breakfast Bowl That Supports Your Immune System

This warming winter cinnamon apple oatmeal is the perfect way to beat the cold winter blues. Besides providing hardy nourishment in the AM, it may help you ward off the many illnesses that tend to be passed around this time of year. Plus, it’s ready in just 7 minutes!

First, here are a few of the benefits:

Oats and Apples: Both oatmeal and apples contain soluble fiber, which may help ward off illness by supporting the immune system. In particular, research shows that beta glucan, a type of fiber found in oats, significantly enhances the human immune system response to bacterial infection.

A clinical human trial Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, based on a double-blind, randomized study in healthy subjects, has shown that beta-glucan helps prevent colds, improves symptoms and increases the body’s potential to defend against invading pathogens.

Cinnamon can balance your blood sugar and has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Cardamom has been used in traditional Eastern medicine to treat a variety of health concerns, from digestive issues to respiratory problems.

Cloves naturally freshen breath and aid in soothing many digestive issues.

Now, here’s the recipe:

Warming Winter Oatmeal

(serves 1)

Ingredients

1 cup water

3 cloves

3 cardamom pods

½ cup rolled oats (5-minute kind)

1 apple or pear, diced or sliced

¼ tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. raw walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

2 tsp. shredded coconut

2-3 tsp. ground flax

salt, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Add water, cloves, and cardamom to a pot, and bring to a boil.

Add oats, apple or pear, and cinnamon. Cover, and bring down to medium low. Cook for 7 minutes, or until water has been completely absorbed. So this will take slightly longer than the normal 5 minutes, because of the apple.

Remove cloves and cardamom pods and discard.

Pour into a bowl, top with nuts, coconut, and flax, and a pinch of salt, and mix well.
Get the printable recipe here.

Author: Maria Marlowe is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who has helped thousands of people improve their health by optimizing their diet. She has created meal plans and programs to help you lose weight, clear up acne, and spend less time in the kitchen yet still eat healthy.

She has been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, NBC, Well + Good, and more. Her first book, The Real Food Grocery Guide (to be released May 2017), will teach you how to eat healthy without going broke.