My new found love-Oatmeal and my effort to stay healthy!
Until recently I thought staying
healthy is something which is god gifted and you can only maintain your weight
provided you have a fast metabolic system. While it's true that metabolism is
linked to weight, it may not be in the way you expect. In fact, contrary to
common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain.
Although your metabolism influences your body's basic energy needs, it's your
food and beverage intake and your physical activity that ultimately determine
how much you weigh. I always knew that I have a strong willpower and if I decide
to do something, I attain it without faltering a bit. So, one fine day I decided
to let go off my weight and try leading a healthy life for the sake of many beautiful
things around me. I come from a family where everyone loves to eat and invite
others for a tasty meal. Both my parents were diabetic so it was always prevalent
in my mind somewhere that I should be careful about myself.
Not that I was very bulky but I just wanted
to shed some unnecessary load. I started my Journey in March 2011 by finding an
appropriate nutritionist for myself who can guide me about the appropriate ways
of eating healthy food and the best food that suite my body type. I was very lucky
to find one nutritionist who acted as a superb help in introducing me to a world
full of healthy and tasty food. I always thought that healthy food doesn’t
really taste good but she totally broke my existing myth and changed my
perception about the eating and staying healthy. Today I can happily say that I
lost 10-12 kgs in three months by changing my food habit and I am proud to
continue the same status by following some basic rules.
What I learnt from the whole experience
is that, in today's hectic world, cooking has become a luxury, while eating out
is seen as a necessity. This is unfortunate, however, for, there are many
benefits for people who cook their own food at home.
One benefit is that cooking at home
allows people to de-stress. During the weekdays, people have to rush from home
to work and then to run other errands. By taking the time to cook food, people
can slow down their schedule and go through the step-by-step process of
creating food from scratch.
Another benefit of cooking is that
people have more control over what they eat. They can choose what ingredients
to use, how to cook the food, and how much to cook. This allows people, for one
thing, to save money by only cooking the food they need instead of eating out
and being forced to pay for food they may not eat. Also, by having control over
the food they consume people can also eat healthier. They can use the best and
the freshest ingredients and ensure that their food is properly cleaned and
prepared. In restaurants, on the other hand, people can never be completely be
sure that fresh ingredients are used or that healthy ingredients are used.
Like any drug, if you abuse it you
suffer the consequences, but when used properly, food can...
- Give you the
energy you need to get through your days and still have energy to spare.
- Help to
eliminate or at least greatly reduce mood swings. This was a big one for
me. I saw my moods level right out.
- Significantly
reduce hunger pains and cravings. Great news when you want to lose weight.
- Reduce the
risk of serious and not-so-serious disease. More and more illnesses are
being linked to the food you eat on a regular basis. Proper nutritional
habits are your best insurance policy.
- Reverse
existing health challenges. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two of
the most common health challenges. By properly using food, you can greatly
improve - if not eliminate - these two conditions.
- Sharper
mental focus. Rather than walking around in a fog, imagine being alert and
focused as you go through your day.
- Reduce
overall body fat.
My Golden Food Rule:
- Eat a moderate amount of high-fiber
carbohydrate at each meal. Eat lots of fibrous veggies, a small amount of
high-fiber fruit (apples, oranges, berries) and if you eat processed
carbs, make them high-fiber as well. Oh, and eliminate any beverages
containing sugar. Personally, I rarely get more than 40 percent of my
calories from carbs. Often it's around the 30 percent mark.
- Eat protein with every meal and most snacks.
Again, for me personally, I get about 30-40 percent of my calories from
protein - usually paneer, beans, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt.
- Eat fat. Forget everything you've ever heard
about low-fat eating being the healthy way to go. Your meals and snacks
should include a healthy dose of fat. Ideally, it should be mono or
polyunsaturated fat, but some animal fats certainly won't hurt. My fat
intake stays pretty steady at about 30 percent from day to day.
- Eat 5-6 meals, evenly spread throughout the
day. You've heard it before, you'll hear it again. You may as well accept
it. Eating two or three meals won't cut it. Eating small meals throughout
the day prevents overloading your body with more carbohydrate than it can
handle, which in turn controls blood sugar levels
- By far one ingredient which I think is high in
nutritional content and
works like a magic is oatmeal. It is absolutely magical and you
can substitute it for everything in the world. Use it as a binding agent
or a topping ingredient and it works perfectly. You can invent your own
little recipes with it.
Now days, I am on a spree inventing new
recipes with oatmeal, starting from the appetizers to the main course. Can you imagine
you can make amazing drinks out of oatmeal? Yes, it does sound weird but it’s true.
Initially, I thought oatmeal is good for making porridge and a healthy
substitute for ailing patients :)
Health and Nutrition Benefits of Eating
Oats
·
Oats comprise
of one of the best sources of Inositol, which is very important for maintaining
blood cholesterol level. In other words, eating oats regularly can help keep
your cholesterol in check.
· They contain very high levels of
calcium, potassium and magnesium, coupled with Vitamin B-complex. All these
vitamins and minerals are very essential for the nervous system.
· Cooked oats can help relieve fat from
the body, while unrefined oatmeal can reduce stress.
· Because of the high fiber content
present in oats, they are said to be helpful in preventing bowel cancer.
·
Since oats have lots of fiber, having
them regularly can help cure constipation.
· If consumed on a frequent basis, they
can help lower the chances of having heart disease.
·
Apart from being a good source of
protein, oats also provide vitamin E, zinc, copper and iron to the body.
· They have also been proven to act as an
effective anti-depressant. In other words, having
oats can calm you down and help treat depression as well.
· Oats, with more soluble fiber than any
other grain, can slow down the digestion process and provide an extended
sensation of fullness. This makes them good for people who want to lose weight.
· If you eat regularly, the rise in blood
sugar level gets spread over a longer period of time. This helps prevent many
of the complications associated with diabetes.
· Oats contain phytochemicals (plant
chemicals), which are believed to protect the body from chronic diseases, such
as cancer.
So the question is: If I know how magical
oatmeal is? Then I should share the wonderful recipes made out of oatmeal with
all my friends. My first creation can be attributed to the family of appetizers
and I have already gone through the christening ceremony for this particular
recipe and you can call it “Oats Delight”- Some
can prefer to call it Oats Kebab(like my adored husband) My mum in law
thinks that it somehow taste like rava idli. I was
very happy when it came out very well – soft, tasty and filling and less time
consuming.
Watch out for this space for the recipe
of Oats Delight and many more oats dishes to follow.
Till we meet again don’t forget to
savor the food for life!
Dry roast oats for 3
minutes and set aside. Cool it completely then grind it to a fine powder.
