One of the best things you can do for yourself is start the day with a healthy breakfast.  Here is a recipe for a breakfast that not only provides a significant amount of protein, but also supports your immune system with immune boosting nuts, seeds and grains. 

 Soaking the grains activates enzymes that help you digest them better.  If you follow a gluten-free diet, please see notes at the end of the article. 

 When purchasing ingredients, in all cases, fresh (especially organic) is preferred to frozen and frozen is preferred to canned. When purchasing seeds, buying organic is especially important, since many non-organic seeds are coated with an anti-fungal agent, Captan, that is especially toxic and usually appears as a pink-colored residue on the seeds.

 4 cups              Rolled Grains                      

Begin by using the following proportions, adjusting as necessary: 2 cups  Rolled oats (flakes) plus 2 cups of some other available grain (rye, barley,  rolled rice flakes, etc.). Use 4 cups rolled oats if other grains are unavailable. Choose grains that are edible after soaking only—no cooking of the foods in this recipe is done, on purpose.

 2 cups            Oat Bran (use rice bran if gluten-sensitive)

 ½ cup             Fruits (fresh, dried, frozen. Raisins, dates, blueberries, strawberries, etc. (without preservatives only)

 1 cup               Sunflower and/or Pumpkin Seeds (can be ground)                  

1 cup               Nuts (raw, chopped, unsalted.  Begin with walnuts and almonds

 1 cup              Lecithin Granules

 1 cup               Ground Flax Seed *

 1 cup               Milk Thistle Seeds * (Silybum marianum)

 ½ cup              Chia Seeds (optional) or Sesame Seeds

 To taste        Spices

 Try coriander, fennel, and/or turmeric according to taste. Begin with 1 teaspoon of each. Other favorites include ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, “apple pie” or “pumpkin pie” blends.

 *Flax and milk thistle seeds are available at most health food stores. Grind them in a coffee grinder, blender, meat grinder or mortar and pestle.

 Combine all ingredients and keep in refrigerator. Soak the mixture for 30 minutes or longer before eating (i.e. overnight). For soaking, use water, soy milk, rice milk, nut milk (see recipe below), apple juice, etc.

•   To make almond milk, blend ½ cup almonds with 2 cups water.
•   Prior to using fruit juice for soaking, dilute the fruit juice with an equal amount of water (in order to limit simple sugar intake).
•   To increase protein value, eat with yogurt, cottage cheese or tofu.

 NOTE: This diet is intended to strengthen the immune system and is not designed to be hypoallergenic. It may contain foods to which some individuals have food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities and, in those cases, those foods should be avoided. (For example, individuals with gluten (gliadin) intolerance or sensitivity need to avoid wheat, spelt, rye, triticale, oats, barley and kamut, while other grains for them are safe to consume. Dairy products can also provoke or exacerbate their condition and are best avoided. Individuals with Herpes simplex should routinely avoid peanuts, nuts, seeds, chocolate, wheat germ, granola and coconut. During active outbreaks, these individuals should also avoid whole grains, legumes, sprouts, carob, vegetables with edible seeds and citrus fruits.)

 Resources

1.     Cavanaugh, Christopher (Editor-in-Chief). Strengthen Your Immune System. 2001. The Reader’s Digest Association.