Overwhelmed by all of the "Follow Friday" recommendations on Twitter? Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit search the Twittersphere for the greatest diet and fitness Twitterers, and each week, we'll highlight the best-of their best tweets (no Twits here).

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A steaming bowl of oatmeal is a great start to your day. Oatmeal is a whole grain so it fills you up, and it's a great source of slow-burning energy that will keep you fueled throughout your morning. What's more, the soluble fiber found in oatmeal helps to reduce low-density lipoproteins (the "bad" cholesterol). And who doesn't like a heart-healthy start to the day?

But despite all the health benefits and the low cost (old-fashioned oats cost approximately $0.13 per serving), is oatmeal a calorie-friendly choice for breakfast?

Susan Sarandon is a fantastic actor, a terrific mom and an all-around good role model for young Hollywood starlets. And, at 62, she look phenomenal, don't you think? People magazine recently talked to the iconic actress about her eating habits, and it turns out she has one that few other stars would admit to indulging in: Cookies.

When she's craving something sweet, Sarandon reportedly munches on a few of her favourite banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, made for her by natural foods chef and star of The Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel. But seeing as they're full of healthy ingredients like vegan dark chocolate, whole oats and walnuts, she shouldn't feel too guilty.

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We all know the benefits of breakfast -- it can help you control weight by managing your hunger, it improves focus, and it can give you the energy boost you need to get moving. But what if you're just not a morning person? The idea of pulling together a balanced breakfast when you can barely keep your eyes open isn't exactly realistic, is it?

Cranky Fitness has a great post about how those of us who are much more like slugs than chipper birds in the morning can still get our healthy morning meal. Some of the tips:

• Make a batch of steel cut oats ahead of time, then just warm it in the microwave. Add some low-fat milk and some sliced bananas to sweeten it up.
• Hard boil a few eggs and keep them in your fridge for quick access.
• Fresh fruit is about the simplest and quickest breakfast you can have -- just grab and go.

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I try to incorporate as many whole grains as possible into my family's diet. We always opt for whole-grain pastas, crackers, and most of our cold cereals are whole grain (we slip a few treat cereals in now and then). We also eat plenty of oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain cous-cous. But, other than adding barley to soups now and then, I run a little short on ideas for other healthy whole grains.

There are so many delicious whole grains to try -- such as quinoa and triticale. The Whole Grains Council has a library of recipes to try.

Eat Better America has a recipe for tabbouleh with fruit that sounds wonderful. I'm a big fan of tabbouleh and this is a new twist I can't wait to try. Some of the ingredients include bulgar, fresh herbs, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, as well as olive oil and cinnamon.

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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it's not enough to simply eat breakfast -- you need to make sure you're eating something substantial. Otherwise, you're prone to an attack of the mid-morning munchies.

Over at Fitsugar, they're talking about breakfast idea that will keep you full until lunchtime. The key to sustainable energy is getting a breakfast that combines protein, whole grains, a bit of fat and some natural sugars. Some suggestions? High-protein organic cereal with fruit, walnuts and non-fat milk, whole grain toast with almond butter and apples, and egg-white omelettes with cheese, veggies and a pear. Yum!

That's not all -- head over to Fitsugar for more healthy breakfast recipes. Got any of your own to share? Let us know in the comments.

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Sometimes I crave oatmeal and whip up a hot bowl with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries on top. Apparently, my skin craves the fiber-rich Super Food too.

Oatmeal's grainy little flakes perform mini miracles when applied to skin, says RealAge. It whisks away dead cells, irritation, and redness and leaves skin soft and glowing. Hey, even the FDA says oatmeal is effective for relieving dryness and inflammation, including insect stings, rashes, and eczema. No wonder finely powdered (colloidal) oatmeal is used in body soaks, scrubs, moisturizers, and soaps.

New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD, recommends using a colloidal oatmeal mask every week or two. She offers her own body treatment recipe right here.

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I make a point of always eating breakfast, but if I have to get it on the run, one place I rarely go is Starbucks. Sure, they have some yogurt and fruit (not to mention those fantastic Americanos), but other than that, the options seem limited to sugary baked goods.

Well, good news Starbucks lovers. The gourmet coffee chain is coming out with some new and improved healthier breakfast offerings, currently referred to as Morning Source. USA Today has all the details, but here are some sample items:

• A protein power plate, available with or without peanut butter.
  
• Oatmeal with a variety of toppings, including fruits and nuts.
  
• Multigrain rolls with almond butter and/or fruit preserves
• Bran muffins.
  

What would you like to see on the new menu?

(Via Fitsugar)

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Want permission to eat before you go to bed? Here it is: About 90 minutes before you turn in for the night, head to the kitchen and make yourself a snack. Make it light and around 200 calories and you won't head into dangerous eating territory. You will relax your muscles, quiet your spinning mind, and rev up the sleep-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin -- if you eat one of these 10 picks.

