- Apr 23, 2024
Is Oatmeal Nourishing?
If you scroll for long enough you'll see one person saying oatmeal is a healthy breakfast option, and another saying that consuming it is making you sick.
Because of this, it's one of those foods that you're probably pretty confused about.
Maybe you're even a little confused to see me talking about it, because I've definitely been an oatmeal hater. Until recently, I hadn't eaten it for literal years (despite the fact that my ancestry is Scottish and it's a traditional food of Scotland 😬).
Most of that was due to the drastic improvement I saw in my PMS and overall energy levels when I started eating more animal protein at breakfast, but it was also because I, too, am susceptible to food fads. Luckily, over the years I get better and better at tuning out the noise and finding the nuggets of truth, but I'm not immune!
In reality, like most food fads on social media, there is nuance that can clear up the confusion.
There are three common arguments I see against consuming oatmeal:
Oats are often sprayed with pesticides which are known endocrine disruptors.
Oatmeal is too high in carbs.
Oats are high in phytic acid, an "anti-nutrient" that makes them hard to digest and blocks the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium in our intestines.
Luckily, all of these things can be resolved.
BUY ORGANIC OATS
I generally think you should buy whatever real foods you have access to whether or not they are organic, 100% grass-fed, etc. But there are a few foods that I would definitely recommend buying organic, and oats are one of them. A recent study found that 92% of non-organic oat-based foods contained chlormequat, a synthetic pesticide linked to infertility and reproductive issues. Organic oats are grown without synthetic pesticides, so they are a safer option when it comes to your menstrual health and fertility.
TREAT IT LIKE A SIDE DISH
Yes, oats are high in carbs. But carbs are not bad! In fact, they turn into glucose when digested which is the #1 fuel source of every cell in your body (including the cells in your ovaries that power hormone production). And yes, over consuming ultra-processed carbs like store bought breads, chips, candy, and soda is damaging to your hormone health, but under-eating healthy carbs can also have a negative impact. Women need fuel. Carbs are fuel. The trick is to make sure you're balancing those carbs with at least 25g of animal protein in the morning. So instead of eating a big ol' bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, make a small bowl, cook it with whole milk (for added protein and fat), and eat it alongside and egg or two and a serving of breakfast meat! This will help slow digestion, keep your blood sugar balanced, and keep your mood and appetite stable all day long.
SOAK YOUR OATS
Traditionally, grains and legumes would always be soaked before they were consumed. As we've been spending less time in our kitchens and convenience has become the focus of our food system, we have lost this practice (to our detriment). Luckily, soaking doesn't take a lot of effort and often cuts down on cooking time, even saving you time in the morning. All you need is a little bit of water, and a little bit of acid (like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) to aid in the process. But why do it?
Soaking increases vitamin and mineral absorption - soaking breaks down phytic acid (that "anti-nutrient" we spoke about that blocks to absorption of certain vitamins and minerals), and releases more B vitamins into the oats, making it a more nutrient-rich food. Cooking also decreases physic acid levels!
Soaking makes the oats easier to digest - it increases an enzyme called amylase that aids in digestion, and it does some of the digestive work for you before you even cook and consume it, meaning that your gut doesn't have to work as hard (think about how much mushier the oats are after you soak them!).
So in short, oatmeal can totally be part of a diet that nourishes your menstrual cycle, you just have to be mindful about how you source and prepare it.
NOURISHING OATMEAL RECIPE
1 serving (recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc)
Ingredients
1/4 cup of organic oats of choice (I'm obsessed with Scottish Oatmeal from Bob's Red Mill!)
1 cup of water (for soaking)
1 Tbsp of lemon juice (for soaking)
3/4 cup of milk (for cooking)
a pinch if salt (for cooking)
Instructions
In the evening: add the oats, water, and lemon juice to a glass bowl, stir, cover, and let sit on your counter for 12-24 hours.
In the morning: completely drain the liquid and add the oats, milk, and pinch of salt to a pot. Bring the oats to a boil over medium/high heat, then turn it down to medium/low and cook for 5-10 mins, until porridge thickens.
Add preferred toppings and enjoy!!
Pro-tip: you need to drain the water in order to get the benefits of soaking, so soak and drain your oats before making overnight oats!
These small changes can allow you to consume oatmeal with full confidence that it is, in fact, benefitting your digestive and menstrual health, and no fear that it is secretly making you ill.
Instant oatmeal is synonymous with modern life, where we are constantly rushing and no longer making time for proper nourishment. But it also seems that modern life is synonymous with period pain, PMS, and increasing infertility. So be a rebel, slow the f*ck down, and make time for nourishing oatmeal in the morning.