By Vivienne Beard (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: October 30, 2013
A steaming bowl of porridge has been served as a breakfast food for centuries. It’s easy to make, inexpensive, and to some, even delicious. Oatmeal is most commonly known for being packed with soluble fibre. Fibre, also found abundantly in foods such as apples and almonds, absorbs water and causes the digestive process to slow down. This means that a belly full of oatmeal will stay full longer than one filled with sugary cereals, and will keep your energy levels going strong long past breakfast. Avoiding a sweet treat is hard when our bodies aren’t fully satisfied with a nutritious breakfast. Incorporating oatmeal into your morning may not completely eliminate those ever-tempting cravings, but having a belly filled with a satisfying and nutritious breakfast will make it much easier to say “no.”
On top of curbing cravings, the fibre found in oatmeal helps to reduce LDL, more commonly known as “bad” cholesterol. Since fibre slows down the digestive process, it also helps to maintain blood-sugar levels throughout the day. Sudden spikes in blood-glucose levels have been linked to type two diabetes, strokes, and heart disease.
Being high in fibre isn’t the only thing this whole grain has going for it. Oatmeal contains plant compounds called lignans. Recent studies have shown that these compounds dramatically lower the risk of heart disease as well as lowering high blood pressure. Keeping our blood pressure at a healthy level isn’t something to only think about once we become more mature – it’s important at all ages. It’s never too early to start protecting our hearts from risk, and small efforts like increasing your oatmeal intake will add up to produce healthy, effective results.
Before you put down this newspaper to cook up a pot of oats, listen carefully to one more benefit that will have you eating bowl after bowl. Adding oatmeal to your daily diet has been proven to actually boost the immune system’s response to infection. Researchers at Brown University studied the effect of a compound present in oatmeal called beta-glucan. When placed with infected tissues, beta-glucan caused an increased immune response and helped antibodies fight off infection much more rapidly. Throughout the day we are exposed to many unwanted bugs, and starting off with beta-glucan-rich oatmeal is an effective way to aid our immune system’s fight against those bugs. All in all, oatmeal has the power to keep our bellies full, our hearts functioning smoothly, and our bodies safe from pestering colds – three big reasons to eat that bowl of oatmeal with a smile.
Even after hearing the many benefits oatmeal has to offer, a bowl of porridge may not seem so appetizing to some. To turn your morning porridge from plain to dessert-like, add a generous spoonful of coconut milk while it cooks. This will give your porridge that sweet, coconut flavour as well as added creaminess and nutrients like calcium and magnesium. Top it off with your choice of fresh fruit (blueberries and sliced banana are my favourites) and a sprinkle of cinnamon. If your sweet tooth is feeling extra strong, a little drizzle of maple syrup should do the trick.
Apart from being served hot, raw oatmeal can be blended into smoothies for breakfast or baked in a delicious batch of cookies. Cocoa nibs, raw chocolate without added sugar, and dried cranberries are a great option to elevate any simple oatmeal cookie. Remember, the little things we do for our health today will add up to a strong and revitalized tomorrow.
