Here are some great reasons to start your day out with that bowl of oats!
Oats are probably one of the healthiest foods on the planet! Not only do they provide plenty of fiber and healthy carbs, but they’re also a great source of minerals, protein, and healthy fats. Oatmeal is one of the top breakfast foods around, and it’s a meal you SHOULD consider if you want to stay healthy and in shape.
Here are a few more specific health benefits of oatmeal:
- Helps you feel full — Fiber is one of the primary ingredients in oats, and eating a lot of fiber is wonderful to help you fill up without overeating. You will find that eating a lot of oats is a good way to avoid porking out when on a diet, and you can start your day off right with a stomach filled with delicious oats. We happen to love this healthy overnight oatmeal recipe, too.
- Promotes healthy digestion — Not only does oatmeal contain soluble fiber (to soak up cholesterol, fats, sugars, and toxins), but it’s also loaded with insoluble fiber. This insoluble fiber acts like a scrubber to cleanse your intestinal walls, getting rid of food clinging to the intestines. You can seriously improve your digestion and decrease your risk of colon cancer by eating more oats!
- Promote weight loss — One of the great things about oatmeal is that it’s fairly low in calories. A single cup only has around 130 calories, and you’ll fill up with less than two cups. Add in a bit of milk and honey, and you’re still hovering around 300 calories for one heck of a filling breakfast.
- Reduces diabetes risk — Thanks to the fiber in the oats, you will be able to provide your body with energy (via the complex carbs they contain) without affecting your blood sugar levels. For those with Type 2 Diabetes, oats are one of the safest carbs to eat! Plus, the magnesium in the oats help to keep your body secreting and receiving insulin at a proper rate.
- Protects against disease — Heart disease is the #1 killer in the world, but oats contain a special nutrient–called lignan–which can help to protect against heart disease. One of the lignans–called enterolactone–is effective at protecting against cancers caused by excess hormone levels (prostate, breast, testicular, etc.).
READ MORE: Vegan Strawberry Oat Squares
- Is gluten–free — In all but a few cases, oats are 100% gluten free, and thus are completely safe for celiacs and the gluten intolerant to eat at will. There is a very small risk of the oats being cross-contaminated when they are processed in the same facility as rice and flour, but the truth is that oats are USUALLY safe for consumption by those who cannot consume gluten.
- Reduces cholesterol — Oats are rich in an antioxidant called avenathramides, which helps to protect your heart from cholesterol–thereby reducing overall cholesterol levels and preventing heart disease!
- Boosts immune system — The fiber in oats will help the white blood cells in your body to reach the site of infections more quickly, helping your body to react to infections and disease more effectively.
- Protects against heart failure — A study conducted at Harvard showed that men who ate whole grains daily had a 29% lower chance of developing heart failure than those who did not. Thankfully, oats are one of the best whole grains around!
- Loaded with nutrients — While white rice and flour have usually had most of the nutrients stripped away, oats still contain the hulls–where most of the nutrients are found!
