Developing a healthy lifestyle through cycling

The Health Benefits of Oatmeal

Posted by Bryan on Jan 5th, 2009 in Recipes | Comments

oatmealbowl When I was a kid my mom made all four of us kids eat some kind of hot cereal when it was cold. It was either oatmeal or malt-o-meal. I hated it. The only thing we had to spice it up with was some butter and that didn’t improve the taste at all. Once it got cold it was even worse. I remember vividly the gag reflex I would have by trying to force down cold oatmeal. Because of that I refused to eat oatmeal for over twenty years. That changed five days ago when 2009 started.

Why did I change my ways and give oatmeal a second chance? Because I had heard for years that it was good for you and it had quite a few health benefits. I need all the health benefits I can get. I decided to do some research and find out what those health benefits were. Here they are.

1. There are numerous studies that show that oatmeal may lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. The soluble fiber in oatmeal is supposed to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while maintaining the HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

2. The insoluble fiber in oatmeal helps keep the bowels clean by making your stool heavier so it passes through easier. It’s also good for diabetics because the fiber slows down the digestion of starch.

3. Oatmeal is loaded with vitamins like E, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, and thiamine. It also contains zinc which is important for healing of wounds, growth, reproduction, and it’s important for your metabolism.

4. Some studies suggest that a diet containing oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure.

5. The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs water and significantly slows down the digestive process. This leaves you feeling fuller longer and can help control your weight.

Maple & Brown Sugar

With the new year upon me I told myself that I was going to try and eat better. I decided oatmeal for breakfast was going to be my first step. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid to try it. I was surprised though that it tasted pretty good. I will admit though that I cheated and opted for the Quaker Instant Oatmeal. It was the maple and brown sugar weight control kind. I know they say you should have the plain Quaker Oats because of the sugars in the pre-flavored kinds. I wasn’t going to try it for the first time in over 20 years plain though. If you read the box on the weight control oatmeal it’s actually not that bad. The nutrition facts are shown to the left (ignore the orange numbers; it was the best pic I could find).

There you have it. I took the plunge after a 20 year hiatus from this super healthy food and feel better after having done it. I’ve had several bowls since that first one and each has been just as good as the last.

Before my next article I’d like to hear from you about your experiences with eating oatmeal and what you do to enhance the flavor if your using the plain stuff. If you’re not eating oatmeal, why not?

Adrian

Biking regularly will probably do for for you, weight wise, than oatmeal, but oatmeal is pretty good for your health if you are eating it each morning to replace a sausage mcmuffin or bacon & eggs. Some comments on the health benefits you listed:
1) This oatmeal lowers cholesterol, but it makes a very small dent, if this is the only thing you changed in your diet to make it more healthy. The real reason oatmeal reduces cholesterol is because it's a plant based food, plant foods don't contain any cholesterol, which means that if you eat oatmeal you are probably replacing other unhealthy foods. Cholesterol only comes from animals foods, and the little bit our body produces for normal body functions. Cholesterol is not a nutrient in foods, so we don't need to get any of it from foods, our bodies produce just the right amount for perfect health. Any more taken from foods, is over the top, and bad for our health.
2) Yes, fiber from oatmeal helps keep our bowels clean, ss does the insoluble fiber in all plant foods.
3) yes, oatmeal is loaded with vitamins, like a lot of other plant foods, although oatmeal from the store only retains the vitamins that are resistant to heat, even if you eat it straight out of the box like a horse, since it is processed food (sad to say) and flash steamed to prolong shelf life.
4) True, oatmeal will help reduce high blood pressure, as will all plant foods, since it is directly related to cholesterol.
5) yes, the fiber, but more so the complex carbs, slows down the digestion process, which leaves you fuller.

I think oatmeal is a super healthy food if you were eating junk foods and animal foods that are loaded with cholesterol for breakfast.

I think it is awesome that you are thinking about your health and researching more healthy ways to eat. Keep it up!

adrian

Bryan

Adrian, thanks for stopping by and for submitting the detailed comment. I'm continuing to eat oatmeal each morning. Can't believe I didn't like it as a kid.

Bryan

@Andrea: That sounds great! Thanks for stopping by.

andrea

I have a good recipe for oatmeal called Bishops Breakfast. I add to a large bowl of uncooked Oatmeal: 1/2 cup of Cracklin Oatbran Cereal and 1/2 cup of fresh Blueberries. Follow the usual cooking directions for Oatmal and then add sugar or Splenda, but I think it's sweet enough without added sugar.

