Healthy Oats Breakfast Recipes

Over the past few decades oats have become a very popular “health food”. Oats are loaded in dietary fiber and have healthy cholesterol-lowering properties.

Oats are rich in a specific type of fiber called beta-glucan. This particular type of fiber is known to help lower levels of bad cholesterol. One cup (81g) of dry oats contains 8.2 grams of fiber, the recommended daily intake of fiber is 25g for women and 38g for men. One cup of dry oats (81g) contains approximately 307 calories.

For those who are looking for new and tasty recipes with Oats, here are 3 best Oats recipes in Indian style. Oats prevent obesity and all the recipes are easy to make. Enjoy the India twist:

1. Oats Instant Idli:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oats (make a fine powder in a blender)
• 1 cup sooji/rava/semolina
• a pinch of baking soda
• 1 cup of curd or buttermilk
• salt as required
• water as required

Vegetables:

• a small bowl of grated carrot
• green peas
• finely chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
• Chopped green chillies (Optional)

Method:

Make the oats into fine powder by running in a blender. Add sooji/semolina. Add a pinch of baking soda and mix well. To this add curd or buttermilk and mix well. Add little water if required to make into a consistency of idli batter. Add all the vegetables, ginger and salt as required. Mix well. Add more water if required. Once the batter have attained required consistency, close it with a lid and let it stand for 10-20 minutes.

Smear the idli plates with a little oil or ghee. Now pour the batter into these idli moulds carefully. Make sure you fill only 3/4th of each mould. Pour water into a steamer and bring the water to a boil. Now place these idli plates carefully into the steamer. Close the lid and allow to steam for around 10-12 minutes. Take out once cooked and remove each idli carefully into a serving plate. Enjoy this light food fresh and hot with a groundnut chutney, red chutney or a green chutney.

2. Oats Dosa

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup semolina/rava
• 1/4 cup curd
• 1 medium sized onion chopped
• 1 green chili
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• finely chopped coriander
• salt as required
• water

Method:

First dry roast the oats for 1-2 minutes in a pan, stirring constantly. Remove the fried oats into a bowl and once cool, blend it into a powder in a blender. Now add semolina, rice flour and curd to the oats. Add green chili, cumin seeds, grated ginger and chopped coriander. Add water and salt as required and mix well. Add more water and mix well until the batter reaches desired consistency for cooking dosa. Cover with a lid and let it stand for 20 minutes.

Check the consistency of batter and add water if required. It should be a little watery, just like you do for a rava dosa. Heat the dosa tawa. Spread a little oil over the hot tawa and sprinkle a little water over it. Immediately pour a ladle full of batter and spread evenly along the tawa moving the ladle in circular motion. Spread a little oil all along the edges of the dosa. Once the bottom of dosa turns brown, remove the dosa carefully. Enjoy hot oats dosa with a red chutney.

3. Oats Upma:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 8-10 finely chopped french beans
• 1/2 cup fresh green peas
• 1 medium carrot finely chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp bengal gram
• 2-3 slit green chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 medium onion finely chopped

Method:

Roast the oats slightly, stirring constantly. When the oats are crisp, you know that they are roasted enough. Remove this into a bow. In the same pan add oil. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, bengal gram and cumin seeds. While on medium flame, stir continuously till the bengal gram starts browning. It takes just about 30 seconds. Add slit green chilies, chopped onions and ginger. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Now add green peas, carrot, beans. Add a little salt as per your taste.

Add water and boil till the vegetables are cooked. Now add oats and cook on low flame till the oats are done. Garnish with fresh coriander and enjoy hot.

http://www.indianbeauty.tips/5-best-anti-obesity-oats-recipes-in-indian-style/

This 78-Year-Old Vegan Bodybuilder Might Make You Reconsider Your Diet

Jim Morris was a competitive bodybuilder for 30 years, and became vegan within the past twelve. At 50 he was a vegetarian, and at 65 he was a vegan.

Jim talks about health problems he endured when he ate meat and dairy products. He explains that if he continued to eat unhealthy animal based products he wouldn't be alive today. “The protein in animal products is filled with fats and chemicals and all sorts of stuff that's harmful to you. When I was competing and stuffing down all that stuff, I had lots of digestive problems, I was constipated and bloated, just miserable all the time. I don't concern myself with protein anymore, because there is enough in what I eat. I am not only healthy, but I feel better about myself and how I relate to other creatures in the world.” –Jim If you are curious about vegetarian and vegan diets, hopefully this post will inspire you to look into it further. Studies show that vegetarians and vegans live, on average, 6 to 10 years longer than meat-eaters and they're less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses. It's always important to do your research if you are considering a major dietary change, don't just take my word for it, look, search, and you will see for yourself.
http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2014/01/this-78-year-old-vegan-bodybuilder-make-you-reconsider-your-diet.html

10 Ways to Ditch Your Cravings for Sugar, Salt, and Fats

According to a recent article in the New York Times, "Food Corporations Turn to Chefs in a Quest for Healthy Flavor," Big Food companies like PepsiCo, Kellogg's, and even fast food giants like Taco Bell are changing their ways in response to the increasing public demand for healthier food options. To improve their image as healthy food manufacturers, Big Food corporations have called upon top chefs to help them create healthy menu makeovers, infusing real, fresh, whole food into old recipe favorites.

