The Great Oat Escape: How Leaving Oats Behind Boosted My Performance and Well-being
My personal journey of moving away from oats, feeling better, and uncovering a new level of health and performance!
Hey there, oat-lovers and health enthusiasts! Today, I'm going to let you in on a little secret that has been a game changer for me. This may come as a shock to some of you, but I have cut out ALL oat products from my diet. Yep, you read that right. No more oats, no more oat milk, nada!
Now, before you raise your eyebrows and start flooding the comment section with your oat-loving opinions, let me clarify that I'm not on a mission to bash oats or claim they're terrible for everyone. Oats have their benefits, but I just want to share my personal experience and how ditching oats has improved my life for the better. I'm not a nutritionist, and I'm not trying to tell you what you should or shouldn't do! But who knows, maybe you'll discover something that resonates with you too!
The "Oat-standing" Discovery
My husband and I used to be the ultimate oat enthusiast. Oatmeal for breakfast, oats in our smoothies, oat milk in his coffee and my matcha latte, you name it. And why not? Oats are nutritious, packed with fiber, and have been a staple in many people's diets for years. But little did I know, oats were quietly holding me back.
The Turning Point
My friend and nutritionist, Jenn Ryan, was the one who first suggested I look into the effects of oats on my body. I was skeptical, but I trust Jenn, and I started digging deeper. I found out that some people may face issues such as inflammation, digestive discomfort, or bloating from consuming oats. As I’m a health nerd for the sake of living a healthy lifestyle AND because I want to optimize every thing I can as an athlete this of course caught my attention.
The Science Behind the Change
As I continued my research, I discovered a couple more compelling reasons why oats might not be working for me:
- Phytic Acid: Oats are high in phytic acid, which is known to prevent the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, and zinc. This can be problematic for some people, as it might lead to nutrient deficiencies.
- Glyphosate: A lot of oat brands, even organic ones, have been found to contain glyphosate, a controversial herbicide that has been linked to various health concerns. Don’t know what glyphosate is? Well, it goes under the trade name Roundup which I’m sure you’ve heard about and is being used in agriculture to basically kill weed. Not something I want in my body!
- Not directly linked to oats, but I found out that almost every single oat milk has more ingredients than just water and oats. Often you’ll find seed oil and a bunch of other junk in there, excuse the language. Try turning your eyes to the ingredients list of your oat milk next time you’re using it and see what it actually contains. Might be a surprise. At least it was for me.
(Keep in mind some of these things might be controversial, but I take the approach of "rather safe than sorry" in this case.)
By eliminating oats from my diet, I was effectively reducing my intake of these potentially irritating components, which ultimately led to a significant improvement in my overall well-being.
The Transformation
The results, for me, were nothing short of amazing. Within a few weeks, I noticed that I was feeling better overall. My energy levels were higher, my digestion improved, and I was able to focus more on my daily tasks. And let's not forget the physical changes – I leaned out! It’s been 6 months now since I last had oats and I’m not planning on turning back any time soon. Yes… I do miss eating oats, but prioritizing my health and well-being comes ahead.
Now, I'm not claiming that cutting out oats will have the same effect on everyone, but for me, it was a game changer. I'm sharing my story to inspire others who might be experiencing similar issues to consider the possibility that oats could be the culprit.
Embracing the Oat-less Life
Since saying goodbye to oats, I have explored new and delicious alternatives to fill the void. Raw whole milk, buckwheat, and other options have taken their place at the moment. I'll share more about this later as I continue to experiment to find what works best for me.
In Conclusion
My journey to an oat-free life has been an eye-opening experience that has ultimately helped me unlock a new level of health and well-being. Again, I'm not here to tell you that oats are the enemy – they might not be! But if you're experiencing any issues similar to mine, it might be worth giving the oat-free life a shot. Who knows, you could discover your own game-changing transformation!
Stay fit, stay curious, and keep experimenting, my friends! And a big thank you to Jenn Ryan for opening my eyes to the potential drawbacks of oats for some individuals. Remember, everyone's body is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. So, if you suspect that oats might be affecting you negatively, don't be afraid to explore alternatives and see if it makes a difference in your life.
To a healthier and happier you – cheers!
XO,
Lauren
Oats Flakes on
For those with gluten sensitivities, certified gluten-free Oats Flakes can be used to prepare a delicious and safe gluten-free porridge.
Irina on
Hi! You named good reasons why one might limit the amount of oats in his or he life. But your positive transformations are the result of more variety of other foods in your diet you have now. So, it is not that bad to eat oats, it is just a question of the amount of them and amount and variety of other food. Diversity in our diet is a key to succeed!
Chelsea on
Thank you for sharing your story and not completely bashing oats all together. I enjoy oats, but also like to have variety in my diet. Thanks so much for sharing the alternative you came up with, I am definitely going to try it out!
Lauren Fisher on
Thank you Nancy and Angela for sharing your stories 🙏
Lauren Fisher on
John, Denise, and Ryan, thank you for your questions. I’m using https://www.realmilk.com/
I’ll make another blog post about it another time to talk more in depth about it.
John Ford on
Congratulations! Do you have any recommendations where to find Raw Milk?
Denise on
I second Ryan’s comment- a list of alts would be amazing! Thank you!!!
Nancy on
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for sharing your story. I also decided to eliminate oats from my diet. I had been eating them regularly, (also they are gluten-free) but I started to notice I was having gut issues, bloating and food cravings. The biggest thing I noticed was my recovery time. I think my body has been so inflamed that it was requiring more rest days. So I’m really excited now to see if this will make a difference. Thank you again.
Nancy
Ryan on
Hi Lauren thanks for this, I’m a oats for breakfast every single day person!
I’m going to give this a try and see if I notice any difference.
It would be great if you could do a follow up and recommend any alternatives.
Thanks
Ryan
Angela on
Thank you for sure your story! Definitely makes since. I have been experiencing similar effects. Might try and cut back on them to see if my digestive improves!