Super simple medicinal fruit and nut breakfast
By Sari Huhtala
This super simple breakfast, with pure wholesome ingredients, is clean eating at its finest. It’s made with a powerhouse dried fruit that has been used medicinally for centuries, and has been shown to help with IBS, diabetes, and may even improve cognitive and behavioural deficits due to Alzheimer’s, researchers say.
The humble fig, with a track record of over 6,000 years of providing nourishment to mankind, contains more mineral content than other fruits. Figs are a “rich” source of magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin K, and trace elements iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel, according to a 2023 scientific review published in the journal Nutrients.
High in protein, fibre, vitamins and amino acids, figs have more antioxidants than red wine and tea, and a similar flavonoid, antioxidant, profile to that of blueberries, according to Phytochemical Composition and Health Benefits of Figs (Fresh and Dried): A Review of Literature from 2000 to 2022. Researchers say supplementing with figs, which have many of the same types of anthocyanins (flavonoids) as berries, could improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Considering figs have been used to treat diabetes and chronic illness for centuries, it’s not surprising scientists have been studying this dynamo drug. A 2019 study in the International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences – Diabetes Mellitus Can Be Treated and Prevented by Figs – found that “figs decrease blood sugar/glucose levels significantly.” After two months of fig treatment, blood sugar levels decreased by 13.5 per cent in patients with type 2 diabetes.
IBS a concern? A 2019 randomized control study published in Explore found consuming a quarter cup of dried figs resulted in a “substantial improvement” in IBS symptoms, including reduction in pain and hard stool.
So, what’s the super simple breakfast? It’s a combo of apples, dried figs and walnuts, with a touch of raw honey, cinnamon and nutmeg, but hold on. There’s so much more goodness to explore. Pair the figs with walnuts, and you’re getting another boost in brain health, and protecting your body from cell damage caused by oxidative stress.
About ¼ cup of walnuts a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression and dementia, according to a 2020 study in the journal Nutrients – Beneficial Effects of Walnuts on Cognition and Brain Health. Two significant studies – the Nurses’ Health Study (1998-2008) with 58,063 women ages 52 to 77 years and the Nurses’ Health Study 2 (1999-2009) with 79,893 women ages 35 to 52 years, found supplementing with walnuts was found to “significantly” lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Toss apple into the fold and you have a nutrition powerhouse trio for a breakfast or snack.
A study in the Nutrition Journal found among all fruits, apples ranked second for the greatest concentration of phenolic compounds, natural plant substances with antioxidant activity. Apples, rich in flavonoids, in particular quercetin, are great preventative medicine, according to researchers. The apple peel is where most of the nutrition lies. The peels mainly consist of compounds: procyanidins, catechin, epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, phloridzin, and the quercetin conjugates. Quercetin conjugates – the apple’s best medicine – is found only in the apple peel, researchers say.
Fruit and nut breakfast bowl
- ¼ cup of chopped dried figs (organic is best if avoiding sulphites)
- ¼ cup of chopped raw walnuts
- 1 chopped apple, with peel
- 1 tsp raw honey
- ¼ to ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Combine fruit and walnuts in a bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and stir. Drizzle raw honey on top. Enjoy!
Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was birthed in 2007. She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Reach her at friends@thelaughingforest.ca
