Nutrient Dense Oatmeal
I Count Nutrients, Not Calories
And it’s good thing, otherwise I might not eat this nutrient dense breakfast. Counting calories is a difficult thing to do. I don’t do it. For me, it would take the joy out of cooking and eating. Plus, it’s not long term sustainable. Ask anyone who’s ever dieted.
For sh*ts and giggles, I decided to count the calories of my breakfast this morning. 810 calories. I didn’t know if that was too much, too little, or just right. So, I googled how many calories a woman my age (65 next month) should eat for breakfast to maintain her weight. 350-400 was the magic number. Less if you’re trying to lose weight.
Uh oh! Is how I would feel if I were concerned about my calorie intake. My breakfast was double that number.
So how is it I’ve gone from a size 10 to a size 6 in six months without a moment’s consideration of calories in and calories out?
Your body will process, store, and use calories in different ways depending on where the calories come from. Metabolically your body processes the calories differently. For instance, 100 calories of broccoli are interpreted immensely differently than 100 calories of candy. Simply put, the broccoli has fiber and won’t spike your glucose causing an insulin release like the 100 calories of candy. So, while yes, both are giving you 100 calories, the candy is spiking your blood sugar, which can cause weight gain.
I wish I could say my change in health was brought on by just “one thing”. I didn’t change my lifestyle to lose weight, (22 lbs. down is a bonus though) I did it for my health. This is what I did and do that changed my weight, muscle growth, got rid of my brain fog, and returned my afternoon energy. (Hallelujah!)
(I think this where I must state I’m not a doctor and you should ask your own MD for advice.)
I take vitamin D3 w/K2, magnesium, and fish oil supplements. I live in the sunniest state of the union, I’m an outdoorsy girl and was deficient (by a lot) in vitamin D. It’s so important to our overall health I’d suggest everyone take it.
I don’t drink alcohol at home. I may have a glass of wine when I’m out to dinner. But the longer I haven’t had it, the less I desire it. (Watch the weight pour off if you do this alone.)
I exercise 20 minutes a day 5 days a week. (Okay, somedays just 10 minutes, and then take a 20-minute walk later in the day.) I don’t go to a gym. I turn on YouTube and search whatever exercise I think I need that day. Resistance training, aerobic, Pilates. It’s free and available in the comfort of my home. I do it first thing in the morning and then feel proud of myself for the rest of the day. (If I don’t do it first thing, I’ll find excuses of why I don’t have time.)
I eat whole foods. I eat fresh food that will go bad if not eaten quickly. I avoid factory made foods. I use local honey or maple syrup instead of sugar. I don’t eat much bread, unless it’s homemade or warm. (I love bread and will never pass up good quality bread.) I eat plants, nuts, seeds, fruit, fish, dairy, chicken, and meat. I eat processed sweets (cakes, cookies, etc…) as they were intended. As a treat or celebration, rarely. I do eat sweets every day in the form of fruit. I don’t limit fruit. Fruit has fiber, so when you eat it whole and not as juice, the fiber slows down digestion, so the glucose spike is less. Requiring less insulin. Creating less fat.
This is all “mostly” how I do it. I don’t deny myself. If I want something I have it. I was very disciplined the first month or so, but the healthier I got, the less desire I had for the things that didn’t serve my health.
I Count Protein and Fiber.
As women age, we need more fiber and protein. This breakfast has approx. 32 grams of protein, (Wowza!) 14 grams of fiber, and a slew of vitamins and minerals.
Who doesn’t love oatmeal on a chilly morning?
Here’s my recipe for a protein, vitamin, fiber loaded start to your day. Best of all – it’s delicious. I used to eat oatmeal and be starving for lunch. Because it was mostly carbohydrates, but when you add all this protein you’ll be satiated and may find you won’t need lunch, or just a small one, or just a healthy snack will do. If it’s too much food at one sitting for you, refrigerate half and have it another day. I ate the whole thing.
¼ cup of dried rolled oats. (That ain’t much, but you’ll see)
3 tblsp of Hemp Hearts, 2 tblsp of ground flax seeds (I grind my own so it’s fresh.)
9 Brazil nuts, 4 walnuts (That’s 260 calories right there. But who’s counting?)
½ an apple, 1/8 cup of pumpkin seeds, 1 tblsp of Maple syrup (not pancake syrup, the real deal)
Pat of butter (Oops forgot to get the calorie count on that)
Celtic salt-pinch to taste, Tsp. of cinnamon (great inflammatory and makes kitchen smell good)
1/4 cup of whatever your fave milk is. I use Goat because it’s high in protein, and it’s easier on the digestive system than cow.
Place oats in pot. Fill water to just over oats. Add salt. Add cinnamon. Boil until the water is gone. Add pat of butter, and milk to the creaminess you like. Add the flax, hemp hearts, nuts, apple or whatever fruit, and maple syrup or local honey. I was going to use honey and changed to maple syrup. It seemed more “autumn like”. You may need to add a bit more milk.
Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale. Find a cozy spot and enjoy!