As surprising as it may be, the warm comfort breakfast food you ate as a kid is actually a powerful fat burning food source-oatmeal! Packed full of oats, soluble fiber, and protein, oatmeal boosts weight loss and fat burning processes as it keeps consumers feeling fuller longer.

The Fat Burning Powers of Oatmeal

Oatmeal's most powerful fat burning agent is its incredible fiber source. The fiber in oatmeal is soluble, which means that your body slowly moves this food product through your digestive tract, making you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer periods of time. Oatmeal, as well as most other unprocessed whole grains, is an outstanding source of fiber which boosts weight loss results; yet the other key benefit to oatmeal is its ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and boost the body's metabolic fat burning engines.

Oatmeal and Fiber

As consumers of oatmeal feel more satisfied with the intake of fiber, dieters will feel less tempted to overeat or indulge in snacks or unhealthy temptations. When your hunger pangs are naturally suppressed, you are more capable of limiting the caloric and food intake; as a result, the body begins to feed on stored fat cells in order to generate energy. Simply by consuming oatmeal, the body should naturally go into a fat burning mode, resulting in the utilization of fatty cells for energy, support, and body functioning.

Oatmeal and Blood Sugar Levels

As oatmeal boosts the body's intake of fiber, it simultaneously serves as a fat fighting agent because it stabilizes the body's blood sugar levels. Essentially, anytime you consume a food, your body converts the food into glucose, or sugar. This intake of food and rise in glucose levels leads to an immediate energy rush, followed by an inevitable energy crash, as eventually you feel lethargic, tired, and may even experience headaches after eating high-sugar or highly-processed foods. Unlike most foods, however, oatmeal has the opposite glucose-rising effect on the body. As oatmeal's fiber content allows the body to digest this food more slowly, the body does not react to this intake of food by immediately producing glucose and energy; on the contrary, oatmeal keeps the blood sugar levels more stable, as a steady amount of glucose is released at a steady and safe rate. As a result, you'll feel less tired after consuming this fat burning food, and you'll also be less likely to encounter an energy crash later in the day. The greatest fat burning benefit of this helpful side-effect is that the body's natural response to tiredness or fatigue is to crave or eat a sugary food or treat, as this will provide the body with quick and short-term energy. Because the body is less likely to feel fatigued when consuming oatmeal, dieters are ultimately less likely to crave sweeter foods and unhealthy snack options; therefore, dieters can again avoid temptations with minimal physical cravings or distractions, allowing the body to continue to burn up fat stores for energy supplies. 

Choosing the Best Fat Burning Oatmeal Products

While dieters will benefit from traditional or instant oatmeal, individuals can also try out new and scientifically engineered oatmeal products in order to experience enhanced fat burning benefits. For example, companies today, such as Quaker Oats and Kashi, sell oatmeal varieties that are higher in protein. When paired with the natural benefit of fiber, this added protein boost will help consumers feel even more satisfied and satiated, again reinforcing the body's ability to limit caloric intake while burning stored body fat. 

When perusing the oatmeal aisle at the grocery store, however, avoid the sugar-laden sweeter varieties, as an excess in sugar will essentially eliminate all of the fat burning potentials that oatmeal has to offer. If you can't eat your oatmeal plain, add some nuts, a small amount of honey (as this is a natural and unprocessed sugar), or a handful of blueberries into your bowl. This will add a bit of natural flavor without stealing all of your fat burning benefits! Also, as you are experiencing enhanced fat burning benefits, keep in mind that a steady intake of oatmeal as part of a regular diet also lowers harmful cholesterol levels, and lowers risks of certain cancers, such as colon cancer. Eat up, lose weight, and enjoy all of the wellness perks of oatmeal.