To some, the qualities of oatmeal are certainly undeniable; it contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, minerals, vitamins, amino acids and antioxidants including protein and complex carbohydrates.
“The Oatmeal Diet?” I hear you ask. Well I was certainly asking this question myself.
So, intrigued, I decided to take a deeper look into this and found some interesting things about the oatmeal diet, both positive and negative, and I will share them with you below.
Are Oats And The Oatmeal Diet Good For You?
Whether eaten raw or cooked, oatmeal can aid bowel movements, lower bad cholesterol and protect good cholesterol, prevent heart disease, boost your immune system, stabilize blood sugar, lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and prevent breast cancer and other ailments.
Oatmeal is also inexpensive and a great choice for breakfast. After eating a bowl of oatmeal in the morning you will feel fuller for longer, thus avoiding cravings.
Some health experts will tell you otherwise, however, pointing out that all grains are bad for you and that not many people can tolerate them. They go as far as saying that grains may actually inhibit the metabolism of nutrient absorption and cause autoimmune reactions.
I guess it is up to you to do the research and draw your own conclusions. For me and my family I do use grains in limited amounts, ensuring that they are always organic and whole whenever possible.
The Oatmeal Diet
There are two main types of oats or oatmeal: flakes or [easyazon-link asin=”B0037BOKTQ” locale=”us”]groats[/easyazon-link]. Generally, the more you process a food the less nutritious it becomes. Instant oats are best avoided if you want to get the full benefits of oats.
Apparently there are various versions of this diet but needless to say, oatmeal is the essential ingredient.
The Oatmeal Diet Variations
One oatmeal diet approach demands that you consume only oatmeal and one portion of fruit for breakfast and dinner for two months or up to the time you reach your desired weight.
Another oatmeal diet version will require you to have oatmeal and skimmed milk as your only meal for seven consecutive days. This method doesn’t come with the best taste, however.
[easyazon_image align=”left” asin=”B002TXT502″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZLo3PwJAL._SL160_.jpg” width=”139″]Another involves consuming oatmeal at least 3 times a day, specifically breakfast, lunch and dinner, combining it with fresh fruits during breakfast as well as lunch, and with green, leafy vegetables and lean meat during dinner.
Basically it is all about consuming only oatmeal for a certain amount of time to help you lose unwanted weight. They claim you can drop four to six pounds within a week while doing the oatmeal diet. In some cases you are not allowed any salt, sugar or oil. Some will advise you to do this until you have lost the desired amount of weight; some will tell you one month and some say no more than one to three weeks. I guess anything goes in that sense of the diet.
They also advise you to try laxatives to help cleanse your digestive system, which will let you lose more weight compared to just doing the diet alone. Some also warn against eating grapes, bananas or potatoes while on the oatmeal diet. As you can see, there is plenty of uncertainty to go along with the guidelines of the oatmeal diet.
Is The Oatmeal Diet For You?
I don’t particularly like or agree with this type of approach for dieting as it doesn’t really cleanse your body the way the Master Cleanse would or a juice feast would. I’m also not that comfortable with such a high consumption of one unique grain.
I always like to concentrate on not only losing weight but improving my overall health and I don’t believe following this type of diet achieves that in the best way.
With all these things, it’s now up to you. If you feel you could achieve the results you want by following this diet, then do some more research and go ahead. Losing weight when overweight is better than not losing any weight at all. I do recommend, however, that you consider looking at overall healthier options.
Let me know if you’ve tried this diet or any others and what your experiences were. Happy, healthy living from me.
References To The Article “The Oatmeal Diet”
- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/truth-about-eating-grains.aspx
- http://www.eatmoreoats.com/aboutoats.html
- http://www.ehow.com/how_4500627_do-oatmeal-diet.html
- http://www.formerfatguy.com/articles/oatmeal/oats.asp
