Pumpkin Cacao Superfood Anti-Inflammatory Oatmeal

Happy Gratitude Week! I love this time of year, and all of the colors and flavors that come along with it. Recently I’ve been channeling all the harvest vibes and starting my mornings with pumpkin oatmeal and all the spices, and it’s probably the most nourishing breakfast I’ve ever had to date. And needless to say – delicious!

Weather aside, there’s something about starting the day with a warm bowl of oatmeal that feels grounding and satisfying. As much as I love smoothies, I do not find myself craving the coldness no matter what time of year. As it is, I tend to make my smoothies without ice and prefer most of my drinks to be room temperature.

While temperatures in Miami are still warm by most standards, temperatures have dropped, as has the humidity, so there is a noticeable shift in what my body is craving. That includes grounding and warming foods, like squashes and oats and more carbs in their complex form.

To Carb or Not to Carb – That is the Question

For various health reasons (cancer, candida, adrenal fatigue) I minimized carbs for a while and have been following a mostly plant-based mostly paleo diet, so I gravitated away from oatmeal, but lately I’ve been trying different things with my diet in order to keep my gut and body happy. The truth is, our dietary needs evolve as we do. For now, so far I’m finding that yes indeed oatmeal is keeping my gut and my brain pretty happy!

While I’ve loosened up a bit on the carb front, I’m still selective about the quality and type of carbs I consume – yes oats are gluten-free! What I love most about them is they make a perfect base for all sorts of add-ins, particularly those in superfood form!

I used to have oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries almost every day – it was my go-to for a really long time. Turns out, my body knew exactly what was good for it.

Eating Right for my Type – Adding more of both Pumpkin and Oats!

Recently I picked up the Blood Type Diet after it came on to my radar yet again, so I dove in and while the science behind nutrition to date is complex and lacking in robustness, the anecdotal testimonials and logic behind his theories are sufficiently persuasive to my mind to give it a proper shot.

The blood type diet promotes an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle, which is inherently a good thing for everyone. It takes this a step further however and delineates specifically which foods are best for which blood types – and, crucially, which are not.

I’m Type A, so apparently people with this blood type do pretty well with some grains in their diet – particularly oats. As I’ve historically loved oatmeal, this was the first thing I added back in to my diet. Thankfully, blueberries are also high on my YES list! So my daily blueberries are here to stay!

Interestingly, pumpkin is also a super YES food for Type A, and as fall was rolling in it was perfect timing – pumpkin spice oatmeal was officially on the morning menu.

Pumpkin Oatmeal and all the nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich Superfoods

My first bowl of pumpkin oatmeal more or less just happened in the moment. I’ve been on a pumpkin kick all fall (have you tried the pumpkin oat muffins!?) so I had an open can of organic pumpkin puree (not the canned pie stuff – pure organic pumpkin, zero sugar added) in the fridge.

So I threw in all the spices – healthy doses of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice – and as soon as the oats were fully cooked, I mixed in the pumpkin, and a little bit of monk fruit to sweeten it up.

I topped it off with warm defrosted frozen wild blueberries, so the blueberry juice blended in to the bowl. Verdict – delicious!

Over the next several days, I played with different variations. One of the things I love most about oatmeal is how versatile it is! I topped it off with bee pollen. I mixed in raw cacao powder. I sprinkled on raw cacao bits. I added some chia and flax seeds.

I then realized I have some glutamine powder in the pantry that I’d been neglecting to remember to use, so I’ve been adding that in as well. And then I even started adding turmeric to the water as I learned turmeric is best absorbed when in liquid form.

Health Benefits of this superfood-filled Pumpkin Oatmeal

Most days I now add ALL the things and it’s all sorts of delicious. And totally nourishing.

With vitamin A from the pumpkin, fiber from the oatmeal, brain-boosting nutrients from the blueberries, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants from the cacao, anti-inflammatory, digestive, and blood-sugar balancing properties from the spices, omegas from the chia and flax, and immunity-enhancing properties from the bee pollen, this is one superfood-filled bowl of oatmeal.

Glutamine, an amino acid, is also known to help heal the gut. It acts as an energy source for intestinal and immune cells and also helps to maintain the integrity of the gut lining. So adding this to my daily oatmeal is deeply nourishing for my body – particularly my gut – in a very real, physical way.

Superfood Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipe (aka suggestions for what superfoods to add because oatmeal is as basic as you can get 😉

Oatmeal is pretty straightforward – and honestly I don’t really measure out the ingredients, but here’s a quick reference for rough quantities.

In a nutshell – boil water, add oats, cook em up, and add all the things.

And truly, the sky’s the limit when it comes to oatmeal and superfood additions. Mix it up and add a drizzle of almond butter, a sprinkle of coconut, or a spoonful of goji berries, or even stir in some chocolate or vanilla protein powder for an added boost of protein.