Eat Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal is marvelous choice for healthy fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber found in oatmeal is good for people with diabetes because the fibers slow down the digestion of starch, preventing a sharp rise in blood glucose levels after a meal. Soluble fiber aids in the processing and elimination of food, moving it quickly and efficiently through the bowels. Studies have shown that eating foods that are high in soluble fiber may help to lower LDL cholesterol(bad cholesterol) without lowering HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Whether you choose steel-cut oats (the most roughly cut and least processed), rolled or “old-fashioned” oats, quick oats, or instant, all types of oats are effective at reducing cholesterol. To get the daily 3 grams of soluble fiber recommended for lowering cholesterol levels, you’ll need to eat 2 ounces of oat bran (2/3 cup dry or about ½ cups cooked) or 3 ounces of oatmeal (1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked).