Simple oats fill your body full of energy to take you through to lunchtime. I enjoy making steel cut oats when the weather gets cooler and I feel that I need something warm in my tummy. I find oats on their own to be heavy and rather bland, so when I cook up steel cut oats I love to add warming spices to keep my digestive fire (Agni) stoked. Not only are they good for me, but they add such a delicious aroma to my bowl that it starts my day off with a smile.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ― Hippocrates

Here are some of the traditional healing properties of the ingredients that make up this recipe.

Steel cut oats: minimally processed, lower glycemic index than rolled oats, contain more fiber than rolled or quick oats as well as more protein, they are also good for memory and who couldn’t use a little boost to their memory? Oats have a warming thermal energy and help to restore the nervous and reproductive systems, strengthens the spleen-pancreas, removes cholesterol from the digestive tract and arteries and strengthens the cardiac muscles.

Dates: have traditionally been used to break fast during Ramadan. These sweet dried fruits are packed with fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, B6 and antioxidants.

Raisons: contain potassium, iron, B6, magnesium and calcium as well as dietary fiber.

Cinnamon: a lovely fragrant warming herb that is antiseptic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, helps build digestive fire. Cinnamon has an affinity towards the heart, lungs and digestive tract and it helpful in improving circulation, relieving colds and congestion, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Ginger: another fragrant warming herb that acts as an antiseptic, digestive and contains analgesic properties. Ginger has an affinity towards the lungs, kidneys and lymph. It is helpful with digestive issues, circulatory problems, helps to burn toxins in the system with its diaphoretic properties as well as act as a carminative when there is gas and bloating.

Turmeric: earthy golden warming herb that is beneficial for all of the tissues in the body. Among its many health benefits it is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, antiviral, immune stimulant, improves circulation and decongests the liver. For the body to metabolize turmeric properly it should be taken with black pepper.

Black pepper: a heating herb that has an affinity towards the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. It is antipyretic and diaphoretic, analgesic, anti-bacterial, decongestant, antiseptic and detoxifying. Black pepper improves digestion and absorption.

Clove: it has an affinity towards the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract as well as the blood. It is helpful with coughs, colds, congestion, improves digestion and increases Agni.

Cardamom: cooling cardamom has an affinity towards the digestive and respiratory systems. It is a digestive, carminative, anti-emetic, diuretic, analgesic and expectorant. It is helpful with cough, colds, congestion and gingivitis.