When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – a lot of people go on about fancy diets and specialist foods like Spirulina. You then have the other crowd who also enjoy synthetic foods such as protein powder and BCAA liquids. Whilst these foods may be tasty, they’re not always the healthiest either. As seen in our Acai article, they can be filled with sugar depending on what you buy. Basically, you have to be careful.
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Simple Oatmeal recipe to boost your training
- 150 grams of oatmeal
- Milk (water if milk is not an option)
- Handful of blueberries or banana slices
- Vanilla extract or teaspoon of peanut butter (optional extra)
- Teaspoon of honey (optional extra)
- Stir together until happy with it
- Place in microwave for 40 seconds (if eating warm)
Putting this together will roughly take 1 minute to prepare and cook.
Oatmeal fights off dementia
So, what is the best meal to start your day in terms of health and taste? As the title says…look no further than oatmeal. One bizarre yet positive discovery about oatmeal that you may not be aware of is that it actually fights dementia. Yes, that’s correct. Oats have a certain substance that can help you stave off memory loss. Of course, oatmeal has other advantages too…but this is just one of them.
Oatmeal is a super food and will help your muscle recovery and build strength
Away from the unexpected, it’s no secret that Oatmeal is considered something of a super food. Oats are highly nutritious and full of fiber and carbohydrates. Because of this, they are perfect for healthy, sustainable weight loss. In short, there are an estimated 68 calories per 100 grams of Oatmeal. This means, you can have a big bowl for breakfast and not load up on calories. However, the benefit of Oatmeal is that it is incredibly filling. This means you will be less likely to snack until lunch time and avoid temptations throughout the day.
Oatmeal is also high in protein which means it is ideal for gaining strength. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see bodybuilders eat Oatmeal for breakfast. Combined with a generous serving of milk, it also adds to the protein count in your breakfast bowl. This means that Oatmeal can really add to muscle fiber recovery if you are working out. For those who can’t drink or don’t like milk, you can always substitute it for water with other additions. But more on those additions later.
Elsewhere, other benefits are that it’s naturally processed. In the age of overly processed foods, Oatmeal is an addition to the rule. This means there’s nothing included in Oatmeal that shouldn’t be there. Further, Oatmeal has more natural antioxidants than broccoli and is rich in vitamins such as vitamin B1. Vitamin helps boost your metabolism whilst helping protect your heart and nervous system. So, even though Oatmeal isn’t thought of as rich in vitamins, it surprisingly actually is!
Oatmeal can taste nice well with tasty toppings
For those looking to supplement your Oatmeal bowl, there are several healthy options. As mentioned earlier, if you can’t drink milk then don’t fear. One common method in making your bowl more tasty is by adding honey. As long as the honey is natural and non-processed, this should be ok. Even if not, a small tea spoon can be seen as a treat and isn’t going to destroy your diet either.
Away from honey, other people often add blue berries to their Oatmeal bowl. Blue berries are healthy in their own right and are full of anti-oxidants. They are also a little sharp in taste so add a nice contrast to the plain nature of Oatmeal.
Lastly, you can also add peanut butter. Like honey, make sure this is as natural as possible as it will not only add taste but also nutrients. Although peanut butter is high in fats, these are usually natural so this is actually good for you. Peanut butter is also high in protein so again if you’re into weight lifting then this will also help.
Where does this fit into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Oatmeal will fuel your entire day
Well, a common question that is asked by many practitioners is how to fuel their training. As breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you should try to get it right. If you have sugary cereal, you may sugar-spike and drop off later in the day. This can cause a crash and dump your energy. However, by eating Oatmeal for breakfast, you will be sure to have stable energy levels throughout.
This can be the difference in sparring and you won’t feel lethargic. Especially when pushing through later rounds or in competition, you will sometimes need an extra push. This is where Oatmeal comes into its own as it will keep you feeling energetic and strong. Ironically in a sport full of unnatural powders and other people obsessed with recovery, Oatmeal is often overlooked as a key tool in keeping you in shape and healthy on the mats.
