Real Results Fitness/personal training in Las Vegas

This is continuing a series of recipes on how to cook recipes that also are geared toward time management.  This segment will focus on an item that not only is a staple of the RealResults fitness eating plan but of my personal favorites for consumption for many years.

It is well known in the bodybuilding and exercise community that oatmeal can work wonders for your body.  In the last number of years though Steel Cut Oatmeal has gained significant popularity.  Previously however, the “5 minute” slow cooking oatmeal was thought to be the most beneficial.  Another variety of oatmeal mostly because it’s convenient, is instant oatmeal.  Instant oatmeal is the worst kind to consume!  The reason why the oatmeal cooks so rapidly is that a strong majority of the “good stuff” has been removed.  This is called processing.  Steel cut oatmeal however, may take up to an full hour to make.  Steel cut is a whole grain, it is supposed to take that long to cook largely because it contains all of its original fiber content.  As a general rule the faster a grain can cook the more processed it is.  Another example is instant brown rice.  Rapid cooking will have a profound effect on your blood sugar and therefore the instant oatmeal for example will more readily be stored as body fat.  Most of the flavored instants have sodium and lots of sugar.  Additionally, Steel cut oatmeal also has a in my opinion a better taste than 5 minute oatmeal and a better texture.

When I was a youngster I would eat at least two packets of “Quaker Instant Oatmeal Maple and Brown Sugar.” Two packets because the servings were so small.  Take a look at the nutritional breakdown and ingredients and you can see why I had a hard time concentrating in school with all the sugar I was consuming.

Ingredients:

“WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS (WITH OAT BRAN), SUGAR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, OAT FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, NIACINAMIDE*, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, FOLIC ACID.”

….Did you know that the higher up an item is on the list of ingredients the higher concentration of that item is found in the food.  Sugar is second on the list!

Nutritional Breakdown:

Serving size 1 Packet (43 g)

…13 grams of sugar is quite a bit to start the day off with.  I was consuming 26 with the oatmeal alone for breakfast.

Of course it would be a pain to make the steel cut oatmeal on a daily basis because of the lengthy amount of time to cook it. What I suggest is that you purchase a “Food Saver Sealer Vacuum” at Target for about $30.00.  You can vacuum pack your oatmeal and then freeze it and then you could have oatmeal for a whole month!  Personally, I like to make my oatmeal on a weekly basis and store it in the fridge.  Additionally the Food Saver Sealer Vacuum is $120.00 which is a little pricey.

Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces.

Steel-cut oats are also known as coarse-cut oats, pinhead oats, or Irish oats.  The flavor of the cooked product is described as being chewier and nuttier than instant oats^. Steel-cut oats may have a lower glycemic index than instant oatmeal (42 vs. 66, respectively), causing a lesser spike in insulin levels when consumed. The cause of this is undetermined, but believed to be a higher proportion of complex carbohydrate.

I purchase my steel cut oatmeal at Whole Foods.  You will find the oats in the storage bin bulk section where the grains ,beans and legumes are located.  A popular version that you may find at Albertsons is “Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal.”  The main difference…the price, Irish Oats are more expensive but that is the only difference.

Directions for 1 week of Steel Cut Oatmeal:

• Fill a measuring cup to 2 cups with oats.
• Fill a large Pot with 8 cups of water.

• Turn the oven top to high and let water come to a boil.
• When oatmeal reaches a boil, turn the oven to low or on my stove it would be heat setting #2 for example.
• Let oatmeal simmer but stir occasionally.
• You may add cinnamon or other spices if you wish.
• When oats reach your desired level of consistency remove from stove top and place contents in Tupperware container.

• Let cool before storing in fridge.
• You can add berries for flavor but remember to keep your total portion size that of a clenched fist.

written by Paul Rosenberg \\ tags: Blood Sugar, fat loss, Paul Rosenberg, real results, whole foods