Oat diet: effectiveness, contraindications and menu
Oatmeal is one of the best breakfast foods for people of all age groups. The popularity of oatmeal is that it is a nutritious meal full of minerals and carbohydrates. It is completely devoid of fat, provided that it is not mixed with whole milk. No wonder the oatmeal diet is gaining more and more popularity. But it not only helps to lose weight, but also has some contraindications.
Efficiency
It takes an average of 30 days to follow a diet, but there are also shorter courses. In accordance with one of the options, a person should eat only oatmeal, that is, 3 times a day. During the first seven days, other products are not allowed. It is best to cook it in water, but if you want to use milk, then you need to take only fat-free.
The oatmeal diet for weight loss brings good results, but a person should not have contraindications to it. Porridge on the water is considered low-calorie, you can quickly lose weight on it, but not always for the benefit of the body. A fast and effective diet can be harmful if thoughtlessly pursued.
After the first seven days, it is allowed to include fruits in the diet, preferably citrus fruits and berries. Chopped vegetables such as carrots, celery, etc. can be consumed as snacks between meals. Drink 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day. According to this diet plan, daily calories should be 800-1000 kcal.
Oatmeal is definitely a healthy food as it contains most of the nutrients the human body needs. Diet helps successful weight loss of 2-3 kg every week.
However, oatmeal alone cannot be a complete meal replacement. Our body needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers, vitamins, minerals for proper digestion and the functioning of all organs.
Oatmeal does not contain all of these nutrients. For example, proteins obtained from fish or beans cannot be equated with those found in porridge from oats. Therefore, constant adherence to such a diet can lead to a deficiency of these substances.
Although oatmeal is inexpensive and healthier than most other cereals, it has been found to be effective only for short-term weight loss, and it is possible to put on pounds after stopping it. You must continue to eat healthy foods to avoid weight gain.
Low calorie intake can lead to feeling sluggish and tired. Finally, sudden and drastic changes in diet and habits can produce several side effects such as nausea, vomiting, headache, etc. Hence, the results will be positive only if you follow such a diet for a short time.
How does it work?
Every morning you need to have a serving of oatmeal for breakfast, which contains about 150 calories.
It has been proven that such a diet helps people lose weight in a short time and after that they do not have to fight with lower blood sugar levels.
Oatmeal helps in detoxifying the body through soluble fiber.It stimulates the production of bile in the liver. Studies have shown that those who increased their fiber intake to about 11 grams per day for a year weighed less than those who took in less than 6 grams for ten years. Oatmeal is a fantastic weight loss tool that protects the heart, lowers blood sugar, and helps the body fight disease.
Someone has probably heard that some elements have a positive effect on the body as a whole, stopping aging and rejuvenating the body. The only problem is that we tend to think that they can only be obtained from fruits and vegetables. Oatmeal contains beta-glucan, which is valuable for its ability to stabilize blood sugar levels. Porridge helps to increase the load during training, as it provides enough energy.
Recently, a report was published stating that meals containing whole oats helped people reduce their risk of coronary heart disease. The product contains soluble fibers called beta-glucans. They not only improve the functioning of the immune system, but are also the body's main assistant in protecting against bacteria that cause certain diseases.
Beta-glucans have also been linked to cancer prevention, especially of the colon and breast. This is enough to convince a person that eating oatmeal is an important step in supporting the immune system.
Insulin resistance is the main cause of type 2 diabetes. This is a condition in which insulin cannot reach the cells as a result of excessive fat in a diet rich in refined sugar.
According to doctors, oats are one of the most diabetic-friendly foods. The reason for this is that it contains about 300 mg of magnesium per serving, a nutrient responsible for balancing blood sugar.
Porridge contains dietary fiber, which reduces the speed of digestion and provides a slower flow of insulin into the bloodstream.
Most often, oats are associated only with breakfast. It's good to start the day with a delicious bowl of cereal that's fortified with potassium, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. All of them help to get rid of excess cholesterol. It is recommended to use crushed oats rather than cereal, and finish the meal with a banana.
Nutritionists recommend whole grains as the most effective way to "heal" the gastrointestinal tract. Biotin is a substance that ensures efficient digestion and a healthy metabolism. It also helps nail growth, skin repair and hair structure improvement.
Contraindications
Dishes containing oats perfectly cleanse the intestines. The oatmeal diet is shown to people not only overweight, it helps to improve the digestive system. After 3-5 days, you can already feel lightness on it. If you follow the regime, you can get rid of 3-4 kilograms per week, but before starting the diet, you will need to cleanse the body.
