Oatmeal: benefits, harms, uses, recipes

Everyone probably knows that oatmeal is good for breakfast. Nutritionists unanimously argue that the use of oatmeal contributes not only to weight loss, but also saturation of the body with useful substances. Someone likes to have breakfast with such porridge, someone hates it, and some are interested in its positive and negative properties when used for cosmetic purposes. Let's talk in more detail about the properties of oatmeal.

The benefits of oatmeal

"Avena sativa" is the Latin name for oats. Translation into Russian of this name suggests that oats are a nourishing and healthy product. Food prepared from it is rich in fiber, so a small portion of oatmeal makes it possible to saturate the body, protect it from harmful foods that will be eaten throughout the day. In addition, it should be consumed by those who suffer from problems with "bad" cholesterol. It is oatmeal that helps the body to form a barrier and prevent harmful cholesterol from passing into the blood, but at the same time, it filters complex carbohydrates that provide energy for the whole day.

The positive properties of this wonderful product also include:

• a large amount of vitamins and minerals that help normalize metabolism;
• fiber and protein help increase muscle mass;
• its reception is simply necessary for those who have skin diseases, since the porridge contains a lot of vitamin B;
• the presence of calcium and phosphorus, which is quickly absorbed, makes oatmeal indispensable for people with problems with the musculoskeletal system;
• positive effect on the health of skin, hair, nails, prevention of the aging process;
• iron content improves blood formation, improves the condition of blood vessels;
• also oatmeal provides the necessary nutrients that contribute to the development of mental abilities, helps to relieve muscle fatigue.

It is worth considering the fact that whole grain porridge is more useful. Of course, to prepare it, you need to spend a little more time, but in this case, the body will receive much more energy and nutrients.

For some reason, people believe in the mythical benefits of instant cereals. They are more likely to harm than benefit.

Oatmeal harm

Many people addicted to healthy eating, it is often forgotten that the diet must be varied.

Since oatmeal contains a lot of phytic acid, it accumulates in the body over time and promotes the removal of beneficial enzymes. That is, this acid simply "pushes" from the body all the trace elements and vitamins that should have been assimilated. Also, frequent consumption of oatmeal interferes with the normal absorption of calcium, without which the body cannot fully function.

For people suffering from incomplete breakdown of proteins, it is categorically impossible to use cereal cereals, including oatmeal. They disrupt metabolic processes, as well as the absorption of carbohydrates and proteins.

Instant cereals are also harmful. It is especially not recommended to use those that contain flavors, artificial additives and a lot of sugar.

Oatmeal: application

If many people know about the use of oatmeal as food, then not everyone has heard about other ways of using it. Let's talk about those areas of life where oatmeal is sometimes needed.

1. Given the health benefits of oatmeal, it is often used to improve bowel function, especially to combat constipation.
2. To improve skin condition, you can use oatmeal scrubs and special face masks. But we will talk about this in more detail a little further.
3. Oatmeal helps to deal with dirty and oily dishes. After moistening a handful of cereal, you need to rub the dirty utensils. The oatmeal will absorb the fat and you just need to rinse the container and wipe it off.
4. If there are no bread crumbs in the house, chopped oatmeal can replace them. Chops and schnitzels with this breading come out even more tender and, accordingly, tastier.
5. Not sure what to do with your child? It is enough to cook thick oatmeal, let it cool down and you can serve it to your child. From a thick consistency, the baby can easily mold various figures or just play. Considering the fact that the porridge is also healthy, it's okay if the crumb tries the "building material" and tastes.

Oatmeal for weight loss

For those wishing to lose weight, oatmeal is a storehouse of nutrients. It helps to saturate the body with trace elements and vitamins, even with the minimum amount of calories consumed.

To lose weight correctly, it is important to be responsible for choosing the right oatmeal. For example, the inscription “quick cooking” indicates the low quality of the product, which not only will not help you lose extra pounds, but can also harm your health due to the presence of flavors and dyes. Therefore, you should pay attention to simple flakes without additives. Of course, this kind of porridge should be cooked. Cooking time depends a lot on the size of the flakes. There are large-grain, medium-grain and small-grain oatmeal. Accordingly, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 are often written on the packages. The three indicates that the porridge cooks quickly and is more suitable for children. But 2 and 1 can be used for the purpose of losing weight. It takes only 3-10 minutes to cook the porridge.

