Haul in the oats

In the 1970s, the pop-rock duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates (Whole Oats was their original name) became one of the bestselling music groups of all time. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014, they still tour today. Clearly, Oates and his partner are able to keep their career’s RealAge forever young! You can keep your RealAge as young as theirs if you haul in oats – plus barley, rye and whole wheat – as your dietary partners. That’s because eating 100 per cent steel-cut oats (a good-for-your-heart whole grain), barley (half the calories of oats, more fiber and twice the protein), rye (boosts weight loss by making you feel full longer) and 100 per cent whole wheat helps keep your LDL cholesterol at a healthy level, your arteries clear of plaque and your bones strong. How do oats and barley (and the other guys) work their magic? Some say because they’re prebiotics, they provide nourishment for your healthpromoting gut bacteria. Others suggest that they help you excrete bile salts and cholesterol esters. And barley in particular has been cited as a great source of fiber, good for clearing out lousy LDL cholesterol – especially important if you have diabetes, which increases your risk for cardiovascular problems. No matter what’s at work, these whole grains are great as unadulterated side dishes and in certain breads, flatbreads, cereals and noodles (read the labels). Dish them up daily. Then you’ll sing, “I CAN go for that – food I love, that loves me back!”