I was never a fan of oatmeal as a child. It wasn’t until I was grown, married and with grandchildren that I actually developed a taste for it. (I’m still waiting for that to happen with liver!) Of course, I wanted my hot oatmeal with cream and sugar — somewhat defeating the health benefit of this grain. I have now transitioned to non-fat milk and a little agave necter, over the oats, and I love the taste.
The best type of oatmeal is made from whole-grain, steel-cut oats — easily found in your grocery aisle. These are more nutritious as they contain the bran layer. “Rolled oats” are steamed, flattened and lightly toasted. “Instant” oatmeal usually contains a lot of hidden sugars, which are unnecessary when you can sweeten the oats yourself.
Oatmeal is believed to help reduce harmful cholesterol levels and the antioxidants in the oats may help promote healthy circulation and regulate blood sugar.
It is interesting to note that scientists recently tested samples of rolled oats that were 28 years old, and discovered that they were still perfectly edible, still contained some nutrients, and even tasted alright—not great — but alright!
Assuming that you are not into stale oatmeal,
Green Living came up with some ideas on how to use those old oats you may have forgotten in the back of your pantry.
Many people swear by oatmeal as a natural remedy to acne. One easy recipe is to cook up some of the stuff, let cool until lukewarm, then apply to the affected areas. Let stand for several minutes, then rinse.
Some people prefer to use oatmeal-based scrubs. Others bathe with "colloidal oatmeal," which is made by mixing oatmeal that has been ground into a very fine powder in water.
Make your own scrub by grinding two tablespoons of oatmeal into a grainy consistency in a blender or food processor. Add one teaspoon baking soda and very small amounts of water until the mixture has the consistency of paste. Spread that on your cleansed and dry face. Leave on for 10 minutes and gently remove with cool water.
Few realize that oatmeal can help absorb odors. Try placing an open container of the stuff in your fridge. Some people use oatmeal to line ashtrays, and claim the flakes help neutralize the smell of smoke.
People have been using oatmeal to promote healthy, beautiful skin for a long time. It can provide soothing relief from sunburn, poison ivy or other irritations, and is said to heal skin and open pores. In fact, many moisturizers and beauty products on store shelves contain oatmeal for its benefits, sometimes ground up and sometimes in flake form
You can also turn old oatmeal into a nontoxic crafting "clay" that delights kids and gets their creative energies flowing. The Playdough-like clay stays moist for hours, but hardens over-night, making it good for sculpting figurines, bowls, beads and other goodies you can think of. Use Disney FamilyFun's simple recipe to combine one cup of instant or rolled oats with flour and a little water. You can also add food coloring for a rainbow of possibilities
Instead of costly, and potentially harmful, energy drinks and performance-enhancing products, eat some oatmeal before you exercise. British researchers found that oatmeal can help increase endurance when eaten about three hours before working out. There's also some evidence that oats help the body burn fat more quickly, and some doctors have noted that a diet rich in them may help prevent cancer.
Oatmeal is well known for imparting a yummy heartiness to breads, cookies and some beers. But it also works great in crusts, for meats as well as cobblers, and is a binding agent.
Here's a tip: Replace regular flour with homemade oat flour (simply grind oats in a processor), and use that for baking pancakes and breads. You get twice the fiber, so you feel fuller, but fewer calories, according to Health.com.
