BAM! Change your metabolism, Change your weight!

Apr 20, 20175 min read

Updated: Jun 22, 2019

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

Part of the Build a Meal (BAM) Series has been developed to get people back in the kitchen and eating healthy food without all the extra preservatives, artificial flavours, sugars, inflammatory additives, to name a few, that take away from your health.

You may have been wondering as well, “Why should I make everything from scratch?" Why when something, for example, like granola, is so readily available in the grocery stores? The proverbial (and parental) “because I said so”, coded answer is probably not going to elicit a response from you. At least one necessary for change. Therefore let me provide elaborated, science proven, yet common sense answers:

if it comes in a box, it comes with ingredients (even if organic) your body doesn't need
you control and avoid the sugar, the type, the amount
you don’t get artificial flavours, preservatives and chemicals in your body; you avoid preservatives that give products expiry dates 1 year in the future!
you avoid inflammatory oils like sunflower, canola and soybean
you avoid GMOs (Genetically Modified Ingredients)
you avoid hidden allergens
you avoid consuming over processed, stale, old ingredients
you avoid consuming dead food; you know the kind that provide lots of calories with little to no nutrient value.

and, I saved the best for last,

you will lose weight by healing a damaged metabolism.

According to a 2005 study published by the US National Library of Medicine, on "Healing Metabolism" it states several factors that influences metabolism: (See link)

These factors included:

Psychological stress levels
Exercise history
Dietary history
Hormone balance
Quality and amount of sleep
Toxic chemical exposure (for example, alcohol, tobacco, processed foods, caffeine, and pharmaceutical drugs)

These are the factors listed that may damage metabolism:

Very-low-fat or low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets
Low-protein diets
“Yo-yo” dieting
Chronic under eating (body requires a minimum of 1200 calories/day to function optimally)
Fasting
Excessive cardiovascular exercise
Traumatic or prolonged psychological stress.

Summation:

“It is first necessary to be healthy in order to lose weight and not that losing weight makes for health" (Dr. Schwarzbein MD).

Among other factors , a clean diet is an important factor in weight management. Yes, I thought this one would help you decide. You lose weight when you choose alive, healthy, minimally processed ingredients that help reset and heal your metabolism. As simple, and perhaps complicated as that if you haven't been following the BAM series!

Refer to BAM Series Part One to Three, to get the whole picture on what clean eating and reducing toxic load is about.

BONUS RECIPES TO THE BUILD A MEAL: BREAKFAST SERIES

These are the last two recipes I will post for the BAM! Breakfast Series. If you have followed the series and I know you are out there, especially in "InstagramLand"... 600 of you and counting?? I would love to hear about your experiences or questions or thoughts on the whole series. My goal has been to jumpstart your desire to have more: have more health, more energy, more great food, more homemade, more time, more spirit. If you have experienced this "more", please let me know!

Oats come in many forms, flakes (quick or large), rolled (old-fashioned) steel cut or whole and are one of the most popular grains used in breakfast mixes, puddings, breads, dessert toppings and health bars. Oats are popularly known for its bad cholesterol lowering benefits due to a special soluble fibre known as “beta-glucan”. Beta-glucan in oats has been studied to remove saturated fats from the blood and thus reducing the risk of heart disease. From a medicinal perspective, oats have been known to restore nervous and reproductive systems, strengthen cardiac muscles; renew bones and connective tissue due to high silicon content; assists brain and nerve formation during youth due to its phosphorus content and boasts a healthy supply of of B vitamins. B vitamins are required for protein, fat, carbohydrate metabolism and energy production. Did I mention fiber? Fiber will help keep you full, this will help with weight management because you will be less likely to overeat.

Here are two recipes using oats to help get your day started and literally ignite your healthy!

Homemade Oat Granola

STEP ONE:

Ingredients:

4 cups of rolled oats,large flake
2 tsp of cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp of ginger, more for sprinkling
1 tsp of ground cardamon
1/4 tsp of sea salt
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of coconut oil, melted*
1 tbsp of coconut butter, melted (*optional, otherwise use 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil)
2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup, melted

Preparation:

in a small sauce pan, gently melt the honey, coconut oil and butter.
In a large bowl mix oats and spices. add in melted mixture, smell in the fragrant spices mixed in with the oil, wow your senses!
stir till well combined or the oats a little love with a hand massage; feel your food! You will get a better sense if you need more oil or it’s just right. The oats should not feel dry.
on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, spread the flavoured oats evenly bake 300F 15- 20 minutes stirring every 6 minutes to ensure even baking. I prefer the lower temperature because the oats get a nice slow even toasting, as opposed to a quick almost over roasted look and flavour.
there should be a good crunch to them, even while hot if they are done, if not place back in oven for another 3-5 minutes.
allow to cool, sprinkle with more cinnamon and ginger (if you like!),
place in glass container and use within 2-3 weeks.

Meal Tips/Preparation:

add Coco-Nutseed granola or add Grain Free Brekkie nut and berry mixture, with your choice: milk, yogurts
Build a Breakfast in a jar overnight: place granola on bottom add milk or yogurt, add seeds, nuts, dried fruits top with fresh fruit, seal and grab and go for snacks or breakfast.
can be used to make granola bars, energy nut balls ( more building recipes…)

Breakfast Congee

Traditionally used in China with rice, congee is known as ‘hsi-fan' or ‘rice-water.’ It is a thin porridge using a small portion of common grains (millet, wheat, spelt, rice or oats )with large amounts of water simmered on a low heat for a long period of time. This simmering is known to release more nutrients and make the porridge easily assimilated and digested. It is said that the longer it cooks, the more powerful the congee! Depending on the grain, spices, vegetable or fruits added to the congee you increase that particular food’s therapeutic value. This recipe can be used with Brown rice, Steel Cut or Whole Oat Groats.

Oats: concentrated in B vitamins, traditionally known to soothe nervous and reproductive systems, strengthen cardiac muscles, lowers saturated fats in blood, helps with connective tissue.

Rice: concentrated in B vitamins, traditionally known to tonify blood, sooth stomach, strengthen spleen-pancreas, beneficial for the nervous system, harmonize digestion,act a demulcent.

Oat or Brown Rice Congee

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 4-6 hours or longer

Equipment: slow cooker

Ingredients:

1 cup of brown rice or steel-cut oats or whole groats
4-5 cups of water
1/8 tsp of sea salt

Optional: add 1/4 tsp of ginger or ground fennel or ground cardamon; all great options to help with harmonizing the stomach, expelling gas and other digestive complaints.

Preparation:

Place ingredients in a slow cooker. Set on low and/or a timer to cook for 4-6 hours.

Meal Tips/Preparation:

add nuts, seeds and fresh fruit. (See Grain Free Brekkie or Coco-Nutseed Granola recipes)
for a hot breakfast, place remaining in fridge and reheat as necessary in toaster oven or stove top by adding small amount of water.
or cold, place a breakfast portion in mason jar or other glass container, mix in nuts, seeds, dried fruits, top with fresh berries or other fruit. Seal and place in fridge. Combine fruit in for breakfast the following morning.