Many of us see a bowl of oats porridge or oatmeal for breakfast in the morning as a comfort food straight from our childhood. Not everyone is a fan of oatmeal, but one thing is for sure – we cannot deny the many health benefits of oats. If you have a hard time fitting oats into your diet, a gluten-free oatmeal cookie (or two) can be a great way to get the benefits of oats, in a way that's hard to say "no" to!
Oats are packed full of health benefits.
Nutritionally, 0ats contain a large variety of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants. These include vitamins B1, B3, B5, and B6, as well as iron, copper, zinc, folate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and calcium.
Oats contain many antioxidants that fight free radicals. Two of these are polyphenols and avenanthramides. You find the latter mostly in oats. It is not common in many other foods.
Polyphenols have a host of health benefits that include reversing damage at a cellular level resulting from the aging process and environmental damage. According to literature, polyphenols may help with blood sugar regulation, reduce your risk of heart disease, and even help in the prevention of blood clot formation.
Avenanthramides increase your body’s nitric oxide production, thereby helping with blood vessel dilation that promotes better blood flow. In so doing, it may help regulate blood pressure levels.
Whether eating a bowl of oats porridge or an oatmeal cookie, oats tend to make you feel satiated quickly. This is due to the high fiber content in oats. The fiber in oatmeal and oatmeal cookies tends to attract water and expand, thereby occupying more space in your stomach. This can encourage you to eat less.
Oats are a source of beta-glucan, a soluble fiber. A soluble fiber is one that dissolves in water, becoming gel-like in nature. This thick gel encourages a feeling of fulness. The health benefits of this fiber include the following:
Each year, a quarter of American deaths result from heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One of the leading causes of heart disease is high cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol, commonly referred to as bad cholesterol. An oatmeal cookie may help address your cholesterol issue in more than one way.
The beta-glucan fiber common in oats reduces your LDL cholesterol. It also reduces your total cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it may also help improve the removal of cholesterol-rich bile, possibly reducing the total amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood.
The antioxidants in oats also help promote heart health. It helps reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and thus reduces the risk of inflammation in your arteries, thereby reducing the risk of both heart attack and stroke.
Type-2 diabetes is fast becoming an issue, for children and adults. The most common cause is an increase in blood sugar levels with an associated decrease in insulin sensitivity.
Oats may play a role in establishing blood sugar control. Literature shows it lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin sensitivity. One can ascribe this to the beta-glucan fiber. It is a low glycemic fiber that forms a gel that delays glucose absorption into your bloodstream.
However, the high sugar content in cookies and packaged oatmeal also probably negates the benefits of oats for diabetes. If diabetes is a concern for you, it is a better idea to opt for low-sugar options that use low-glycemic-index sweeteners like stevia.
Asthma, a common childhood health issue, occurs due to inflammation in the airways. Literature suggests that introducing oats into a child’s diet at a relatively young age may reduce their risk of asthma.
Many elderly people experience constipation due to a variety of factors. Their diet may lack sufficient fiber, medications may contribute to the condition, or it may result from a decrease in mobility. Of course, anyone can suffer from constipation at any time in their life.
While many people depend on laxatives to help with the problem, laxatives do not supply a long-term solution. It is not sustainable and could result in other issues. But incorporating oats into your diet is a great way to reduce constipation that is sustainable and has few side effects. Getting enough fluids is also important, so remember to have a big glass of water with your oatmeal cookie.
The term ‘bioenergetics’ refers to the flow of energy throughout your body. Sometimes your body releases energy, and at other times it uses energy to function. And this energy comes from various sources, including what you eat.
The three components that make up your Bioenergetics Circuit are your pancreas, liver, and thyroid gland. Together, these three organs look after your body’s energy flow.
When things go wrong in any of these organs and for whatever reason, you may see the development of numerous metabolic disorders. These include gut bacteria imbalances and leaky gut, sleep problems, blood sugar imbalances and associated conditions, and obesity.
An oatmeal cookie may be just the thing to ensure you get oats into your diet. It also makes a healthy snack to keep you going through the day.
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Oats are great for your body. Besides porridge or an oatmeal cookie, there are a lot of ways to include oats in your diet. You can also use them in baked goods like bread or muffins, or try adding them to soup or stew.
If you have adrenal fatigue and want advice on following a healthy diet or want to know more about the benefits of oats and how to include them in your diet, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1-626-571-1234 where we will discuss any questions you may have. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
An oatmeal cookie will certainly not be bad for your adrenal health. The various antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber could actually help in addressing many symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue. Just don't overdo it, because cookies do contain some sugar.
