My Oatmeal Review!!

Last week I posted about an opportunity I received to review some custom healthy oatmeal products from MyOatmeal.com.  Well, I tried three wonderful flavors and my thoughts are written below.  Also, scroll to the end of this post to learn how to receive 15% off YOUR order at MyOatmeal.com :)

Banana Bread with Walnuts

-Gluten Free Quick Oats

-Banana Bread flavor

-Banana Chips

-Walnuts

-Monk fruit (plant, calorie free) sweetener

When I opened the bag, it smelled like fresh baked banana bread and my mouth started salivating!  I looked on the back for the cooking instructions, and they were a little more labor-intensive than your regular store-bought sugar-loaded crap.  After all, this is natural and organic, so of course there is more finesse and care in cooking this!  I followed the directions and microwaved 1 part oatmeal with 2 parts water for 1 minute, stirred, microwaved again for 45 seconds, stirred, and microwaved again for 30 seconds.  After letting it cool for a minute, I took my first bite, and it was delicious!  It was a little sweet, but the banana flavor was very nice.  It was cooked perfectly because the texture was fluffy and thick, and the walnuts added a nice crunch.

I would definitely order this combination again, but probably do without the sweetener.

Strawberry Shortcake

- Organic, Gluten Free, Thick Rolled Oats

-Strawberry Shortcake flavor

-Chipped Coconut

-Strawberries

-Chia seeds

-Monk fruit (plant, calorie free) sweetener

 Similarly to my banana bread experience,when I opened the bag I was greeted with the smell of fresh strawberries.

I’m a huge strawberry fan, so I was very excited to try this flavor.  Since these were the thick rolled oats, they had different cooking instructions.  I assumed they were the same as the banana bread oatmeal, so I didn’t read them before I started nuking in the microwave per the previous instructions.  They still came out tasty, but they were slightly more crunchy (which I actually enjoyed).  This flavor was quite sweet, and once again I’d probably do without the added sweetener.  But the added strawberries and coconut chips were absolutely delightful!  They added a perfect amount of flavor and texture (chewy strawberries and crunchy coconut).

I definitely enjoyed this concoction.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter

-Gluten Free Quick Oats

-German Chocolate Cake flavor

-Peanut Butter flavor

-Monk fruit (plant, calorie free) sweetener

I have to admit, this flavor was my least favorite of all three that I tried.  When I opened the bag, I got a faint whiff of peanut butter and even more faint smell of chocolate.

I cooked these the same as my Strawberry Shortcake since they, too are, quick oats.  After cooling for about a minute, I took my first bite.

They were thick yet fluffy, a texture I enjoy in oatmeal.  However, the flavor wasn't there.  All I could taste was sweetness from the Monk Fruit sweetener.  Both the chocolate and the peanut butter flavors were missing.  I'm a HUGE peanut butter fan, so I was expecting more.  It still was tasty and I ate it, but it tasted more like a sweetened plain oatmeal.  I probably wouldn't order this combo again.

Summary

Banana bread wins!  It was by far my favorite flavor, with Strawberry Shortcake in second.  I will definitely be ordering more from MyOatmeal.com in the future, and I recommend you do the same!  Please enjoy 15% off your order with the code healthy15.

My Oatmeal did provide me with a free sample to try and review, but this fact did not influence or alter my opinion of the product.  All views in this post are my honest assessment of the product and I am not being financially compensated for these views.

Eating Clean!

For as long as I can remember, I've had digestive issues.  By digestive issues I mean constant tummy aches, bloating, not going to the bathroom regularly, cramping, etc.  In high school, I didn't think much of it; in college I was living in NYC and that was the last thing on my mind; then post-college it started to bother me and has just gotten more and more irritating.  I've always been a “healthy” eater…chicken, fish, eggs, veggies, fruits, 12-grain bread instead of white, brown rice instead of white rice, no milk (I've never been a fan of cow’s milk to be honest), etc.  But I have a weakness for cheese, chips, and basically anything salty, which meant processed crap because up until recently, I didn't think anything raw or natural would satisfy that salt craving.

Last year I reached the point where I didn't want to feel uncomfortable all the time, so I made a choice.  I chose to go Paleo which includes fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry), fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed).  It helped, but I would still feel bloated and have the occasional tummy ache, albeit not as bad.  Then I tried grain-free, cutting out all grains of any sort.  I still couldn't pinpoint what my pain trigger was.

By May this year, I had enough so I met with friend who is a nutritionist, and we came up with a plan.  The plan is to do a one month food cleanse during June, then modify it and slowly add things back (if I want to) and see how my body reacts.

I started a week ago, and I have to say, my body has never felt better than it does now.  I haven’t had a tummy ache, haven’t felt bloated, and I have more energy!  If you’re not 100% committed, it may be difficult, but I was desperate to get rid of my stomach pains so I committed a 110% and I feel amazing.

My food cleanse is in a nutshell:

     -no alcohol (yikes!)

     -no dairy (that’s cheese for me!)

     -no red meat

     -no sugar (including fruit! Ah!!)

So basically it’s lots of lean protein (chicken, turkey, white fish like tilapia), veggies (green is great!), and raw protein shakes.  I eat all these anyways (with the exception of the protein shakes), and I love veggies, so the main challenge was eliminating cheese and alcohol.  So far so good!!!  I even attended a wedding this past weekend that was open bar and had a gorgeous display delectable foods, but I stuck to my cleanse and had a salad with light EVOO and balsamic, some almonds I brought with me, and a small piece of chicken, and I sipped on H2O all night!

Today begins week 2 and I’m really excited.  Some of my meals last week were:

     -oatmeal with cinnamon and slivered almonds

     -chia pudding (I soak chia seeds in coconut water, then add almond butter and cinnamon)

     -salads with avocado, green beans, broccoli, onion, lightly dressed in EVOO and balsamic

     -baked chicken with asparagus, broccoli and/or green beans

     -egg whites with spinach

     -ground turkey lettuce wraps

     -broccoli and celery soup (super easy…cook broccoli, onion, celery and garlic in vegetable stock for a few minutes, then purée until blended)

I’m beyond thrilled to be on this journey to finding the right foods that work with my body.  In the words of the wise Socrates, “The secret to change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a FREE race entry to any Spartan Race before tomorrow, June 11 @ noon PST!