As for the menu, there are no special dietary restrictions, The main rule is to eat only oat products. Wheat bread should be replaced with oatmeal. You can eat muesli with yogurt or milk.
After 2-3 days of such a diet, you can move on to the main part, eating only porridge. It is allowed to sweeten food with honey, jam, add raisins and fruits.A day is advised to eat 600 g of oatmeal, divided into six servings, every 2.5 hours.
Such a diet is monogenic. When hunger is present, it is allowed to suppress it with fruits, but not more than 500 grams per day. Apples, pears and citrus fruits are suitable for this. It is possible to eat one boiled egg per day, drink green tea without sugar and mineral water without gases. The maximum diet time is 1 month.
The most notable side effects or potential risks of this diet include:
- significant weight loss;
- consumption of large amounts of gluten;
- indigestion or intestinal obstruction, constipation.
When a person loses too much weight or goes off too quickly, it can cause metabolic problems. Too much fiber from oatmeal can also cause a blockage in the intestines and release excess phytic acid, which negatively affects the body's absorption of nutrients from food.
Among the contraindications to the diet:
- individual intolerance;
- gastritis;
- colitis;
- problems with the cardiovascular system;
- neoplasms, regardless of their type;
- acne;
- fungus on the skin
- cholecystitis;
- poor functioning of the thyroid gland;
- viral infections;
- pancreatitis.
What is the best oatmeal to buy?
If the decision is made to use a diet on oatmeal, then it is better to take not flakes, but cereals. The reason for this is that whole grains are not subjected to almost any processing, because of this, it retains more beneficial substances. For the same reason, the feeling of satiety lasts longer.
It is necessary to choose the right cereal, otherwise there will be little benefit from it. Flakes go through several stages of preparation:
- steaming;
- rolling;
- flattening.
The only advantage of such a product can be considered the speed of preparation, since it is enough just to pour boiling water over them and wait a few minutes until cooked.
Body preparation
Before starting a diet, it is necessary to cleanse the body, which takes place in several stages. It is best to use rice. This will require four tablespoons of cereals, which are poured with a liter of cold water and insisted overnight.
In the morning, the mixture is boiled over low heat for about an hour, until jelly is obtained. It is consumed separately from other dishes during the day.
At the same time, be sure to limit yourself in the use of products:
- flour;
- sweet;
- fatty.
Under the ban, eating five hours before bedtime, you can only drink water without gases. The cleaning process takes about a week.
It is worth knowing that the oatmeal diet can only be used once every six months. After it, a special menu is developed to save the result - they eat little, but often.
Another preparation option involves slowly reducing your food intake. Fatty, salty, sweet and flour products, as well as vegetables, which are high in starch and calories, leave the diet.
Dinner - no later than four hours before bedtime. It is necessary to drink at least two liters of liquid per day, you can not exclude green tea, yogurt and kefir from the diet, but dairy products should not be fatty.
You can eat porridge with milk or water, seasoning it with fruits. Boiled vegetables are allowed.
Menu
With an oatmeal diet, you can cook steamed porridge with prunes and honey for breakfast. It is also great for lunch or dinner.If a person for the first time decided to comply with dietary restrictions, then it is worth trying to start eating oatmeal for a couple of days, then a week, and so gradually increase the time of compliance with the regimen up to a month.
For a week
You can diversify the menu for the week as much as possible if you show more imagination in the kitchen. It is allowed to use:
- for breakfast: oatmeal with dried fruits, green apple, pear, a couple of tangerines;
- lunch: you need to steam or boil the flakes, salt them and add coleslaw to the oatmeal;
- a light but healthy dinner consists of oatmeal with dried fruits, you can eat grapefruit.
It goes well with oatmeal arugula salad and a berry or fruit drink. Every morning, train yourself to have breakfast with sweet oatmeal with fruit. For lunch, you can add oatmeal cookies with a banana as a dessert to salted porridge with coleslaw or fresh tomato as a dessert.
So that the menu does not seem meager and not boring, you can make a healthy, but not very tasty celery smoothie.
For 14 days
The oatmeal diet has gained its popularity among girls, while few of them know that it has not yet been officially recognized by nutritionists and doctors. If it was decided to observe a special diet for two weeks, then you need to gain strength and patience. At the first stage, it is extremely important to eat only porridge. This period continues for a week. Half a cup of cereal can be mixed with half a glass of skim milk if desired. Breakfast, lunch and dinner consist exclusively of oatmeal. Caloric intake in the first week should be in the range of 900-1200 kcal per day.
