7 Health Benefits of Eating Oatmeal
When was the last time you had a piping hot bowl of oatmeal? It doesn’t sound very exciting, but the health benefits just might surprise you! There’s something very cozy and comforting about cooking up a bowl of hot oats for a hearty, fortifying breakfast. It will keep you full for hours, and you can get creative and top it with a variety of fruits, seeds, or even other grains. It can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a bedtime snack. Don’t think of it for just in the cold winter months. It can be eaten year-round, especially if you are health conscious. No matter what the temperature outside, that steaming bowl of comfort food makes me feel like I’m getting a hug.
Making oatmeal part of your daily routine can go a long way for your heart health and lowering cholesterol. Oats are a rich source of beta-glucan, a viscous, soluble fiber which is recognized for its cholesterol-lowering properties and are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. There have been many research studies which have proven the benefits of oatmeal in lowering cholesterol levels. Oatmeal can really bring down your bad LDL cholesterol without lowering your good cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that’s found in your body and travels through your bloodstream. The LDL cholesterol is the one associated with increased risk of heart disease because it contributes to fatty buildups in your arteries. This condition, atherosclerosis, narrows the arteries and increases your risk of heart attacks, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease.
While oats start out the same, how they are processed determines their health benefit to you. A whole oat contains three main parts: the endosperm, cereal germ, and bran. The endosperm contains the protein and nutrition in the form of starch. The cereal germ, rich in vitamins, is the reproductive part. The hard outer layer, very high in fiber, is the bran.
Here’s the five types of oats available:
1. Oat groats are the most nutritious form of oats, as they are totally intact and are not processed in any way. The only downside is that these take the longest to cook and will be chewy. The texture is fun to chew and adds an interesting dimension to your bowl of health! This is what I eat each day for breakfast. It’s worth the extra time to cook them, in return for what they give you in return! Cooks in about 45 minutes.
2. Steel cut oats are processed by chopping the oat groats. These take a while to cook as well, though not as long as oat groats. They will be chewy too. Cooks in about 30 minutes.
3. Rolled oats are first steamed as a whole oat then then pressed through steel rollers. This thins them out which reduces the cooking time and gives a smoother texture. Cooks in about 10–12 minutes.
4. Instant oats is the most well-known type. You’ve probably seen those packets of Quaker Oats when you were a kid, or even as an adult! While they are simple and easy to make, typically 3 minutes, they are the least beneficial to your health. First they are pre-cooked, dried, rolled, then pressed very thin.
5. Oat bran is that outer shell which does contain nutrition as well as fiber. This is typically used in baking.
So, you see that not all oat products are created equal. The most nutritious form of oats are the oat groats because it is the whole grain. They have the best cholesterol-lowering effects of all.
I’ve read that Dr. Andrew Weil prefers steel cut oats because they “digest more slowly than rolled ones. Like all other grains in whole or cracked form, steel-cut oats rank lower than rolled oats on the glycemic index (GI), which ranks carbohydrate foods on the basis of how rapidly they affect blood sugar (glucose). The reason for this difference is that it takes longer for digestive enzymes to reach the starch inside the thicker pieces, slowing down their conversion to sugar.” This is great news for individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Keep in mind that instant oatmeal is very highly processed, and typically contains many other ingredients such as sugars, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors and colors and sodium. If you want to do your body good, aim for oat groats, steel cut oats or rolled oats. Or all three! Maybe you make the rolled oats on weekdays because you’re pressed for time. Then on the weekends, you make oat groats or steel cut oats. I’ll share this tip. I sometimes mix half and half of oat groats and steel cut in the pot together for a fun texture of the two!
You can also make a large batch of your oatmeal which can keep for 2–3 days in the refrigerator. That’s called batch cooking, something very familiar to those on a plant-based diet. Then you have it ready to go, and simply scoop out your desired amount, maybe add some soy milk or almond milk and heat up in the microwave. Now your long-cooking oats have become “quick” oats!
The 7 Benefits of eating oats include:
1. Oats are heart healthy. Did you know that according to the CDC, heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S.?
2. Oats improve blood sugar control. This is especially beneficial to those with diabetes.
3. Oats can help with weight loss. Because oats are an excellent source of fiber, they’re a great addition for your weight loss program. According to research from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, adding more fiber to your diet is one of the simplest ways to shed pounds.
4. Oats provide you with important vitamins and minerals. Thiamine, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, iron, selenium, and manganese.
5. Oats are rich in antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds called polyphenols. Most notable is a unique group of antioxidants called avenanthramides, which are almost solely found in oats. Avenanthramides may help lower blood pressure levels by increasing the production of nitric oxide. This gas molecule helps dilate blood vessels and leads to better blood flow.
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is a great example of the importance of eating oats every day! I saw him in person at the Plantrician International Health Care Conference in Oakland, California. Both he and his high-energy wife Ann are 86 years old, going on 40. They eat their oatmeal each day for breakfast, and Dr. Esselstyn has another serving of oats each evening, a bowl of uncooked rolled oats topped with berries.
6. Oats contain Beta-glucans, which partially dissolve in water and form a gel-like substance in your gut. This not only helps you stay full longer but helps keep you regular. It also helps with increased growth of good bacteria in the gut. It can also help lower your risk of colorectal cancer.
7. This one might surprise you! Oats may decrease the risk of childhood asthma, which is an inflammatory process.
You need to eat one and a half cups of oats a day to reap the best health benefits! People typically associate oats with breakfast. They are versatile to enjoy in many other ways. Oat groats for example, can add an interesting texture to a salad, or can be used as a side dish with some added spices to spark flavor.
For me, I love my bowl of piping hot oatmeal topped with apple slices, a cut up banana, and a sprinkle of Ceylon cinnamon. And typically a bowl of uncooked old-fashioned thick cut rolled oats as a snack at night. Of course, topped with fresh berries!
A moment in history when the time to start getting healthy has never been more critical. What you put on your plate is the big determining factor of your state of health. Don’t wait another moment. Get started today. I can help you begin your own journey to your best health ever. Let’s talk. www.yourwfpblife.com
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