Bryan

@Mary: Thanks for stopping by and sharing your oatmeal experience. That's a nice drop in the BP. I'm hoping I get the same benefit. I'll have to try making my oatmeal with some milk at some point. Everyone says it's good.

Mary Kadela

I started eating oatmeal every morning for the last three months. I lowered my blood pressure from 139/89 to 113/70. I love to add blueberries, chopped apple, T of almond, or peanut butter and sweeten with stevia and add 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk--good stuff.

Bryan

@All: I've experimented with my oatmeal a little this week and have discovered three things:

1. Cranberries suck in oatmeal.
2. Blueberries are awesome in oatmeal.
3. The oatmeal breakfast is keeping me full all the way to lunch.

Bryan

@jaxgtr: Thanks Brian. Congrats on losing the 21 lbs. I'll check out the website you emailed me about.

jaxgtr

Great article Bryan, I love the oatmeal an I have even gotten away from adding butter and sugar and just use the splenda. Won't eat the pre-sweetened stuff as it just has too many calories. I am on a new routine of not adding fats or sugar to anything I cook and have lost 21 lbs since mid-October.

Bryan

@AMR: Thanks for stopping by. I love bananas so I'm going to have to try them in my oatmeal.

AMR

Good article.
I enjoy oats and often add dates, honey and sliced banana.
Sometimes even adding an apple while cooking it.
Great winter meal.
AMR

Bryan

@Al: Great link! That's a very well written article. Seems to me the choice comes down to personal taste.

Al

There's a good comparison of rolled and steel cut oats here:

http://coachlevi.com/nutrition/rolled-oats-stee...

farsided (farsided)

what's your favorite topping or way to eat oatmeal? http://tinyurl.com/74dqux

Bryan

@331miles: Splenda is a good idea. I've ready you can make oatmeal with milk instead but was hesitant the taste/texture. I'll have to give it a try.

@jodycb: Great recipe. I'll have to try that.

@Al: That's a great idea to get the benefits of both kinds of oatmeal.

@Jeremy: Thanks for stopping by. I may need to do an article on the difference/benefits of rolled vs steal-cut oats. I have no idea what they are. Brown sugar and raisins sounds awesome.

Jeremy

Even rolled oats aren't as good as steel-cut oats. Either McCann's in the can, or in bulk from your local co-op/healthy food place.

In bulk they cost around 25 cents a serving for me. I make 4 cups at a time, stick in the fridge, scoop some out in the morning and nuke it.

Add a little brown sugar and some raisins, and you've got breakfast in 2 minutes.

Al

I've always heard that instant oatmeal robs you of true oatmeal benefits. I've never cared for the traditional rolled oats. So what did I do? I punted: In a cup I empty one packet of instant Apples & Cinnamon and then add two heaping spoonfuls of Quaker Oats (rolled). Add milk and nuke/stir to taste.

I get enough sugar from the instant to make it mildly sweet and the rolled oats fill me up. I've been having this as my post ride meal for years. I don't mind the little amount of sugar - at least I know what that is and I don't overdo it.

jodycb

I make muesli with oatmeal. It's basically uncooked oatmeal, mixed with fresh fruit, dried fruit, yogurt, and nuts. You let it sit overnight and yogurt hydrates the oatmeal. That's the complex version. I'm lazy & cutting up apples and frozen peaches and all that feels like it takes forever, so I usually make a shorthand version.

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup yogurt (plain... you can use vanilla but then leave out the sugar/honey)
1 sliced banana (
4-6 frozen strawberries cut up
a bit of honey or sugar (to taste)

Leave in the fridge overnight & eat in the morning. If you want to eat it sooner, use quick oats, but you still want to wait an hour or so.

331miles

To continue my podium trend...

I add Splenda to sweeten it, then sprinkle some cinnamon on top. I also make instant oatmeal with skim milk instead of water to make it a little creamier.

Another healthy, similar breakfast to try is Special K cereal w Red Berries, then add more sliced strawberries or 1/2 bananan. Mmmmm....

And lastly -- my grandma made malt-o-meal for us when I was very young. I LOVED IT. I need to try some again.

farsided (farsided)

Latest article at bikingtolive.com, The Health Benefits of Oatmeal http://tinyurl.com/74dqux

The Health Benefits of Oatmeal

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