Good Benifits of Oatmeal

People who are trying to lose weight should definitely make oatmeal part of their diet. When oatmeal is flavored with healthy additives like fresh fruit and nuts instead of fatty products like cream or sugary things like, well, sugar, it makes for an extremely nutritious and low-calorie alternative to the typical fat-packed or carbohydrate-heavy breakfast. Unlike a lot of other "light" breakfast foods, oatmeal is also hearty enough to help with appetite control. Again, we have oatmeal's soluble fiber and low glycemic index to thank for that. It has so much fiber and is digested so slowly that relatively small portions of oatmeal can fill you up and keep you feeling full for a long time.

For thousands of years, people have taken advantage of oatmeal's anti-itch properties to treat everything from insect bites and poison ivy rash to chicken pox, eczema, and shingles. Colloidal oatmeal, which is just cereal oatmeal that's been ground so finely it becomes evenly dispersed in water instead of sinking, is the type used to soothe itchy skin. When mixed into a lukewarm bath, colloidal oatmeal coats the skin, protecting it from irritants and reducing inflammation slightly. It's healthy to take up to three 10–15-minute oatmeal baths in a day. The baths will be especially effective if you pat dry and forego a final rinse with clean water so that a little bit of oatmeal residue stays on your skin.

Colloidal oatmeal baths can also be used to treat painful skin conditions characterized by dryness or inflammation, including windburn, sunburn, and diaper rash. Oatmeal baths cool painful skin the same way they soothe itchy skin: by protecting the skin and putting oatmeal's anti-inflammatory powers to work on it. Oatmeal fights inflammation with an array of natural components, including vitamin E and compounds called avenanthramides, which are actually unique to oatmeal. Because a layer of colloidal oatmeal stays on the skin after an oatmeal bath, it helps to seal moisture in and is also good for treating skin that is simply dry.