To properly prepare oatmeal for weight loss, you should take a saucepan with a non-stick bottom, pour water there and immediately add oatmeal in a 2: 1 ratio, respectively. To prevent lumps from forming, it is better to stir the porridge often.

To improve the taste of your oatmeal, you can add some nuts, honey, various berries and fruits. Even nutritionists recommend eating some nuts daily as they are very healthy. So why not combine a small amount of them with porridge?

It is not recommended to add sugar or condensed milk, as they are very high in calories. But a spoonful of honey will help make the porridge sweet. But it should only be added to warm oatmeal, but never to hot. To prevent vitamins from disappearing, it is also better to add fruits after cooking.

If you are tired of the usual oatmeal, you can cook it in yogurt or kefir. For example, those who follow an oatmeal diet often cannot contain themselves just because they get bored with porridge. But if you regularly experiment, add various fruits, honey, yoghurts, dried fruits, etc. to it, the diet will be delicious, and in a week you can get rid of 4 extra pounds.

Oatmeal improves metabolism, accelerates metabolic processes in the body, thereby contributing to rapid weight loss and, most importantly, without harm to health.

Oatmeal face mask

Oatmeal masks are popular. And for good reason! They are efficient and inexpensive to prepare. In addition, they are in no way inferior in their properties to those that are sold in stores.

This is a unique home cosmetology product that helps to get rid of many skin imperfections painlessly and without unnecessary waste and effort. Masks can contain many grains, as well as other additives such as fruits, honey, vegetables, oils, vitamins, etc.

Due to the content of phosphorus, ascorbic acid, iodine, iron, calcium and other nutrients, oatmeal improves biochemical processes in cells and, thereby, contributes to its health. Oatmeal masks are also used in professional cosmetology, but they are also easy to prepare at home. What problems does this cereal help to fight? Since the masks are suitable for all skin types, they:

• Moisturizes overly dry skin.
• Wounds heal quickly.
• Fight small wrinkles.
• Unclogs pores.

Considering the fact that most skin problems are due to the dirt that accumulates on it, easy removal of it with soft flakes helps to get rid of many unpleasant situations.

Making oatmeal face packs requires just a few ingredients. For example, mixing cooked flakes and honey in equal amounts will create a mask that moisturizes the skin, making it softer and smoother.

And if you add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the above mask, you can get rid of the shine of the skin, make freckles and age spots less noticeable.

To tone the skin, it is best to use mask, which contains only flakes and kefir. Having prepared a thick porridge, after a few minutes it must be applied to the face. Your skin will look fresher in just 5 minutes.

For rejuvenation, it is better to use oatmeal infused with black tea. You also need to add a little honey and a tablespoon of lemon or orange juice. Fine wrinkles will be smoothed out and age spots will be less visible.

Regular use of oatmeal masks (3 times a week) will reliably protect the skin from the harmful effects of the environment, cleanse it, make it smoother, more beautiful and fresh.

Washing with oatmeal

For some reason, a stereotype has developed that the ideal skin can be only if it is expensive to care for and modern cosmetics are used for this. But, as practice shows, this is not always the case. For example, you can use regular oatmeal instead of expensive washing lotions. Of course, in this case, only oatmeal is suitable, which must be cooked, since instant porridge will only harm the skin.

How to prepare porridge for washing? Everything is simple enough. Hold a handful of cereal under hot water. During this time, they should swell and only after that they should massage the skin of the face and neck. For owners of delicate skin, it is better to wash off the gruel with mineral water or boiled. It is also recommended to immediately rub your face with an ice cube or cucumber slice.

Do not worry if after the procedure all skin imperfections become more visible. They will quickly disappear and you can enjoy clean and healthy skin.

Regular washing with oatmeal helps to forget about skin problems, blackheads and infections. And if you also have breakfast with this porridge, in a month the results of a general improvement of the body will be noticeable.

