This Hearty Breakfast Is Perfect For Getting Your Fiber Fix — And It Can Be Made Sweet Or Savory

As the days get shorter and temperatures creep lower here in the Northern Hemisphere, we're all busting out the pots and pans, eager to make our favorite comfort recipes. Warm cereals like oatmeal are a common standby in the U.S., but allow us to introduce you to millet, a grain that's been trusted in Ayurveda for centuries.

As neurologist and Ayurveda expert Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D., tells mindbodygreen, there are three "doshas" or mind-body types in Ayurvedic medicine: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each type tends to fall out of balance during particular times of year, and in the case of winter, it's the Kapha dosha that takes a hit.

"When the temperature starts getting cold and wet, the Kapha dosha is the one you need to keep in balance," Chaudhary explains, adding that Kapha types tend to have a larger build, slower digestion, and a tendency toward sinus congestion and weight gain.

To balance Kapha, you want foods that are the opposite of it, which Chaudhary says are warm (in temperature, but also warming through spices), light, and easy to digest. "Since most of us eat breakfast during the Kapha hours of the day (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.), it's particularly important to avoid Kapha-aggravating foods that are heavy, cold, difficult to digest, and loaded with processed sugar for breakfast," she adds.

As such, warm millet cereal is a "perfect match" for anyone with a Kapha dosha—or anyone looking for a healthy breakfast during the colder months—according to Chaudhary. "Millet is easy to digest, highly nutritious, gluten-free, and has a low glycemic index," she notes.