In the second stage, it is allowed to include other foods in the diet, but you still need to consume oatmeal daily:
- breakfast: sweet porridge with honey, fruits, dried fruits or nuts;
- dinner: salted oatmeal with chicken breast, steamed fish, celery salad, cabbage, arugula with tomato, you can eat soup with zucchini and onions;
- dinner: oatmeal with cinnamon or vanilla, banana, apple or grapefruit.
The calorie content of consumed products in the second stage ranges from 1000 to 1300 units per day. For breakfast, you can cook oatmeal cookies.
Fasting day
Fasting allows the body to rest and cleanse, but on condition that the person is healthy and there are no contraindications to this. During pregnancy and lactation, it is forbidden to deprive yourself of food for medical reasons, as well as when weakness rolls in waves or a cold overcomes. During an indisposition, a fasting day will only bring harm, so it should be postponed until the body recovers.
Regardless of whether you are completely healthy or have some kind of health problem, you should not make an independent decision to starve, consultation with a specialist is required in this matter.
Our organs need to rest, so it is important to reduce the load on the digestive system from time to time. Fasting a day or two a month benefits the human body. Refusal of food allows you to cleanse yourself of toxins, improve metabolism, and at the same time burn unnecessary fats deposited on the waist, abdomen and hips.
Initially, unpleasant symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, low blood pressure may appear, so it is better not to immediately refuse food, but to eat lighter foods first and in smaller quantities than usual. Starvation:
- increases activity;
- gives clarity of thought;
- helps to remove toxins from the body;
- improves eyesight;
- acts as an immune activator;
- helps to cope with the aging process;
- improves the general condition.
Healthy eating habits and daily exercise literally regenerate the body. Before fasting, you can eat sprouted grains, any nuts, you need to drink plenty of fluids, but only water, not juices or soda.
When a person is fasting, their body uses its own fats and carbohydrates to keep us active. This leads to irreversible weight loss, but glycogen stores are destroyed. It is better to choose a day off to refuse food, when you need less energy for everyday activities. Start the morning with 2 glasses of liquid, which improves bowel activity. You can drink as much as you want, there are no restrictions on the amount of water you drink. Milk should not be consumed as it adds extra calories to the diet. After that, you can eat a serving of oatmeal on the water, which will be the only food of the day.
Other power systems
Oatmeal is a popular dish all over the world. There are several options for what can be prepared from oatmeal.
The diet for the week can be distributed as follows.
First 2 days:
- breakfast - half a plate of oatmeal, dried grapes and cinnamon;
- lunch - half a plate of cereal, 1 banana;
- dinner - chicken breast, vegetable salad.
3rd and 4th day:
- breakfast - half a bowl of cereal with the addition of dried cranberries and cinnamon;
- lunch - half a plate of cereal, the same amount of low-fat yogurt;
- dinner - boiled or steamed fish, cauliflower and wild rice;
- snack - a small amount of almonds, strawberries or one apple.
5th and 6th day:
- breakfast - half a glass of oatmeal, dried cranberries and nutmeg;
- lunch - half a plate of oatmeal, the same amount of low-fat yogurt;
- dinner - beef or turkey steak and salad;
- snack - one orange or banana.
Day 7:
- breakfast - half a plate of cereal, the same amount of dried plums, cinnamon;
- lunch - half a bowl of oatmeal, a handful of walnuts, low-fat yogurt;
- dinner - vegetables and one serving of chicken soup;
- snack - half a glass of pudding, one apple, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.
Consuming oats not only makes you feel energetic, this product is great at suppressing hunger. It is best to cook it with water.
It is worth trying first to master the three-day meal plan, which will help prepare the body for a longer diet. If the person feels well, the regimen can be continued for a week or two.
First day:
- breakfast: a cup of oatmeal cooked with water, 5 nuts, a glass of green tea;
- lunch: a serving of oatmeal cooked with water and sweetened with a teaspoon of honey, cucumber salad;
- dinner: oatmeal and a handful of fresh seasonal fruits.
Second day:
- breakfast: oatmeal, a glass of natural yogurt;
- lunch: a plate of oats sweetened with a teaspoon of honey, a glass of green tea and half a grapefruit;
- dinner: oatmeal, 2 plums, 2 dried apricots.