For those whose skin is too delicate and oatmeal irritates it greatly, you can only wash your face with the liquid that forms after brewing the porridge. In order not to cook it daily, it is recommended to prepare a serving for 2 or 3 washes and simply store it in the refrigerator.

Here are some other helpful tips to help you get better results after washing your face with oatmeal:

1. Lemon juice can be added to the porridge. This is especially true for owners of oily skin, as, thanks to this additive, the pores are narrowed.
2. You can brew oatmeal for several days in advance.
3. Feel free to experiment and add honey, chopped fruits, juices, essential oils, etc. to the wash mixture. Of course, all this must be done in turn.

Oatmeal scrub

Peeling is one of the most important steps in skin care. But what if there is no money for expensive cosmetics? It is enough to buy some oatmeal, make a scrub and enjoy the result.

Since the characteristics of the skin are different for everyone, it is necessary to select an effective composition of the scrub on an individual basis. Let's take a look at a selection of the most popular and, according to many women, the most effective oatmeal scrubs:

1. Mixing half a tablespoon of oatmeal, a teaspoon of granulated sugar and a couple of drops of any oil into a homogeneous gruel, you get an excellent scrub for dry and normal skin. It is recommended to massage the face for 3-5 minutes.
2. For oily skin, it is recommended to prepare a scrub with oatmeal and rice flour. The mixture must be diluted to a creamy state by adding yogurt, kefir or any other fermented milk product without preservatives to it. After just a couple of minutes of massage, your skin will be clean and healthy.
3. A scrub made from 1 tbsp is suitable for all skin types. l. oatmeal flakes, 2 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt. 2-3 minutes of massage will help to give the skin a healthy look.
4. If your skin is not prone to allergic reactions, you can use a scrub made from equal parts oatmeal, honey and orange juice. After 20 minutes after application, the scrub must be washed off with a decoction of chamomile.

It should be remembered that the effectiveness of oatmeal scrubs is only noticeable with regular treatments.

Oatmeal for breakfast

Oatmeal is the most healthy breakfast... By combining it with various supplements such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, etc., you can get an energy boost for the whole day. Eating oatmeal daily for breakfast helps to maintain youth, improve overall health, cope with stress more easily, build muscle, remove toxins and look beautiful. Plus, oatmeal is rich in nutrients that improve the health of hair, nails and skin.

Nutritionists recommend preparing oatmeal for breakfast exclusively in water. As such, it is most useful. And for those who want to gain muscle mass, it is better to cook porridge in milk. You can also add some oil.

And so that the daily intake of oatmeal does not become a test, it is advisable to add tasty ingredients to the porridge, such as dried fruits, various nuts and fruits.

Oatmeal recipes

To make the oatmeal more delicious, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several ways to prepare it with the addition of other ingredients:

1. Pour a glass of oatmeal into a saucepan and add 2.5 cups of water. Then you need to add 2 banana slices, a little salt, sugar to taste and a pinch of cinnamon. When the porridge is boiled, you can add a little cold milk.
2. For those who want to lose weight, nutritionists recommend eating oatmeal cooked in water or milk, combined with your favorite fruits. It is not necessary to add them directly to the plate.
3. To get a boost of energy in the morning, you can add any fresh jam to the porridge. For example, raspberry, currant, orange, etc. A large dose of vitamin C will help fight viruses, strengthen the immune system.
4. Nut lovers can safely add almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, various seeds and sesame seeds to oatmeal. This combination is especially useful for those who want to gain weight.
5. If a children refuse to eat oatmeal, you can boil it in milk, then put it in portions in wafer tins, pour yogurt on top, garnish with blueberries, peach, banana or any other fruit, sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Oatmeal: reviews

Considering all the beneficial properties of oatmeal, we can safely say that this porridge is the most useful one. It is not only about oatmeal as a food, but also as a cosmetic product.

By choosing the right additives for porridge and the method of its preparation, you can lose weight, gain weight, cleanse the body, significantly improve the general condition, and increase the body's resistance to external stimuli. Is this not enough to reconsider your view of eating oatmeal?