Dress Up Your Oatmeal for Super Nutrition

So you like to eat oatmeal, especially in winter because it's nice and warm, burns slow in your digestive system and keeps you going all morning long. Right? But plain oatmeal can be BORING!! Here's a list of ideas to spice it up and make it a unique and interesting breakfast every morning. The cool thing about this list is, some suggestions are superfoods, or exotic fruits and very powerful for adding nutrition as well as healing power to the body. Not to mention, a whole lot of fun and flavor for your palette to explore!

Fruits:

Goji Berries - Add these soaked or dry, either way they add a great punch and sweetness to your cereal. They are a red berry from northern Tibet, and revered by the people there. The Chinese believe these berries help to add longevity to life as well as add nutrients such as Vitamin C, beta carotene, iron, calcium, 18 amino acids and 21 trace minerals.

Figs - Fresh are the best. These are known for their calcium and fiber content, although they also contain vitamins B, C, E, A and K along with potassium, iron, fatty acids and other minerals. They are a nutritional powerhouse and delicious.

Acai ( ah-sigh-ee ) - Comes in either frozen fruit pulp or powder. Either way I suggest mixing it with a sweetener like raw honey, yacon or agave and then adding it to your oatmeal. You could also blend it with some dates or prunes and add the coulis to your porridge. This fruit is one of the highest know sources of food antioxidants. It also packs a punch with nutrients that help the aging process and calm inflammation. This fruit has a synergy of monounsaturated ( healthy ) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols that help promote digestive and cardiovascular health. The acai berry is also loaded with amino acids and trace minerals essential to maintaining a healthy and strong body.

Golden Berries, Gooseberries or Incan Berries - These yellow berries are a little tart. They are considered a good source of bioflavonoids or Vitamin P, and are high in protein for fruit, about 16%. They also contain phosphorous, vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6 and B12 along with pectin. Golden berries are a great mix with raisins, mulberries, nuts or alone for that gourmet touch.

Mulberries - Are a sweet gourmet treat that are extremely healthy. They are high in resveratrol, a substance that is an antioxidant, anti-mutagen and anti-inflammatory. They are a good source of fiber, magnesium and potassium and an excellent source of iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin K. These berries are delicious and one of my favorite treats.

Noni Fruit Powder - This one you will also mix with a little liquid sweetener and then add it to your oatmeal. The Noni fruit is know as a great source of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and polysaccarhides, all things to support a healthy immune system. It also helps to increase vitality and strengthen the digestive system.

Mangosteen Powder - Another superfood to mix with a sweetener and then add to to your breakfast or smoothie. This fruit is loaded with powerful antioxidants, and anti-inflammaroty compounds. It has been shown to contain xanthones, which research shows to be beneficial in helping conditions including: allergies, inflammation, gastro-intestional disorders and fatigue.

Raisins & Currents - These are highly sweet, so for some may not be a great nutritional choice, especially in the early morning. They are a source of omega 3 and 6, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese and iron. They also have Vitamin B, VItamin C and Vitamin K. The best thing is they are easy to acquire, inexpensive and they taste great!

Fresh Fruit - You can use almost any fresh fruit that is in season, including, sliced apples, peaches, strawberries, persimmons, mango, papaya and bananas. You can also use fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Any fresh fruit choice will provide you with amazing taste as well as nutrition and fiber to keep your body healthy.

Coconut, Dried Shredded - Use unsweetened and unbleached coconut. Sprinkle about 1 TBS on your bowl of oatmeal for flavor and a good source of fiber and manganese as well as omega 6 fatty acid.

Cacao or Chocolate - This comes in several forms, although the powder and the nibs are the easiest to use. It is the highest known food in magnesium, and one of the highest in it's antioxidant capacity, or ORAC rating. It tastes great when mixed with a sweetener, has the bliss chemical PEA in it, and wakes you up better than any coffee I have ever drank with it's theobromine content. It is an all around super food, and is called " Food of the Gods" by the Mayans. Try mixing some of the powder with a little coconut sugar and coconut oil to make a natural chocolate syrup, that is both delicious and nutritious.

