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An Ode to Oats

27 January 2010 4 Comments
wholegrain bread

Oat banana bread recipe,

An ode to Oats is a compelling saga of transition of my family to healthy eating. It took many a persuasive attempts to win over their confidence and change that ‘No! Not again’ to getting hooked to the mighty oats.

Paeans of Oats: The silence on the dinning table was the answer enough to my constant requests for eating oats. Clippings from magazines and news papers were pasted on the areas of maximum visibility. Searched the super markets for the latest add-ons in oatmeals. Baked many innovative goodies using oats. Finally with my single-minded goal of incorporating healthy food habits in my family I succeeded in making them sing paeans of oats for good.

Benefits of oatmeal

An Ode to Oats

Oaty facts;

  • Oat is rich in beta-glucan – a soluble fiber that help in lowering cholesterol. It absorbs LDL’s(bad) cholesterol and let HDL’s (good) cholesterol stay away for longer time in the digestive system.
  • Low Glycemic Index makes it longer to get digested and absorbed slowly in the blood stream, keeping the blood sugar levels stable.
  • GABA (Gama Amino Butyric Acid) an amino acid found in oats prevents anxiety.
  • The vitamin B in it releases Dopamine into the brain vitalizing the nervous system.
  • Oatmeal has high concentration of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and thiamine.
  • It is power packed with photochemical to help fight diseases.
  • Oat contains flavanoids an antidote for cancer and heart disease.
Oatmeal slices

Healthy egg free Oats slices

Health Benefits;

  • Help reduce obesity and hunger pangs. Low GI makes it digest slowly thus giving a feeling of fullness for a longer period.
  • The fibers in this wholegrain make the stool bulky and ease excretion.
  • Reduce cholesterol by absorbing the LDL’s from the blood stream.
  • Low GI makes it a sensible choice for people suffering from diabetes.
  • Oats is a highly recommended heart-healthy food, due to the presence of soluble fiber-beta-glucan.
Healthy Oats and fruit slices

Healthy Oats and fruit slices

Prudent diet changes;

  • Add oats flour to the wheat flour to make bread or chapattis.
  • Try mixing the oats or the oats flour in the idly batter for a healthy change.
  • Make snacks such as khakra, poha and muthias.
  • Oatmeal porridge and kanji is a healthy way to start your day.

Make this heart-healthy and blood-sugar stabilizer your confidante!

Stay fit singing Ode to Oats!

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4 Comments »

  • varsha said:

    Sanjeetha ! your blog is cool,attractive and useful-I think your presentation is awesome.
    As I follow nutrition issues closely I surfed through your posts.May I point that oatmeal while having a higher fibre content is still not a very diabetic friendly grain.It has pronounced blood sugar elevating effects.
    Don’t take my word for it,check the research.A suggested link-
    http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/oatmeal-good-or-bad.html

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    Thanks Varsha for the informative link. I feel that no one has escaped from the good and the bad reviews, and food products are not an exception. The on going debate on whether coffee is bad, or nuts are healthy is unresolved. So wherein oats might increase blood sugar( as mentioned in the site), the fibers in it is useful in many other ailments. But moderation and control is the key word. Thanks again for bringing in the issue to our notice.

  • Gigi said:

    Agree with you Sanjeetha – after all oatmeal is prescribed for women who have gestational diabetes. It is also tricky to navigate the saturated fat/cholesterol vs sugar walk while choosing foods like cheese and eggs in lieu of oatmeal.

  • Gigi said:

    Also any good recipes with quinoa? (the closest thing I have found in Indian stores is rajgira)
    The amino acid profile beats all other grains. You can compare with other grains at
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/10352/2

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