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Don’t skip out on carbohydrates — especially if you suffer from inflammation. Instead, choose carbs that are better for you and have higher nutritional value than refined carbs like white bread, chips, and rice. Breakfast is the ideal time to start a good healthy habit: eating more of this one anti-inflammatory carb you should eat right after you wake up for a better day.
This carb provides plenty of nutritional benefits that include delivering the vitamins and minerals you need to stay energized throughout the morning. But it also boasts one key nutrient that could drastically reduce inflammation for better short and long-term health. Oh, and it’s kind of delicious, which never hurts!
Fiber-Rich Cereals
There’s a good chance cereal isn’t the first healthy carb that comes to mind when you think of breakfast foods, and that has everything to do with how sugar-laden cereals with marshmallows and chocolate have kind of ruined the concept for most health-conscious people.
But cereal is still one of the fastest breakfasts to whip up or take on the go. And if you are choosing cereal wisely and sticking with fiber-rich bran cereals, you’re in a position to actually decrease inflammation, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes, joint pain, and conditions like arthritis.
Unfortunately, colored marshmallows will not be making an appearance in the best cereals you can find. But that doesn’t mean your breakfast can’t be fun.
Choose Bran Cereals
Plain bran cereal may not be the most exciting breakfast, but when you add a bit of almond, coconut, or cow’s milk, you’ll get to enjoy that fun crunchy texture many of us haven’t sampled since childhood.
The higher your bran cereal’s fiber content, the more anti-inflammatory benefits you’ll reap from this breakfast. Studies have shown there is a link between a high fiber diet and lower levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, according to the Arthritis Foundation. And since C-reactive protein is an indicator of inflammation that can lead to disease and rheumatoid arthritis, it’s easy to see how fiber can help keep you healthy.
Heath guidelines recommend that we get 20 to 35 grams of protein per day. If you start off on the right foot at breakfast, it’s even easier to meet your daily fiber intake.
Add Blueberries For More Fiber
Blueberries have antioxidants that make them a top choice for reducing inflammation in the body. But they’re also a fiber-rich fruit, one with 3.6 grams of fiber per cup. And they pair beautifully with bran cereal and flakes, adding a little bit of sweetness without added processed sugar.
Smart Bran ($25.08 for Pack of 6)
Be careful when choosing cereals and read labels — a lot of cereals that pose as healthy are actually filled with added sugar. This organic bran nugget option is a top choice: it has 13 grams of organic fiber per serving, with a blend of psyllium, oat bran, and wheat bran (and just 150 calories per serving).
