JANUARY 28, 2008Provided by RealAge.com

How to Elevate Oatmeal to Superfood

95% of users found this article helpful.
Drink a glass of this with your oatmeal to help elevate your breakfast to superfood status: orange juice.

Why? The nutrients in oatmeal and OJ work synergistically to provide double the benefits you'd expect from simply adding their powers together.

Food Synergy
The phenols in oatmeal and the vitamin C in OJ both help make LDL more stable -- and that's a good thing, because the more stable LDL is, the less likely it is to rupture, stick to artery walls, and cause this. But consume the phenols and vitamin C together and they'll stabilize LDL at twice the level expected from adding their effects together. It's like this: 2 + 2 = 8, not 4, when it comes to phenol + vitamin C benefits. Look up more C sources with this online tool.

Cast a Wide Net
So how can you take advantage of more food synergies? The best way is to eat a varied diet rich in colorful fruits and veggies, healthy fats, different kinds of whole grains, and few or no processed foods. This will give nutrients the best shot at meeting up in your body and reinforcing one another as they guard against disease. (Here's a starter plan for making your diet more varied.) 

Ever wonder what those strange-sounding ingredients in processed foods are? Here's a chart that breaks it down for you.

New Look: Tell Us What You Think!
The RealAge Web site now has a new look and feel. Check out all the changes and then give us your feedback! Drink a glass of this with your oatmeal to help elevate your breakfast to superfood status: orange juice.

Why? The nutrients in oatmeal and OJ work synergistically to provide double the benefits you'd expect from simply adding their powers together.

Food Synergy
The phenols in oatmeal and the vitamin C in OJ both help make LDL more stable -- and that's a good thing, because the more stable LDL is, the less likely it is to rupture, stick to artery walls, and cause this. But consume the phenols and vitamin C together and they'll stabilize LDL at twice the level expected from adding their effects together. It's like this: 2 + 2 = 8, not 4, when it comes to phenol + vitamin C benefits. Look up more C sources with this online tool.

Cast a Wide Net
So how can you take advantage of more food synergies? The best way is to eat a varied diet rich in colorful fruits and veggies, healthy fats, different kinds of whole grains, and few or no processed foods. This will give nutrients the best shot at meeting up in your body and reinforcing one another as they guard against disease. (Here's a starter plan for making your diet more varied.) 

Ever wonder what those strange-sounding ingredients in processed foods are? Here's a chart that breaks it down for you.

New Look: Tell Us What You Think!
The RealAge Web site now has a new look and feel. Check out all the changes and then give us your feedback!



RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.



Take the RealAge Test

Was this tip helpful?
Tell us what you think.

Rate this tip:
liked it no thanks

Tip of the Day

In the Spotlight

8 Foods for Longevity

These simple switches will help you slim down and live a long, healthy life.

Learn More »

Yahoo! Health Videos

My Health

help

Tip of the Day

Provided by: RealAgeNov 5, 2009

Piling your favorite sandwich fixings on the right kind of bread could mean healthier blood pressure. The right choice? One hundred percent whole-grain.

Read More »

View All Tips »

Tell us what you think about Yahoo! Health - Send us your feedback