By Oats are my favourite post-workout/intermittent fast-breaking choice of breakfast
Oats are a nutritious food you can enjoy in the morning or even during the day. Because they contain complex carbohydrates, fibre & protein — it helps keep you full for extended periods, as it’s slower for your body to digest. The great news is that oats also helps increase the good bacteria in your gut. It has many health benefits, from lowering your heart disease and colorectal cancer risk. It’s also a great aid in reducing blood pressure and helps in eliminating waste products a lot easier. Finally, you can kiss your constipation goodbye. Certain people, such as those with coeliac disease, need to tread carefully with oats. The oats themselves do not contain gluten, but they can become contaminated through milling as part of the manufacturing process. So your best bet is to stick to gluten-free oats, such as Bob Mills (which is just one example of the many available). Here is an excellent recipe for Overnight Coconut Oats: Overnight Coconut OatsNothing beats a warm bowl of oats in the morninga-dimos.medium.comIt can undoubtedly aid weight loss under the right nutritional plan. For example, when you are also eating a healthy diet, watching your portion sizes and eliminating sweeteners like high fructose syrups and other sugary additions. Adding these will kill any benefits that oats may have in helping you lose weight. In addition, overconsumption and adding the wrong ingredients to your oats, as with anything, can impair your fat loss results. Below, I’ll share some great alternatives with oats, as I use them as part of my diet — especially post-workout (and break my long duration fasts).
Five ways with oats that won’t kill your fat loss efforts
Method One: Have them post-workout
Oats are great for replenishing glycogen to the muscles after a hard workout — this aids in recovery and topping you up with energy for your next session. I like to include my plant-based protein powder in the mix and some honey & a sprinkling of paleo nut mix. But, as I’m breaking the fast, I prefer to keep it simple and use my post-workout window to eat a higher carb food that won’t break the caloric bank too much.
Method Two: Only pick plain, organic oats — check your labels
Supermarket packaging claims that something is free of sugar or artificial flavours. Make sure you read all the labels nutritional value before you purchase. Oats need to be just that, oats, nothing more added to it. Another tip is to watch out for those dried fruits. It’s preferable to add fresh fruit (berries is excellent) to your breakfast bowl.
Method Three: Add berries and yogurt if you wish
I like to dress up my oats by adding fresh organic berries, honey and some seeds, then adding cinnamon on top -which lowers the chance of a blood sugar surge. Sometimes I’ll add some green banana for more soluble fibre and good bacteria infusion into the gut.
Method Four: Use it in portable snacks
I will use oats to make protein-rich cookies, bliss balls or perhaps muffins. These are a great snack alternative for school or work. Use oats, protein powder, eggs, stevia and spices of your choice. If you have some ripe bananas, put them in as well — Bake to perfection. Here is an excellent protein ball recipe (vegan):Tahini Dark Chocolate Protein BallsSweet and yet slightly tangy snack on the runa-dimos.medium.com
Method Six: Always use portion control
As I mentioned above, you still need to watch your portion size. Portion sizes need to consider your body shape, the amount of exercise you do, and the goals you want to achieve. Less is always better than more. I find that oats are pretty filling, and it’s tough to overeat them. I generally stick to 1/2 a cup at all times, and that’s enough for me. To commemorate my love for oats, I leave you with a couple of recipes from my website, which happen to be my favourites. So try it out, and let me know what you think. If you would like to read more articles like this or start writing your own, please sign up via my link. I’d love to see you on the other side. Sign up here for your medium subscription