Oatmeal - Nature's Health food

There has been an on-going struggle in the Smith household weekend morning for months now...

I have insisted that Alec, my soon to be seven year old son, eat oatmeal for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Now, if I had my druthers, I would have him eat oatmeal five to seven times per week. But this is a battle we will wait for summer to resume. Weekday morning are busy enough without this added layer of melodrama.

Alec will insist he "hates" oatmeal, will never eat it... that we don't love him, that daddy will get a time out if he makes Alec eat his oatmeal, that daddy will lose his computer or whatever he feels I will miss alot...

The funny thing, for me, is that both he and I know that he actually likes oatmeal! Chalk this up to another good eating habit we were able to instill in him while he was young. This game is becoming a tiresome ritual for his mother and I, but we will not relent. We made a decision early in his life that we would instill healthy eating habits in an effort to help him grow up to be a healthy adult.

Alec will eat Ryvita like it is a cracker or a cookie, he loves Broccoli, he like fish and loves Salmon, fighting for his share of the skin. He does not eat butter on his whole grain or whole wheat bread and does not like ice cream. He loves Mangoes and litchees.

He is not a perfect eater and has picked up some less healthy likes over the years... He like anything McDonald... loves chocolate ... but we try to moderate his intake of these so-called (not by us) treats.

I knew oatmeal is good for you, but never knew exactly why... so I decided to reason with him this morning and give him concrete examples.

Compared to refined grains, whole grains (such as oatmeal) have six times more vitamin E, four times more fibre, and three times more total minerals.

Oatmeal is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre's primary role is to relieve constipation by making stools heavier and speeding their passage through the digestive tract. Soluble fibre breaks down as it passes through the digestive tract and forms a gel that traps some substances related to high cholesterol, reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

According to the American Cancer Society:

1. Insoluble fibre's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

2. Soluble fibre may reduce bad LDL cholesterol without lowering the good HDL cholesterol.

3. Soluble fibre slows down digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, slowing down the digestion of starch will help avoid the sharp rises in one's blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.

4. It has been found that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease currently widespread in North America.

5. The phytochemicals in oat may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good sourc of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein.

You should aim to eat approximately one cup of cooked oatmeal each morning for optimum benefits. Play aroung with the many different varieties of oatmeal and the many ways of preparing this haelth food until you find one that works for you...

I, personally, like minute oatmeal, prepared with milk (instead of water) with a dash of cinamon and some added raisons. I microwave it for about 90 to 120 seconds and depending on consistency might add more mild and a little sugar (or sweetener such as splenda).

If you have your breakfast on the go, consider the Oatmeal served at Tim Hortons or Starbucks, a much healthier option compared to most others commonly available.

A Tim Hortons serving of mixed berry oatmeal comes slow cooked and weighs in at 327 grams and contains 210 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 220 g of Sodium, 6 grams of protein and 44 grams of carbohydrates. Make it a more filling meal by adding a carton of milk.

Starbucks add a medley of nuts to its oatmeal and weighs in at 96 grams, 390 calories, 11.5 grams of fat, 115 grams of sodium, 7 grams of protein, and 39 grams of carbohydrates.

Both might be among the healthier options available for people grabbing breakfast on the go.

A recent Harvard University study concluded that people who add one serving of whole grains (and oatmeal is a whole grain) can reduce their mortality risk by 20%.

If you possibly can, consider adding this tasty, cost-effective and healthy whole grain part of your daily diet.