The One Ingredient You Should Think Twice About Adding To Your Oatmeal Because It Slows Your Metabolism
June 19, 2021 by Merrell Readman
A well-balanced diet is one which incorporates healthy fats, protein, and carbs into the majority of meals to help keep you full and satisfied without depriving your body of the delicious foods it craves. Oats are one of the best carb options for weight loss as they provide a slow release of energy which can help to increase satiety and limit overeating throughout the day which is vital for maintaining a calorie deficit.
Oatmeal is also an incredibly versatile breakfast option as it can be topped with a variety of healthy food items, from nut butter for protein, to berries and other fruit for antioxidants and fiber. But while at their core oats are healthy, it’s ultimately the toppings which determine the overall nutritional value of your breakfast bowl, and certain ingredients can take away from any benefit you may be getting from your meal. If you’re working to improve your diet overall and regularly eat oatmeal as a morning staple yet are struggling to lose weight still, there’s one ingredient you may be adding that’s standing in the way of healthy weight loss.
Sugar
When consumed in moderation and in natural forms, sugar is a delicious and relatively innocuous addition to your diet. Sugars from honey, fruits, and other natural sweeteners make no real negative impact on the body, so these ingredients are perfectly acceptable additions to your daily bowl of oatmeal.
However, if you find yourself regularly using white sugar as a sweetener to your morning oats, this may be negating the health benefits you could be reaping from your breakfast.
“Sugar spikes insulin. When insulin is raised, it blocks lipogenesis (the burning of body fat). It happens regardless of whether you have a calorie deficit or surplus,” explains physician and Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. K.L. Ong.
Your metabolism is one of the key factors that determines the ease of which you will lose weight as it determines the fat burning capabilities of your body, even at rest. When you regularly consume an excess of white sugar, in your oatmeal for example, this can slow your metabolism, ultimately making it inconsequential if you’re maintaining a calorie deficit as sugar can block fat burn. “Sugar and refined carbs keep you in a fat storage condition instead of a fat-burning one. If you try to lose weight as most people do - by eating many small, low-fat meals throughout the day - you keep insulin raised. To go into this state, I advise my patients to avoid eating excess sugar,” says Ong.
Oats are plain by nature, so if you’re looking to sweeten them without reaping the negative consequences of white sugar, there are a variety of other avenues you can take. Try using a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, a drizzle of honey, and a handful of raspberries or blueberries for a sweet and delicious taste, and cook up your oats with oat milk as well for some added creaminess.
Another option is using natural maple syrup and a handful of nuts and dried fruits for an extra kick of healthy fats without overloading your body with sugar. Just be sure to measure out your syrup according to the serving size as maple syrup is not devoid of sugar by any means.
At the end of the day, the easiest way to approach a healthy diet is by making small changes to your existing eating plan that will add up over time. Instead of dressing up your morning oatmeal with a generous scoop of sugar, use this breakfast as an opportunity to start off your day with a serving of fruits and healthy fats in combination with a slow release carb such as oats.
Making small changes instead of a massive overhaul to your eating plan will ultimately make it easier to stick to over time, netting in visible results instead of causing you to fall back into your old habits without seeing any changes. If you’re going to make the effort to have a healthy meal like oatmeal to start your day, you might as well go the extra mile to make sure it’ll be worth it.