Why is this happening now? Intense pressure brought on by politicians and their constituents (you and me!) has given these food manufacturers no choice but to respond to the public outcry for healthier food. It's no longer enough for these companies to earn a profit by selling food that tastes good. People are beginning to use the power of the pocketbook to show these companies that the food they sell must also be nutritious.

That's because people everywhere are waking up. They are beginning to see the dangers of genetically-modified ingredients and all the sugar, salt, and fats hidden in our food supply. From fancy restaurants to fast food chains, chefs are catching on that people want their food to make them feel good, not just while they are eating it but hours, days, and years afterward.

Really, this news shouldn't make the headlines. This is common sense! Paying for food that makes us sick is as crazy as shooting ourselves in the foot. It just doesn't make sense.

Big Food is finally getting the message and getting on board.

But remember, no processed or fast food option will ever be better than a healthy home-cooked meal. The best way to ensure you are eating the highest quality, most nutritious food possible is to prepare your own food in your own kitchen. We are all chefs. You don't have to be trained at Le Cordon Bleu to know your way around a kitchen. You just need a little knowledge, some imagination, and a sense of adventure.

A desire for real food is a fundamental part of our basic biological blueprint. Given the chance, our taste receptors will naturally gravitate toward the inherent sweetness found in vegetables, fruits, and even nuts and seeds.

So, how do you reprogram your taste buds to ditch the cravings for sugar, salt, and fats? You can start by eating real, fresh, whole foods. Avoid fake, commercialized foods that come in convenience packages or are made in a lab.

Here are 10 more tips to get you excited about ditching the sugar, salt, and fats:

1. Sauté or roast your veggies to bring out their natural sweetness. Properly searing your chicken or meat brings out the inherent sweetness by way of the Maillard reaction. This is a fancy name for what happens when you create that nice, brown crust on your meat.
2. Play with herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, and oregano to add flavor and phytonutrients! Finish a meal by adding fresh herbs before plating or serving. This last-minute addition kicks the flavor up a notch!
3. Healthy fats found in avocado, coconut, and tahini not only increase the flavor of your meal, they also add that creamy, luscious texture found in many rich foods.
4. Try creating a savory, umami (Japanese for "delicious") flavor. Add moderate amounts of tamari, umeboshi plum paste, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, dried mushroom, or sea vegetables to your next stew, soup, sauce, or stir-fry.
5. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and even cayenne or chipotle pepper powder are all extremely flavorful additions to a meal. Spices like these excite your taste buds and grab your attention. This is helpful, because, as studies show, when we are focused on actually tasting our food rather than mindlessly gobbling it up, we actually need less food to feel satisfied.
6. Befriend some kitchen must-haves like real vanilla extract or vanilla bean or coconut butter. Or use common, every-day foods like lemons in some creative ways. For example, use lemon zest to add real zing to any meal!
7. For the most flavor, eat seasonally and locally. Canned or packaged foods or foods that have traveled great distances in the back of a truck just can't compare to the succulence of a fresh piece of locally grown fruit.
8. Check your hydration. Digestion starts in your mouth with your saliva, which helps us taste all the magnificent flavor in food. If you are dehydrated and not producing enough saliva, you won't really be able to enjoy your food.
9. Check your medications. Believe it or not, most medications interfere with the body's ability to taste and smell. Some of them can even create an unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth. Wondering how you might decrease the number of pills you take? Learn more about functional medicine.
10. Got nutrition? Nutrient deficiency is an important cause of improper taste perception. A lack of certain vitamins and minerals can markedly impair your ability to smell and taste food. Most Americans have several nutrient deficiencies, but there is one in particular that can especially keep you from enjoying your next meal: zinc. Try adding foods like oysters, pecans, sunflower seeds, and lentils to increase your daily intake of this important mineral.

Now I'd like to hear from you...

What has helped you replace your cravings for sugar, salt, and fats?

What are some of your favorite healthy meals that you like to cook at home?

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, MD

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/food-cravings