Third day:
- breakfast: oatmeal;
- lunch: natural yogurt, oatmeal sweetened with a teaspoon of honey, 1 orange, green tea;
- dinner: oatmeal, you can add a handful of raisins.
A good option is a diet for six days. It is worth saying that the grain-dominated diet was originally developed as a possible treatment for diabetes in 1903.Over time, it turned out that the diet can be used as a method that allows you to effectively control your appetite, since the ingredients in the porridge help you not feel hungry for a long time. If a person wants to lose weight, he should study in more detail the option of a diet with cereals in three stages.
First stage:
- during the first week do not eat anything but oatmeal;
- it is allowed to cook cereals and whole grains;
- it is important to ensure that the calorie consumption during the first week is between 800 and 1100 every day.
Second phase:
- in the next 30 days, it is allowed to eat porridge three times a day;
- fruits, berries and vegetables are introduced into the diet;
- the number of calories increases to 1300 per day.
Third stage:
- after 30 days, the diet resumes normal nutrition, but the cereal continues to be eaten once a day;
- you need to make sure that your fat intake is limited.
In pursuit of the result, one should not forget about possible contraindications and it is imperative to seek the advice of a doctor, since the body can react to food deprivation in an unfavorable way. It is important to drink plenty of water, eat fruits and vegetables, and exercise if your main goal is to lose weight.
Oats are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that our bodies need every day to help them function properly. It has a low fat content and water-soluble dietary fiber.
Another undeniable benefit of oatmeal is that it is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates, nutrients and iron, which not only help in weight loss, but also fight various diseases. Oatmeal is a food rich in fiber and selenium.This versatile grain can be used in a wide variety of dishes, not just breakfast.
A basic diet might look like this:
- oatmeal for breakfast
- balanced lunch;
- oatmeal before dinner as a snack;
- moderate dinner;
- oatmeal for dessert
- a large amount of water.
Oatmeal in the diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 1/2 cup dry oats cooked in 1 cup water is one serving. Oatmeal with almond milk and apples is a good breakfast. To prepare the dish you need to take:
- 1 glass of cereal;
- 2 cups almond milk;
- 1 apple, cut into pieces;
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon;
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce.
In a medium saucepan, combine almond milk, grits and cinnamon. Keep the container on low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed by the porridge. The mixture must be stirred so that it does not stick to the bottom. At the next stage, add applesauce and mix. After that, they remove it from the fire and serve the dish on the table. The total cooking time is about 15-20 minutes.
For lunch, while dieting, you should consume proteins, vegetables (preferably raw), and low-sugar fruits. It is important to avoid bread and pasta, as the body receives enough carbohydrates from cereals.
Here are some ideas on how to make your lunch break tasty and healthy:
- spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and tuna;
- boiled eggs with toast and raw vegetables;
- vegetable or chicken soup with rice or corn flakes;
- quiche or frittata with vegetables and goat cheese.
Whole grains are minimally processed and have three main parts: germ, bran, and endosperm. This means that it retains all the nutrients, including vitamin B.Such cereals contain a large number of complex carbohydrates. They differ in that they take longer to digest. When a person eats porridge and leads an active lifestyle, his metabolism works correctly, respectively, excess fats are burned. Oats are also rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that helps fight high blood cholesterol levels.
Studies have shown that eating cereals reduces fat, especially belly fat, and improves liver function.
Feedback about the results
By reducing the number of calories consumed, a deficit is created, which leads to sustainable weight loss. This diet improves the functioning of the digestive system. 1 glass of oatmeal provides up to 6 grams of protein, which breaks down into amino acids, and they, in turn, are the building material for tissues and cells, as well as muscles.
The product provides the body with some important minerals, including calcium and iron, which are indispensable for increasing bone density and preventing osteoporosis. Regular consumption of porridge reduces the risk of diabetes, has a hypotensive effect, thereby lowering blood pressure and protecting the cardiovascular system, and also lowers total blood cholesterol.
The cost of oatmeal is small, it is a product that is on store shelves all year round. At first, it is not so easy to maintain the established diet, since the food is monotonous. The only incentive for many losing weight is significant weight loss.
People often talk on weight loss forums about how they felt during the first phase of the oatmeal diet. According to reviews, it is not suitable for long-term use.Some who have tried this diet say that following a diet-only menu is extremely difficult, boring, and regular consumption of cereal does not help suppress appetite.
For information on how to lose weight on an oatmeal diet, see the video below.