Food Rx: Over-the-counter oatmeal
Here’s how to turn your Phase 1 oatmeal into a dose of powerful medicine: Brew 1-2 cups of your favorite medicinal tea (see below for suggestions) and use that as the water to make your oatmeal in the morning. Then add fruits than also help cure what ails you and you’ve got a prescription from nature’s “farmacy.”
6 ways to turn your oatmeal into a prescription for health
Here’s how to make a medicinal breakfast that tastes delicious.
1. Are you struggling with constipation?
Try senna (Smooth Move tea), fennel tea and/or clove tea to make your oatmeal. Couple this with either fresh figs or papaya and you have a fiber-rich meal with natural laxative properties that will get those bowels moving once and for all. Please note: A small number of people are sensitive to senna. If you experience intestinal distress, stop using senna. For more on easing constipation, see Keeping it Moving.
2. Do you have water weight, swelling, bloating or edema?
Try dandelion root tea, parsley and/or nettle tea to make your oatmeal. The natural diuretic effects of raspberries and Asian pears make these fruits the perfect match to let go of the water weight and give you that ‘shrink-wrapped,’ toned look.
3. Are you fatigued and foggy and in need of an energy boost?
Use ginseng and/or licorice tea to make your oatmeal. Both considered restorative teas, they are said to boost your resilience to stress and stress-related fatigue. Add ½ teaspoon of raw cacao to support your adrenals, and kick it up a notch with energy boosting fruits. Mangoes and watermelon are loaded with natural sugars that give you a quick energy surge, but their high fiber content gives you strength and staying power. Or add kiwi, the most micro-nutrient-dense food on the planet, to your breakfast for an energy packed punch.
4. Do you suffer from PMS or irregular periods?
Cook your oatmeal in valerian and/or lemon balm tea. (Lemon balm is also very useful for cold sores that pop up during some women’s time of the month; you can apply a steeped bag directly to the cold sore.) Add cooked sweet potatoes to your oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of stevia. Sweet potatoes are calming and have phytonutrients that help balance hormones and mood.
5. Are you tired of hot flashes, menopausal weight gain and or vaginal dryness?
Mint, black cohosh and/or linden tea (especially powerful for dry skin) are all amazing to help alleviate the symptoms of “the change.” Brew these and use the tea to make an oatmeal with apricots. Apricots are known for their ability to help balance hormones and move that tough to get rid of hormonal based belly fat.
Remember, the metabolism affects every aspect of your health and the Fast Metabolism Diet is designed to support your body in very strategic and therapeutic ways. This is a unique way to make your breakfast an extra-strength dose of just the right medicine! Want more flavor ideas for oatmeal? See Oatmeal 5 Ways.
As always, if you are taking medications, check with your doctor before taking any herbal remedies. Some can conflict with other medications.
Here’s how to turn your Phase 1 oatmeal into a dose of powerful medicine: Brew 1-2 cups of your favorite medicinal tea (see below for suggestions) and use that as the water to make your oatmeal in the morning. Then add fruits than also help cure what ails you and you’ve got a prescription from nature’s “farmacy.”
6 ways to turn your oatmeal into a prescription for health
Here’s how to make a medicinal breakfast that tastes delicious.
1. Are you struggling with constipation?
Try senna (Smooth Move tea), fennel tea and/or clove tea to make your oatmeal. Couple this with either fresh figs or papaya and you have a fiber-rich meal with natural laxative properties that will get those bowels moving once and for all. Please note: A small number of people are sensitive to senna. If you experience intestinal distress, stop using senna. For more on easing constipation, see Keeping it Moving.
2. Do you have water weight, swelling, bloating or edema?
Try dandelion root tea, parsley and/or nettle tea to make your oatmeal. The natural diuretic effects of raspberries and Asian pears make these fruits the perfect match to let go of the water weight and give you that ‘shrink-wrapped,’ toned look.
3. Are you fatigued and foggy and in need of an energy boost?
Use ginseng and/or licorice tea to make your oatmeal. Both considered restorative teas, they are said to boost your resilience to stress and stress-related fatigue. Add ½ teaspoon of raw cacao to support your adrenals, and kick it up a notch with energy boosting fruits. Mangoes and watermelon are loaded with natural sugars that give you a quick energy surge, but their high fiber content gives you strength and staying power. Or add kiwi, the most micro-nutrient-dense food on the planet, to your breakfast for an energy packed punch.
4. Do you suffer from PMS or irregular periods?
Cook your oatmeal in valerian and/or lemon balm tea. (Lemon balm is also very useful for cold sores that pop up during some women’s time of the month; you can apply a steeped bag directly to the cold sore.) Add cooked sweet potatoes to your oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of stevia. Sweet potatoes are calming and have phytonutrients that help balance hormones and mood.
5. Are you tired of hot flashes, menopausal weight gain and or vaginal dryness?
Mint, black cohosh and/or linden tea (especially powerful for dry skin) are all amazing to help alleviate the symptoms of “the change.” Brew these and use the tea to make an oatmeal with apricots. Apricots are known for their ability to help balance hormones and move that tough to get rid of hormonal based belly fat.
Remember, the metabolism affects every aspect of your health and the Fast Metabolism Diet is designed to support your body in very strategic and therapeutic ways. This is a unique way to make your breakfast an extra-strength dose of just the right medicine! Want more flavor ideas for oatmeal? See Oatmeal 5 Ways.
As always, if you are taking medications, check with your doctor before taking any herbal remedies. Some can conflict with other medications.
