Oatmeal - a GREAT Meal Option!

"Oats have long been considered a super-food, staving off illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. But now a major review by Harvard University has found that whole grains also seem to prevent early death and lower the chance of dying from cancer.

A meta-analysis of 12 studies involving nearly 800,000 people found that eating 70 grams of whole grains a day – the equivalent of a large bowl of porridge – lowers the risk of all-cause death by 22 per cent and death from cancer by 20 per cent" (Link).

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Several years ago I worked at a center that provided senior services. One day at work, I met a 97 year old man who really stood out to me. At his age, he seemed to be happy, healthy, fully coherent and was still driving his car. Out of curiosity, I asked him what his secret was. He smiled and told me "No secret, but I do eat oatmeal every day." Oatmeal has been proven to help prevent heart disease and cancer (link). As a result I have been trying to eat more of it.

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But shouldn't oatmeal be avoided on low carbohydrate diets that address candida, parasites, etc? 

One advantage of oatmeal is that it is a "Slow Burning Carbohydrate," meaning that it doesn't cause a spike in blood sugar (Link). Of course, the sweetened, processed oatmeal in the little packets is usually garbage and should be avoided. However, Dr. Eric Bakker - a leading expert on gut health - says that organic, unsweetened oatmeal is perfectly healthy for most people on a gut-healing protocol.

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Another reason oatmeal is so valuable is all of the minerals that it contains. According to Healthline, here is the nutrition found in oatmeal:

"Manganese. Typically found in high amounts in whole grains, this trace mineral is important for development, growth, and metabolism

Phosphorus. This mineral is important for bone health and tissue maintenance.

Copper. An antioxidant mineral often lacking in the Western diet, copper is considered important for heart health

Vitamin B1. Also known as thiamine, this vitamin is found in many foods, including grains, beans, nuts, and meat.

Iron. As a component of hemoglobin, a protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood, iron is absolutely essential in the human diet.

Selenium. This antioxidant is important for various processes in your body. Low selenium levels are associated with increased risk of premature death and impaired immune and mental function

Magnesium. Often lacking in the diet, this mineral is important for numerous processes in your body

Zinc. This mineral participates in many chemical reactions in your body and is important for overall health"

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I would like to stress the importance of eating organic oats instead of standard oats. "The Environmental Working Group (EWG)...said Wednesday that glyphosate was found in all but five of 29 oat-based foods that were tested. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup" (Link). To avoid these dangerous pesticides getting into your oatmeal, organic oatmeal is a great option.

Benefits of Flax Seeds in Oatmeal

Stirring in one tablespoon of flax seeds into your oatmeal daily helps to boost an already-healthy breakfast! Flax seeds are loaded with healthy Omega 3's as well as lignans, which have antioxidant properties that help reduce the risk of cancer (Link).

Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds in Oatmeal

Pumpkin seeds are healthy, delicious, and also help prevent against parasites. "Pumpkin seeds have long been used as a traditional remedy for intestinal parasites — especially tapeworms. And their popularity seems to be well-earned. Recent studies have shown that pumpkin seeds can increase the rate of parasite removal." (Link)

Benefits of Cinnamon in Oatmeal

Cinnamon is loaded with flavor and antioxidants and helps improve insulin sensitivity (Link).

What are the benefits of iron?

Iron is essential for brain function, muscle function, hair growth, red blood cell production and fatigue prevention (link). There are two types of iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron only comes from animal products, meaning that vegans are "missing out" on this type of iron. Therefore, vegans should be conscious of including plenty of non-heme iron in their daily diets.

3/4 Cup Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal with Orange Juice

(about 35% iron RDA)

Iron in Oatmeal: You can see that one serving of oatmeal contains 10% of your daily intake of iron. However, one serving is only considered 1/4 of a cup of oats. Most people will eat more than just a 1/4 of a cup of oatmeal for breakfast. A full cup of oats would equal 40% of your iron RDA.

Orange juice (Fresh Squeezed): "A study was made on the effect of various drinks on the absorption on non-heme iron. The drinks were taken with standard meals composed of a hamburger, string beans and mashed potatoes...A reduction in iron absorption was seen when serving tea (62 per cent) or coffee (35 per cent) with the meals. Orange juice increased the iron absorption (85 per cent)." (Link)

Most Important Supplements for Vegans

Personally, I usually only take 2 supplements every day. First, I take a good multivitamin or vitamin powder. Here are a few examples of a good multivitamin:

   

Second, I add some flax or flax seed oil into my morning smoothie.

That's it! I really don't worry a lot about supplementation. 

As a side note, I also take plant enzymes whenever I eat cooked foods. Plant enzymes are not essential for nutritional needs. However, they do help with digestion.

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The following 6 essential vitamins and nutrients are available in most vegan multivitamins. 

1) Vitamin B12 (B12 is found in fortified foods. It is also in most multivitamins)

2) Vitamin D (found in sunlight, fortified foods and most multivitamins)
3) Iron (found in greens, oatmeal, raisins, cinnamon, black olives, prune juice some multivitamins)
4) Iodine (found in baked potatoes, seaweed, navy beans, beans, fortified salt, strawberries, canned corn, bananas, most multivitamins)
5) Vitamin A (found in carrots / carrot juice as beta-carotene and most multivitamins)
6) Zinc (found nuts, greens, beans and most multivitamins)

The following 4 vitamins and nutrients are not available in most multivitamins, and should be obtained through dietary or supplemental means.

1) Protein (beans, nuts, seeds, greens, vegan protein powders, etc.)
2) Omega 3 ALA (flax seeds or flax seed oil)
3) Omega 3 DHA (available in algae oil supplements - also, the human body naturally converts ALA omega 3 into DHA omega 3)
4) Calcium (found in broccoli, spinach, orange juice, carrot juice, fortified soy milk and supplements)

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Sources:

Registered Dietitian and vegan author Jack Norris has the best and most researched list of supplement recommendations for vegans that I've found. You can check the list out Here.