Steel-cut oats recipe

This steel-cut oats recipe is quite different and okay on a ketogenic diet unless you are morbidly obese or an unstable diabetic; then for a period all carbs must be strictly limited, even the good ones.

There is masses of research showing the benefits of unrefined oats, but let's be sure we are talking about the same grain; the quick stuff that comes in a box will affect your blood-glucose, and ultimately your waistline in the same way as chocolate cake. Worse, since it is so tasteless you will be adding spoons of sugar or the heated honey from the supermarket.

All the goodies have been extracted from refined grains and are sold to the pig farmer; we are left with what can only be described as junk-food.

Rolled and steel-cut oats still have the fibre that makes them so friendly; it keeps you regular and slows the absorption of the breakdown products, mainly glucose.

Still let us be honest and acknowledge that even the best oats is a carb and unless you are discrete, it will add to your waistline. Keep portion sizes small which limits the glycemic-load.

You may need to bring your oats back to a gentle simmer for a few minutes or even a quarter-hour, taking care that it does not boil over. Let's be honest and admit we never know just how much of the goodies the millers have removed. It may well be that they have no conscience and are selling you a pig in a poke.

Completely unrefined steel-cut oats needs to be cooked longer.

"Skep op" as we would say in South Africa; dish up half a cup of this steel-cut oats recipe.

Now add a tablespoon of whole honeycomb into your hot breakfast; stir vigorously and, when the beeswax has melted and the honey dissolved, slosh in your cream. You may want to pour in a little Jersey milk depending on how you like your steel-cut oats recipe.

Firstly why add the cinnamon? Oats as we know is a starch and if it is in anyway way refined, removing the bran, vitamins and fats then it will certainly contribute to our waistlines and the likelihood of diabetes in the future.

Cinnamon has scientifically proven qualities of stabilising blood-sugar and helping with the control of diabetes^[1].

Notice that the coarse bark is dirt-cheap; less than a dollar for 100g.

Honeycomb

Natural honeycomb is the single only medicament that is proven to help with fatty-liver, a terminal disease, that so many of us are flirting with. It is caused by regularly enjoying highly refined carbs; white rice, soft bread rolls and chocolate cake.

Ironically fatty-liver is caused by chronic excessive carbohydrate consumption and not by butter, cream and cheese.

The only other imperative, one that most of us find very unpalatable, is to completely eschew refined carbs. Cake-flour, sugary donuts and colas are the death of us.

Natural-honeycomb is quite different; you may have to start beekeeping to have a treat like this regularly in your home.

So our steel-cut oats recipe, completely unrefined, with added cinnamon and beeswax is a treat that will tickle your taste buds and increase the family's well-being.

The disease associated with refined carbs is not to be messed with; it will shorten our lifespan by decades and end in tears. This steel-cut oats recipe with added cinnamon and beeswax will add your years to your life; and it tastes divine, believe you me.

Retrogradation

Cook enough of your steel-cut oats recipe to last several days. In an interesting process called retrogradation the molecules of starch change their orientation when cooled overnight and then reheated; it makes it more difficult for the enzyme amylase to break down the carbohydrate chains into sugars. In scientific jargon it reduces the postprandial rise in blood glucose.

That means it is less fattening and less likely to affect us if we are prediabetic.

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"Starch retrogradation is also desirable in terms of nutritional significance, due to the slower enzymatic digestion of retrograded starch and moderated release of glucose into the blood stream."

- Copeland and Wang^[2]

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Steel-cut oats recipe

Steel-cut oats recipe lowers the glycemic index by toasting first with a cinnamon stick and something else unique and quite different; honeycomb and added butter and cream. However keep the portion size small if you are carrying extra pounds or are diabetic.

In the early days of Banting the proponents went overboard on added fat of animal origin. The guru, Prof Tim Noakes, acknowledges this and now recommends only a moderate increase of butter and cream, for example, and rather more protein instead.

Of course none of the ketogenic diets would approve of this oats, but if you follow these principles of using cinnamon and honeycomb then there is strong science supporting your decision to add this wonderful cooked cereal to your breakfast. Whole grains stay with you the whole day; it is called the 'subsequent meal effect' keeping you satiated and your blood glucose steady.

As for quick oats from a box, don't touch it. It is tasteless and you have to add spoonfuls of sugar to make it palatable. It's like giving your child chocolate cake for breakfast; rather give the mites the whole grain with cinnamon and honeycomb; and bit of cream; and an extra few minutes to eat it.

Of course most breakfast cereals are little different^[3].

Protein

There is significant protein in whole grains but there continues to be research stating that a little extra would be good for us, particularly legumes.

You could add a tablespoon of this homemade hummus, but we enjoy Eggs Hilton most days with our steel-cut oats recipe.

Smoothie

There should always be some fruit in your breakfast; smoothies are so quick and easy to make but I do recommend only a third of a banana; they are quite high in carbs.

This kefir smoothie is one of my favourites; the probiotic is simple to make in your own home. In just one week it cured 15 years of a serious struggle with stomach pain that had me sitting up in bed groaning at least one or two nights a week.

Carbs

You will by now of course have noticed that we are not afraid of carbs; provided it is a whole-grain. Whether it's that in the oats and honey, the toasted artisan bread in Eggs Hilton, or the fruit in a smoothie they do not phase us.

I am utterly convinced that it is the refined carbs like quick oats, commercial bread and of course colas that are our downfall. Don't touch them if you want to live to a ripe and vigorous old age.

Cost of steel-cut oats

In South Africa the retail price of steel-cut oats in 2021 is R23 for 1kg, making it quite an expensive grain.

1 cup has a mass of 100g approximately and when cooked makes five-times as much.

So 1 cup of cooked oats costs R2.30 / 5 ~ 50 cents per serving. Even being generous with butter, honeycomb and cream you have a solid start to your breakfast for under one rand.

Betaine

Betaine is an important nutrient linked to greater well-being and prevention of disease. In grains it is found mainly in the bran, so when refined there is far less. Whilst oatmeal has about half of that in wheat it is still an important source.

It's no mystery why whole-grain is better.

What the heck is betaine, you may be asking. Perhaps this is question only for the academic, but let it be said that is important in reducing inflammation in the body, a very significant issue today.

Gluten free

There are many concerns about gluten-free products; one of them is that researchers have found they contained no detectable levels of betaine^[4].

Steel-cut oats recipes have no gluten but have reasonable levels of betaine; just one more reason why they contribute so much to our well-being. But please note, those bought out of a box are probably refined and far less betaine, and perhaps none.

Steel-cut oats recipes have an important role to play as functional foods; promoting wellness and reducing disease.

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