Eating Oatmeal Every Day for a Month Could Transform Your Well-being

The first weeks

Feeling full for longer. The first thing many people notice is that a bowl of oatmeal keeps them going until lunch. That soft gel slows down how fast your stomach empties, and studies have found that oatmeal can be more filling than some ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Feeling satisfied for longer may make it easier to skip the mid-morning snack.

Steadier energy. Plain oats are digested slowly, so the energy from your breakfast is released gradually instead of all at once. Compare that with a sugary cereal or a pastry, which can give you a quick lift and then leave you hungry and sluggish an hour or two later. Dietitians say the less processed the oats, the more slowly they are digested: steel-cut and old-fashioned rolled oats are digested more slowly than instant oats. That may help you avoid the mid-morning slump.

Better digestion. Most adults eat less fiber than dietitians recommend, and a daily bowl of oatmeal is an easy way to close part of that gap. Fiber helps keep things moving and is linked to more regular bowel movements. One tip: if you are not used to much fiber, start with a smaller bowl and drink plenty of water, because a sudden jump in fiber can cause some gas and bloating at first. Those are the changes you may feel. The most surprising one is a change you can't feel at all, and you'll find it on the last page.