Sweeteners:

Yacon - Grown in the Andes of Peru it's a sweet tasting tuber and close relative of the sunflower. This sweetener is popular among dieters and diabetics as it is made up of FOS (fructooligosaccharide ). This is a type of fructose that the body can not digest. FOS are a pre-biotic, and feed the good bacteria in the intestinal tract, boosting the immune system and aiding digestion as they make their way through your body.

Agave Syrup - Made from the agave cactus plant it is know for it's low glycemic rating, about 42-45 GI, and maple syrup like texture. It comes in a range of colors, with the darkest being more mineral and flavor rich.

Raw Honey - Coming from the honey bee this is a powerhouse of nutrients as well as flavor and has been used for healing for centuries. There are many health claims and uses of fresh raw honey. Some of them are, to harmonize the liver, naturalize toxins, relieve pain, calm the nerves. Some claim it is anti-bacterial, fever reducing, soothing, calming, laxative and anti-anemic. The part I love the best is it tastes awesome and makes me feel energized.

Coconut Palm Nectar - Usually found in powder form this sugar is harvested from the coconut palm tree flower. It is low glycemic with a rating of only 35. It acts and tastes just like sugar. The best part, it's so much more healthy for you than cane sugar. Coconut sugar has potassium, Vitamin C, zinc and iron in it along with other nutrients.

Nuts & Seeds:

Almonds - This nut is best purchased raw and soaked for 8 hours until it plumps up, then used whole or chopped in your oatmeal. Almonds are one of only two alkaline nuts and provide you with an array of minerals, vitamins and omega 3 and 6 as well as lots of protein. They are an excellent source of Vitamin E, riboflavin, manganese. magnesium, calcium, iron, and phosphorus.

Hazelnuts or Filberts - These are the other alkaline nut and are a great source of Vitamin E, thiamin, folate, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, magnesium, iron and potassium along with omega 3 and 6.

Macadamia Nuts - These are highly anti-inflammatory and are a good source of thiamin, manganese, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and omega 3 and 6.

Pecans - This is one of my favorite tasting nuts. They are high in thiamin, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and coper. Pecans also contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Fresh and raw they are a soft and delicious addition to any oatmeal.

Hemp Seeds - A powerhouse of protein that some believe are one of the most nutritionally complete food sources available. Hemp seeds contain all the needed essential amino acids and essential fatty acids to sustain life. They are protein dense, soft and delicious. You can buy them as seeds, ground into powder or in oil form. The seeds are the best as they are whole and not as vulnerable to oxidation. They freeze well and can be used directly from the freezer.

Rice Bran Soluble or Stabilized Rice Bran - This is very tasty. It is definitely not what most people think. Rice bran is a fine sweet powder that melts in your mouth and is loaded with tocotrienols, gamma oryzanol and B vitamins. Great to sprinkle on your food or blend into a smoothie. Please don't get this confused with wheat bran or wheat germ, it is TOTALLY different.

Spices:

Essential Food Grade Oils - There are a variety of these, and a few drops is all you need for tons of flavor. Some suggestions are, cinnamon, lemon, sweet orange, coconut, chocolate, and hazelnut.

Whole Nut Oils - These are great not only to eat, but to use on your hair and skin. My favorites are coconut, macadamia nut, hazelnut, almond, hemp, and flax. Use about 1 tablespoon per serving.

Chocolate Sauce - Mix raw cacao powder with some nut oil and a little sweetener. Then pour on your oatmeal, for a flavor sensation and energy blast!

Vanilla Powder - Coming from an orchid this is an extremely great way to enliven the flavor of just about anything. When purchased in its powdered form you are receiving the entire orchid pod, seeds and all, ground into a fine powder. The aroma and flavor is absolutely amazing and intoxicating! Add a small amount of this powder to a sweetener of your choice, and then to your oatmeal.

I hope this article has given you a few new ides on how to dress up your good old oatmeal! If you try some of them you will take your oatmeal from plain to super nutritious, healing and energizing in a flash. I wish you great joy in creating yourself a new breakfast every day from nature's bounty.

Sources:
Xanthone Research
Z Natural Foods
Nutrition Data
Big Tree Farms