Done the right way, grains can be a healthy part of a traditional diet.
Done the wrong way they can be a detrimental health destroying part of your diet.
Traditionally grains have been properly prepared by the process of soaking or sprouting before consumption. This would look like harvesting the grain and then letting it sprout before drying it and grinding it into flour. The process tricks the grain into thinking that it can start growing into a new plant so it breaks down it’s hard outer layer (the germ) that serves as a protective coat for the survival of the seed. The breakdown of this layer makes the grain easier for our digestive system to process.
In our modern world, we typically take harvested grain and directly grind it into flour. This leaves the protective coating intact which can be rough on our small intestine and potentially add to the creation of leaky gut. White flour is bleached and refined which removes the germ (the protective layer) but also removes all the micronutrients the grain has to offer. This is why flour is most commonly fortified, to make it nutritious enough to sell on store shelves.
The processes of sprouting and soaking leave the nutrients intact while making them more available for our body to use and making the carbohydrate load of the grain more friendly to our blood sugar.
What does all this mean when it comes to oatmeal?
If you take dried oats and just cook them real quick with some hot water they have not been properly prepared in a traditional way.
Ideally before being rolled or cut the oat would first be sprouted. Because we don’t commonly have an option to buy oat groats (unprocessed oat berries) to be able to sprout and process ourselves we’d want to find “sprouted” oats sold on a store shelf. This used to be almost impossible to do but thankfully Costco has now started selling a sprouted oat!
If you can’t possibly get sprouted oats the next best thing to do is to soak your oats overnight before cooking. This breaks down some of the carb load in the grain and makes it easier for your blood sugar to handle.
Here’s my process for making the ultimate blood sugar, digestive-tract friendly oatmeal.
Ultimate Oatmeal
2 cups sprouted rolled oats (or regular old fashioned rolled oats)
4 cups water
A splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 TBSP flaxseed ground
1 TBSP psyllium husk powder
5 eggs white
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1tsp - 1TBS grass-fed butter
1 scoop of grass-fed beef collagen powder per serving
Stevia to taste (optional)
Vanilla extract (optional)
A small portion of fruit or berries of choice
Notes
Some of these ingredients might look like an unnecessary and odd addition to your regular oatmeal routine but don’t skip them!
Egg whites add protein to your meal that would otherwise be all carbs and leave your blood sugar skyrocketing and then crashing without any protein to give you anchored energy.
Flaxseed and psyllium powder give extra fiber to also aid in balanced blood sugar through the slowed absorption of carbs into the bloodstream.
Butter adds extra fat to an otherwise low-fat meal which supplies more long-lasting energy and also helps keep your blood sugar balanced.
Collagen adds 10 grams of protein per serving and lots of amino acids for healthy hair, skin, nails, and gi tract!
Stevia is a great way to make your morning oats a little bit sweeter without adding any form of sugar that will just be another thing for your blood sugar to handle.
Instructions
The night before you plan to make oatmeal for breakfast, place your oats, water, and vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl and cover with a plate or plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and let it soak overnight!
In the morning put your oats in a pot to cook. If they soaked up all the water overnight and need more to cook feel free to add another cup or two of water.
Once the oats have cooked for about 5 minutes and are looking mushy with not much water left, add your egg whites and stir continually until they are cooked. They will cook and look like little white specks throughout the oatmeal.
Once egg whites are cooked, stir in your flaxseed, psyllium powder, and cinnamon.
Portion out your serving of oatmeal in a bowl and add a scoop of collagen powder. Stir till combined well. I like to do this per serving so I know that I’m getting the full amount of extra protein.
Add in your desired amount of vanilla and stevia and top with fruit or raisins and a pat of butter!
Enjoy your satiating bowl of healthy boosting oats!
