The Power of the Mighty Oat

Some fifteen years ago, shortly after I had given birth to my second child, I was consumed with an overwhelming dose of fatigue and anxiety. I hot footed it to my local herbalist who gave me a tincture of Avena sativa - or, as most of us call it: oats - to sooth my weary soul and help me regain my emotional balance. That same child whose entrance into this world triggered my need for Avena sativa, has recently been prescribed the very same remedy for nerve-induced skin irritations. The mighty oat is known to sooth both the brain and the nervous system, bringing natural calm to the worried soul.

But, let me assure you, easing one’s anxiety and assisting sleep, is not all that this hearty grain is good for. February being Healthy Heart Month, now is as good a time as any to commit to consuming more oats to help your ticker last a bit longer. All of those wonderful attributes nutritionists tell us about whole grains feature large in a bowl of oats. Oats are purported to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure and generally improve heart function. Oats are high in fiber, iron and manganese (for bone health). Eating oats can actually help you maintain a healthy weight, and, they’re bursting with energy. Each and every one of these benefits has a positive effect on your heart.

I can hear it now, “But I can’t eat oats, I’m gluten-free!” Actually, so are oats. Oats are an inherently gluten-free grain. What you need to watch for are the oats that may have been processed in the same facility as glutinous grains. If you need to avoid gluten, make sure you get the oats that are certified #glutenfree. This means that they are grown, harvested and processed separately.

Needless to say, Singing Bowl Granola is all about the mighty oat. We order our organic rolled oats and organic porridge oats by the palette load from our friends at Farmer Direct Co-op in Saskatchewan (http://www.farmerdirect.coop/). We like the fact that, as we fire through several tonnes of oats every year, we are doing our bit to support a bunch of family-run, Canadian, organic farms. For our gluten-free friends, we also make granola using gluten-free Only Oats from another awesome Canadian prairie company, Avena Foods .