By Erin Mumby
The Millstone Times January 2019
Oats are a popular super food! They are some of the healthiest grains. This makes oatmeal is one of the healthiest breakfast foods. It’s chock full of vitamins and minerals.
Oats are packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Oats have unique components like beta-glucan. When you digest oatmeal, your glycemic levels slowly rises. This is the perfect meal to eat before we exercise. It makes sure we burn the most fat. It’s high in protein, which will get you energized first thing in the morning. Oatmeal also contains the hunger-fighting hormone called Cholecystokinin. This keeps you full and curbs cravings throughout the day. Eating filling foods like oatmeal help you to eat fewer calories and lose weight.
Consuming oats lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Heart disease is a leading cause of death. High cholesterol leads to heart disease. One way to fight this is eating oatmeal. The beta-glucan found in oatmeal circulates the cholesterol in the blood. The antioxidants in oats work with vitamin C to lower the risk of heart disease.
Oats also protect against skin irritation. Oats have been proven to treat dry, itchy skin. Oats are recommended for treating eczema. Oats can be found in numerous skin care products. Colloidal oatmeal are the finely ground oats used in these products. Skin care benefits are found when oats are directly applied to the skin.
There are different types of oatmeal. Once the oats are processed, they have different properties. There are three popular types of oats: steel cut, rolled and quick oats: steel cut, rolled, and quick oats. Steel cut oats are the least processed oats. They are cut into very small pieces. They are somewhat chewy. They are the longest to cook, but they are the healthiest option. Rolled oats are the oats that are used in oatmeal raisin cookies. Rolled oats are steamed so they turn soft. They take a flat shape. This allows them to be cooked quickly and absorb a lot of liquid. They are healthy as well.
Most oatmeal is great for you, but there are certainly some types of oatmeal you should avoid. Quick oats are the most common form of oatmeal. Quick oats are found in instant oatmeal in the grocery store. They should be avoided when eating clean. Quick oats are the most highly processed oats. Instant oatmeal is pre-cooked, dried, and pressed. They can be cooked instantly, but they are very mushy. Here is a healthy, protein packed oatmeal recipe from health
website danettemay.com:
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
- 1⁄2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3⁄4 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 2 T peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 T organic honey
- 1⁄2 cup rolled oats
- Sliced banana
Instructions:
Add Oats to a container of your choice and pour in milk. Mix in vanilla extract, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Alternate between layers of peanut butter and layers of sliced banana. Drizzle with honey. Place in fridge and enjoy in the morning or a few hours later!