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Kuya Bong’s Kusina

5 Amazing Oatmeal Benefits

The first meal of the day can affect your mood, energy and mental performance throughout the day. This is why you need to choose the healthiest breakfast possible. Oatmeal is an excellent choice. Nutritious, delicious and very satisfying, oatmeal benefits for your health are limitless.

Oatmeal has nutrients galore. It is a mine of minerals that include copper, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. Oatmeal is, of course, a top provider of fiber. It is also rich in B-vitamins and protein.

Oatmeal Benefits

If you eat oatmeal, you already know its amazing effects on your health. Some oatmeal benefits are immediate and others happen deep within the body. Here are 5 ways oatmeal improves your physical and mental wellbeing.

1. Keeps Your Heart Beating

Apart from those with heart disease, very few people pay attention to their cardiovascular health. This is alarming considering heart failure is one of the top causes of death in the world. Start giving your heart what it needs to stay healthy by adding oatmeal to your diet.

All the nutrients in oatmeal have something to contribute to cardiovascular health. Fiber and manganese can help control the levels of good and bad cholesterol. Magnesium and zinc can reduce heart palpitations and regulate its rhythm. Phosphorus helps transport oxygen and calcium to the heart.

2. Keeps Disease at Bay

The immune system needs a little help now and then. The best help you can offer is nutrients, especially vitamins, copper and zinc. Oatmeal provides these nutrients in abundance, increasing your natural resistance against all kinds of illness.

3. Gives You Energy

If you have a hectic day ahead, you need all the energy you can get. Oatmeal not only boosts energy, it gives you the best kind of energy. Since energy comes from food, you need a nutrient that will burn what you eat and turn it into fuel. This is what the vitamin B1 in oatmeal is for.

As vitamin B1 produces energy, fiber helps to regulate it. Dietary fiber releases energy slowly so it can last you the whole day. Because your blood sugar levels remain stable, you can avoid energy highs that are usually followed by extreme lows.

4. Trims Your Figure

Oatmeal benefits your physique by keeping hunger in check. Overeating is one of the main causes of obesity. If you can’t control your hunger, you’ll inevitably consume more calories. Fortunately, the fiber in oatmeal can suppress your appetite between meals.

5. Makes You Stronger

The healthier your bones and muscles are, the stronger your body will be. Oatmeal improves musculo-skeletal health by providing essential nutrients like phosphorus, protein and magnesium. These nutrients toughen bone, strengthen joints and build muscles to enhance your agility.

Choosing the Healthiest Oatmeal

Not all oatmeal is healthy. Quick and instant oatmeal only provides a small fraction of nutrients. They are categorized as processed food because they contain unhealthy additives. The healthiest oatmeal is the least processed. These include oat groats, steel cut and stone-ground varieties.

Rolled oats fall between organic and processed. They are harvested and hulled like unprocessed oatmeal. However, most lose nutrients when steamed and rolled. Whenever you can, choose groats and steel cut oats. They are nutritionally superior compared to other types of oatmeal.

Maple Date-Nut Oatmeal Breakfast Squares

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, stirring slowly with a wooden spoon until well combined.

3. Spray a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, and spread evenly.

4. Bake 25 minutes or until just golden brown around edges. Cool and cut into squares.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup raisins

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 cup applesauce

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Double Apple Crumble

Ingredients

5 cups sliced peeled apples, such as Braeburn (about 2 pounds)

3 tablespoons apple butter

Cooking spray

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup regular oats, uncooked

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons chilled butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine apples and apple butter; arrange in 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray, pressing down lightly to compact.

3. Combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle

mixture over apples. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.

source: www.panlasangpinoy.com

www.health.com/recipes

Kuya Bong’s Kusina

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