13 Jan 2010
Ode to Oats
How did you start your day today? Was it with a well-balanced meal, a light snack, a drive-through quickie, or perhaps nothing more than a cup of coffee to-go? Did you begin your day on the right foot or the wrong one by skipping out on breakfast or filling up with less than healthy junk? Many say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and from a dietary standpoint, there is certainly plenty of data to back this up. With benefits of decreased body mass index, reduced fatigue, and improved cognition, you can’t go wrong by starting off the day with a little brekkie. And let’s face it, when you eat a proper meal for breakfast, there will be less snacking throughout the day, right?! I recently read that studies show that more people who skip out on breakfast tend to be obese because of the snacking that inevitably occurs as a result of missing out on the morning fill-up. Yikes, huh!! So what is your breakfast of choice? For the past few weeks, my breakfast of champions has been granola and yogurt mixed with fresh fruit, which I’ve found to be very satisfying. And just the other day, I rediscovered a breakfast of the past: oatmeal. You hear so much about the benefits of oatmeal so it was interesting for me to find out a little more information on exactly how good oatmeal really is. This is by no means a scientific study but the points below do speak loud and clear of the reasons for including oatmeal in the diet.
- Studies show that eating oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water which significantly slows down your digestive process. This result is that you’ll feel full longer, i.e. oatmeal can help you control your weight.
- New research suggests that eating oatmeal may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.
- With the exception of certain flavored varieties, the oats found in your grocery store are 100% natural.
- According to recent studies, a diet that includes oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure.
- Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.
- The fiber and other nutrients found in oatmeal may actually reduce the risk for certain cancers.
- Oatmeal is quick and convenient. (And it’s CHEAP!!!)
- Oatmeal can be absolutely delicious!
This is a summary of information that can be found in the article, “10 Reasons to Eat Oatmeal,” by Mr Breakfast.
So are you ready for some oatmeal or what?
To finish things off, here are a some breakfast-related quotes that are completely unrelated to this post:
Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.
Alfred A. MontapertFeedback is the breakfast of champions.
Ken BlanchardHope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.
Francis BaconI went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time”. So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.
Steven WrightMy wife is my first audience. She’s a tough lady, so I can’t say that I ever scare her. Except, of course, when she sees me the way I look before breakfast.
Dean KoontzBill Clinton’s foreign policy experience stems mainly from having breakfast at the International House of Pancakes.
Pat Buchanan
for the past six months (since i made the decision to take back my life) oatmeal has been the brekkie’s of choice for me…lol
it is true that those who do not eat breakfast are prone to becoming overweight or obest, yet studies show that snacking throughout the day (1-3 snacks paired with 3 main meals) helps weight loss (just as long as you’re not snacking on potato chips or a carton of ice cream…haa haa)
so picking up a piece of fruit in between meals or a protien shake will help keep your metabolism going and now i sound like an infomercial (yikes)!
glad to hear that 2010 is going well for you and that you’ve continued on your journey and yes, i am very happy that the holidays are over…
one more quick thing, then i will be on my way. if you’re struggling with what to eat when you eat out a good book to help make smart choices is ‘eat this, not that’ by david z. (he’s the editor for men’s health magazine) or one of the big wigs there…lol anyways, they have a resturaunt edition and it will guide you to the best and worst entree’s that places have to offer and what to watch out for when you order certain things (it definitely was a helpful tool during the holidays for me as everyone wants to take you out to eat)
desiree
January 13th, 2010 at 9:46 pmpermalink
Glad to hear that we share the breakfast of champions! Do you usually eat your oats with fruit or something else? And so glad that you are taking your life back as well. Good for you!!
I do agree with you about choosing snacks wisely. If hunger strikes, it’s best to feed the body a piece of fruit or protein shake, like you said. Just gotta be sure that we are not too hungry by skipping meals because that one piece of fruit will never be enough to keep us going between meals and will most likely result in us eating more than necessary, right.
Thanks for the book recommendation. I’ll check that out. For the most part, I do fine at restaurants but lately, we’ve been eating so much that it’s not really about the content of the meals as much as the frequency of going out that becomes the problem. Restaurant food, even the “healthy” stuff, it’s just not that good for you, and if you eat it all the time, you’re probably either the king or queen of metabolism or a very “well-rounded” individual like me! ;) Since I’m not the metabo-king, I need to be careful about going out so much. Once or twice a week is more than enough… Yes, thankfully, the holidays are over!!! Good luck to you this week, Desiree!!
Cory
January 14th, 2010 at 9:10 ampermalink
i just recently started adding fruit to my oats and it makes it into a totally different breakfast (esp liked the banana and walnuts added in) but normally i eat it plain (i know, what a bore) haa haa
desiree
January 15th, 2010 at 7:09 pmpermalink
Did you quit?? How are you doing?
Nancy/Mom
February 1st, 2010 at 10:58 ampermalink
Checking in today to see how you’re doing. Did you have the world famous oatmeal this morning? Are you guys eating in more or still in the going out mode? If you eat out more, does it seem like the weight comes off slower?
Nancy/Mom
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:36 ampermalink