OATMEAL

Oatmeal is the greatest grain if you ask me and if you are reading this you already have probably had some contact with me and know how much I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I love explaining what I think it does for the body. I feel like it is a scrub brush to your arteries and you digestive system. It helps lower cholesterol, helps with your cardiac health (heart disease) as well as your colon (colon cancer) and stomach. I have researched so many foods and this in one I just can not find a negative too. It does not spike your blood sugars, it keeps you full longer most people feel 4-6 hours - WOW that is a a long time without PROTEIN ATTACHED. Magazines spend pages on pages talking about health benefits but I am going to conclude with it is premise to ALL of Bizzy Lizzy Products and we LOVE IT.

Let's start with celiac's because the first comment I get from people when I demo is, "Is this for those people." I remember the first time I heard that statement. I know I had a blank look on my face because I could not figure out what they were referring to. I had very little contact with individuals with Celiac's Disease. I had a friend from the local college that had many health issues but was not told she had it until years later. I had no idea what it was, how it effected people, how you got, or anything else about it. Now I would say I may fit into the well-informed category not expert by any means. I am not sure there is an expert because everyone handles it differently, have different side effects, levels of illness and recovery times. What I do know is it is a pain in the pocket book, in the stomach, maybe in the head, or all over the body. I have met several people that don't have side effects that are noticable but in the long run has terrible damage to the digestive system. I have met people who break out, have severe aches and pain, can't gain weight - and others who have never had problems with gaining weight. The list goes on and on. I have met groups that try to keep others informed, dieticians who have tried to teach these individuals how to shop and cook. I have met doctors that feel they have not really figured anything out because there are just too many variables.ou do What I have discovered is if you are not a celiac DO NOT EAT AS ONE. We were told by researchers that if you are a non-celiac and decided to start eating that way you will become intolerant of gluten. We have discovered if you are having trouble conceiving it is possible this is the issue. We have met several women who had went years without being able to conceive - were tested and started eating the celiac diet and got pregnant. Certainly not the only problem but never thought your digestive system could be a cause. For me I started Bizzy Lizzy on the theory of OATMEAL. Love it!! It is a great carbohydrate, fills you up and lasts, doesn't mess with most peoples blood sugar. For a celiac, oats can be an enemy and for others they have no trouble. When celiac's disease was first noted in medical journals they felt all grains that were similar in size, processed in the same facilitiess and grown in the same field had to all have gluten issues for celiacs. I recently was told by a researcher that they think those that are very sensitive could have problems but those with milder case or are just gluten sensitive probably would not be bothered. They felt these individuals should also be tested for oat allergies. My take on this is be safe not sorry. Wheat products have gluten in them - that is a protein and it is found in Barley, Rye and Wheat. Which is the first family of grains. Oatmeal is in the second family but molecular chains are very similar in all. So how do these people cook without gluten. Cooking I do not see as an issue but eating out has to be a nightmare. I would not personally eat out. But I know many do and I don't blame them. I have heard the comment more than once I just want to feel normal.

The Bizzy Lizzy Cookie is where it all start. From trying to get my kids to eat breakfast to something much bigger than I ever imaged. When I started Bizzy Lizzy with Erik, we thought it would be fun to do some farmers markets and get out and enjoy some social interaction. But it has grown to a Flourless Revolution and that is where we will continue to head. Since we started it we have added so many new products but have always stayed true to the original "breakfast style" cookie. People who have embraced the concept seem to really appreciate what has come of the line. Some days I feel the line is getting too big other days I feel like we have just begun. Over the next few weeks and months I going to try to share with you everyday some of the things I have learned all the health issues associated with our "enemy-bleached white flour." There really is a reason for our passion and I hope you learn something and better understand what we do and why we do it. Sheila Rae

Relooking at grains

Food is the third largest expense of the American Family. 80% of Americans say they want to choose food to improve their health not just to eat.

Brown Rice costs only about 10 cents for a full serving. This small about fills our body with nutrient rich folic acid, potassium and iron. People who chose this food item have a 34% reduced risk of high blood pressure, and 21% reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.

Our less used friend the Bean comes in at 7 cents a serving. The problem with them is that most of us just don't know what to do with them. But they are loaded with iron, zinc and folate. I have actually used these low cost items in baked goods after I ground them in my coffee grinder but you can find bean flours on the market today and they can be added as a thickener to soups, or a part of the flours that make your homemade bread.

Grains are important in the diet!!

Breakfast eaters fare better in the area of health then the breakfast skipper.

They first of all take in more nutrients and less useless calories over the course of the day. Breakfast boosts intake of important nutrients that your body requires to work correctly if you stick to the whole grains.

They also improve heart health. Research indicates that people who eat breakfast have better cholesterol levels and it also improves blood pressure.

Eating breakfast helps us weigh less. People who eat breakfast weigh on average 30 pounds less than the average breakfast skipper.

Breakfast eaters have better work attendance, concentration and perhaps better cognitive skills than those whose run off forget breakfast.

Whole grains beat refines grains nutritionally, no doubt. In general, fact that whole grains haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling means that they have more nutrients that the consumption of whole grains can decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes, protects against stroke and some types of cancer, and help battle weight gain. In fact, the health benefits of eating whole grains are so apparent that the government finally has set recommendations but they are a little slow in the reaction to obesity and diabetes. If they would do their job and remove "bleached" white flour from the food base we all would be healthier.

Whole grain food has more texture, and flavor than the white powder that just messes up or digestive system.

Mini Meals

As I research more for Bizzy Lizzy Bakery, I find more and more research on the change from 3 meals a day to 5 mini-meals. I designed the Bizzy Lizzy Products around this theory. They are not low in calories but they are packed with nutrition.

Redbook recently stated that we should each 2 MINI MEALS of about 300 calories. Our cookies and muffins don't quite make the 300 mark but they are close and I always think you should have a health drink with them or just a glass of water - new research says you should not drink overly cold water it is better for your metabolism.

The first meal should be 3 hours after breakfast and the second 3 hours after that. This will keep your blood sugars steady and your metabolism fired up. These two times of the day are when we have a tendency of putting stupid things in our mouths.

Take control of your health through your food!

Parents need to rely on the experts but they are experts in their own child life. If you feel that you are not getting to the bottom of a health concern with your health professional make a change.

So often we feel obligated, we made the decision to see on particular physician but it does not have to be a life long decision.

Food is something you can control and many doctors believe medicine is the key to improving health. But yet good food vs bad food may be a very important component. I was speaking to a woman at the University of Michigan yesterday and she got it. She is looking at her families health through her pantry. She said, "When I decided to take control of our lives, I had to throw out half the pantry." It was a real eye opener for her. She knows her kids are influenced by the world and at school where she does not have complete control but she is arming her kids with good info and skills that will help them make great decisions. HURRAH TO HER and ALL THE REST OF US THAT GET IT!!!