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Five delicious ways to improve your heart health with oats and barley

There’s never been a better time to improve your heart health with oats and barley. Get your fill of these super grains proven to reduce heart disease in five delicious ways.

Dr Jo Mcmillan

Nutritional Advisor for Freedom Foods, Dr Jo Mcmillan says, “Diets high in wholegrains have been associated with a lower risk of several cancers, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and better weight control. Oats and barley are stand out for their health benefits and it seems their high content of beta-glucans contributes to this. Beta-glucans are a type of soluble fibre known to lower the risk of heart disease. Freedom Foods has a range of products to help people get more oats and barley into their diets, including the CSIRO developed supergrain BARLEY max, with even higher levels of beta-glucans than regular barley. Enjoying these products regularly has the potential to significantly improve the health of Australians.”

A diet rich in beta-glucans can be achieved by eating oats and barley. Freedom Foods Nutritional Advisor, Dr Joanna McMillan, has compiled five delicious ways to enjoy oats, not just within your porridge:

  1. Make a Bircher style muesli by soaking a mixture of oats or a mixture of oats and barley, nuts, seeds and dried fruit in milk, or a dairy alternative such as soy or almond milk, overnight in the fridge. In the morning stir through some natural yoghurt and top with summer fresh fruits.
  2. Substitute some of the flour in a muffin recipe for rolled oats which will give you a great fibre boost.
  3. Make homemade cookies using rolled oats. My Chai Spiced Oat Seed Cookies go down a treat in my household!
  4. Make your own toasted muesli by tossing rolled oats, or a mixture of oats and barley, with nuts, extra virgin olive oil and a little honey or maple syrup. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake on 160C for 20 minutes, shaking the tray every now and again to ensure it cooks evenly. Remove from the oven, allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
  5. Make a fibre rich, dairy free breakfast smoothie by blending almond milk or soy milk with rolled oats, berries, banana and almond butter.

If you have issues with your weight, please consult your general practitioner (GP), if you don’t have a GP you can find a local medical practice via doctors.com.au.

For more information about Freedom Foods and their products, visit freedomfoods.com.au.

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