Do You Think Oats are Sexy? Rude Health thinks so

"Morning Glory...contains organic British oats which the makers claim 'enhances libido by re-balancing oestrogen and testosterone levels to help keep your stamina up all morning'....

Previous medical studies show oats can improve sex drive, help hangovers, prevent heart disease, fight infections, heal skin and even help smokers to quit because they have a calming effect on the nervous system." - via Scottsman

True. Steady blood sugar from oats (in a good breakfast) gives energy to frolic and makes a mind feel good and balanced. And feeling good makes everyone else feel good. And isn't love about feeling good? Wouldn't it be funny if breakfast is all it took to help us reach world peace?

Conversely, with no food in the belly, people tend to make poor choices, get cranky and suffer from that mid-morning energy crash.

A recent study in Japan points to the differences between teens who have breakfast and those who don't: teens who don't have breakfast tend to get pregnant much earlier and have worse relationships with their parents than teens who eat a meal in the morning. Crankiness and poor choices indeed.

Which factor affects the other? Is it the bad family environment or the way teens feel inside? While we can debate forever, I'm going to stick with my healthy breakfast.

Funny, isn't it? All it takes is a little oats. And some loving.

I don't have any recipes with me today, but check out www.rudehealth.com for some oat recipes.

Sources:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
http://www.rudehealth.com/

Read more...

Milky Goodness! Choosing the Right Milk Substitute

Photo by Gwire used under the Creative Commons license

Hitler's breakfast usually consisted of a glass of milk and 2 slices of dry bread. The internets told me.

That is not to say milk is bad because Hitler enjoyed it. I can't blame him for that, afterall... If you've ever tried dipping crispy fresh bread into milk, and biting in, you know what I'm talking about -- the soggy smooth pleasure mushing inside your mouth, the textures and the taste - satisfying milky smooth taste.

But milk can also play havoc on the human body - from digestion, increased cancer risk, to that whole dioxin thing.* And with milk substitutes and the real thing's popularity increasing worldwide, what's the best and healthiest choice for our morning's cereal?

This is Part 1 of 5 of the Breakfast Lab milk series which examines milk substitutes available today.

Part 1: Almond milk
Popular since the Middle Ages, when it was called Almond Mylk, almond milk keeps fresh longer than cow milk, and is a rich source of vitamin E and magnesium, nutrients that are vital to human health.

Good for lactose-intolerant or gluten-intolerant people, for general brain and heart support

Bad for people with nut allergies

Sample Recipe: Spiced Raisin Almond Milk
1 cup ground almonds (please do NOT use bitter almonds.)
3-4 cups water
(if you want to make more, keep a ratio of about 1:3)
soaked raisins
cinnamon, nutmeg, salt if you need it

Grind almonds and raisins in a food processor or a mortar if you want to go medieval. Pour water in the almonds. Let stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sieve or finish pureeing until smooth in a blender. Add spices to taste. If it's too bland, add a tiny pinch of salt.

(If you sieve, you can use the remaining almond putty for other recipes, like breakfast cake.)

You can also find almond milk in health food stores and online. I like Pacific Natural Foods brand and Blue Diamond Brand unsweetened milk but they don't stand up to homemade.

Homemade spice: about $3 / 4 cups
Pacific Brand: about $4 / 4 cups
Blue Diamond Brand: about $3.50 / 4 cups

What do you like about Almond milk? Have you ever made any interesting flavors? Please share. :)

* More Reading:
Cancer Prevention Coalition
Weston A. Price Foundation
Harvard School of Public Health
www.notmilk.com
www.nomilk.com

Read more...