Bananas. Bananas contain serotonin, melatonin, and the muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Chamomile Tea. Chamomile has a mild sedating effect.

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If you've been eating (or feeding your kids) oatmeal for breakfast with the understanding that it's one of the healthiest choices you can make, you need to rethink your strategy.

While oatmeal can provide good nutrients, a recent study showed that kids who only ate instant oatmeal for breakfast experienced increased appetites and calorie consumption throughout the day. In fact, when compared to having a vegetable omelet and fruit, oatmeal increased appetite and calorie consumption by more than 80%. Steel-cut oats didn't have as drastic an effect as instant oatmeal, however.

The researchers attributed their findings to fluctuations in blood sugar resulting from a meal of processed grain products. Adding some protein at breakfast is essential in keeping blood sugar (and appetites) from fluctuating wildly throughout the day.

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My son has a penchant for sugary cereals. I adopted him at age 10, so he had 10 years of forming his tastes and eating habits before he moved home with me. Luckily, he does enjoy a number of healthy foods. (I just recently succeeded in getting him to try (and enjoy) salmon.) Breakfast foods, however, are more of a challenge.

More often than not we have oatmeal, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, or eggs. But I do like to have a box of cereal in the pantry for those busy days. Getting him to change his preferences has been a slow process. In fact, just recently when we were at the grocery store he said "Fruit Loops are healthy. Right, Mom? They're made of fruit." Uh.... no.

HealthCastle has a great article discussing the truth about reduced-sugar products -- from cereal to instant oatmeal to granola bars to juice -- that are popping up on store shelves. The products are often aimed at kids, yet the claim of "reduced sugar" is supposed to appeal to health-conscious parents. Often, artificial sweeteners are used in place of the sugar -- calorie content remains about the same.

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Looking to pump up your protein intake but aren't exactly thrilled with the idea of eating canned tuna? Fear not, you chicken of the sea -- there are plenty of much tastier foods out there that offer a heaping helping of this macronutrient.

The current issue of Maximum Fitness magazine serves up these fine alternatives to the usual protein suspects:

Beans. Score a solid 18g of protein from a cup of kidney beans, which take only a few minutes to cook up in a saucepan or microwave.

Eggs. Large eggs contain about 6.5g of protein each. Not a whole bunch, but most people don't just eat a single egg. It doesn't take a degree in advanced mathamatics to figure out that a hearty egg breakfast can hook you up with a healthy dose of pro.

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A gluten-free diet is a must for people with celiac disease or an allergy to products containing wheat. It's not so easy being gluten free. Not only is gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye, it's also added to many foods as a thickening agent. For example, some ice creams and even ketchup contain gluten.

The latest issue of Women's Health gives us a list of some of the tastiest gluten-free products on the market. Even if you don't require a gluten-free diet, give some gluten-free foods a chance. They're often made from different grains -- like quinoa -- and it's a good idea to incorporate new whole grains into your diet.

Check out the gallery for the Women's Health top gluten-free picks.

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Pamela M. Peeke remembers racing home from grammar school hoping to find her mother's homemade oatmeal raisin cookies waiting for her. Rolled oats and raisins fueled her play on many occasions and because she didn't want to let go of this childhood comfort food, Peeke, now a nutrition and fitness expert, updated her mom's original recipe to include healthier ingredients. It's funny, says this woman whose titles include MD, MPH, FACP, and keynote speaker at Speaking of Women's Health 2007, how life can be just as tasty with less sugar and butter.

Peeke's recipe, featured in the book Love Notes to Our Moms and Other Women of Influence, goes as follows and makes a batch of 38 cookies, each with 75 calories, 2 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, and even a gram of fiber.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly coat baking sheet with canola oil.
• In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix briefly.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add to creamed mixture and mix until all dry ingredients are moistened.
• Portion heaping spoonfuls of dough, about 3/4 oz. onto baking sheet about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake for seven minutes. Lightly flatten with finger. Rotate baking sheet and continue baking for four minutes.

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Oats were featured in a You Are What You Eat SuperFood post on Christmas Day. It seemed fitting for those living in cold-weather climates to spotlight a healthy, warm-yourself-up sort of food. And since January finds more people warming up to steaming bowls of oatmeal than any other month -- that's why January is designated National Oatmeal Month -- it seems a great time to spice up this SuperFood with both flavor and nutritional value. These few ideas do just that.

• Mix some dried organic blueberries into your piping-hot bowl of oats and add a few walnuts too. Enjoy the boost of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids these add-ins provide.
  
  

• Stir in some sliced banana and a spoonful of organic peanut butter to transform your oatmeal into a nutty, potassium-rich extravaganza.
  
  

• Try some low-fat granola, flaxseed, wheat germ, and sesame seeds next time you serve up your oats.
  
  

For a few more oatmeal toppers and some recipes too, visit the Quaker Oatmeal website here.

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