Thursday, July 1, 2010

Breakfast

I usually have the same thing for breakfast every morning — a bowl of oatmeal. Now, some mornings, I make pancakes, blueberry muffins, egg and cheese English muffins or a breakfast of eggs, biscuits and what we call cowboy potatoes. But, most mornings I have oatmeal.

I cook old-fashioned oatmeal, which you can buy at just about any grocery store, because I like the flavor better than "quick oats" and much better than instant oatmeal.

Here's my recipe, and after that, I'll explain why I chose each of the ingredients.

Oatmeal

1 cup water
1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds (no shells, no salt)
1 Tablespoon raisins
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 Tablespoon honey
Cinnamon to taste (I use about a teaspoon, probably)

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the oats. Reduce heat to medium or medium-high and cook oats for 5 minutes or until they have absorbed all of the water, stirring as needed. Remove pan from heat and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix thoroughly. Enjoy.

The Ingredients:

Oatmeal: I choose to eat oatmeal because it is filling and because, according to quite a few sources, it can help reduce the amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream.

Walnuts: These are another cholesterol reducer. I don't eat too many because of the fat they have.

Sunflower seeds: These little kernels are full of healthy things, too, such as phytochemicals that help prevent cardiovascular disease and maybe some cancers, lowers cholesterol, and may help with cognitive function and memory.

Raisins:  Raisins are a great way to add some fruit, as well as some natural sweetness to your diet.

Flaxseeds:  Flaxseeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower triglycerides, a type of blood fat. The omega-3s also are in fish, but since I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat fish. So, I try to add some flaxseed when I can.  I buy whole flaxseeds and grind them a little at a time in a coffee grinder. Then, I store the ground flaxseeds in the refrigerator for just a day or two, as I use it.

Honey: I like the flavor of honey better than sugar. And, it's possible that since honey is a simple sugar, it may be healthier for you than regular sugar. Also, I try to buy local honey, which some people believes helps prevent allergies.


Cinnamon: Cinnamon is reported to be an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-clotting substance. Plus, it tastes good.


Now, I know that reports come out every day about what is the best thing for a person to eat and that those reports and investigations change from time to time, but based on years of research, I think these ingredients in my oatmeal recipe are very good for you.

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