Overnight Oats
We love breakfast and one of our favorite breakfast recipes, besides smoothies, are overnight oats. Overnight oats are super simple to make (no cooking required) and can easily be made the night before so when you wake up in the morning, breakfast is served.
What are overnight oats?
Overnight oats are created by soaking rolled oats in liquid overnight. Hence, overnight oats. It doesn’t have to be overnight, but we’ve noticed from personal experience, eight hours or more is ideal. Although overnight oats can be enjoyed any time of day, they are especially convenient on those busy days when mornings can be extra hectic. They’re also really great after an intense sweat session or workout at the gym, especially if you include a scoop or two of protein powder.
How to Improve Digestive Health: Fill Up with Fiber
Another reason we love overnight oats is because they are a great source of fiber, which is good for gut health. Dietary fiber is the part of plant-based food that mostly passes through your digestive system without breaking down or being digested.
If you find yourself often wondering “What are ways to improve gut health or how can I improve gut health,” a simple solution is adding fiber to your diet. Fiber-rich foods, like oatmeal, can help improve gut health, plus, they’re delicious!
When including more fiber in your diet, there are two types of fiber to consider: insoluble fiber and soluble fiber.
What is Insoluble Fiber
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Instead, insoluble fiber acts like a sponge, essentially absorbing liquid and swelling in size while traveling through the digestive system. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to bowel movements and helps food pass more quickly through the stomach and intestines. Foods with insoluble fiber include nuts, seeds and whole grains.What is Soluble Fiber Soluble fiber, also known as water soluble fiber, dissolves in water and forms into a gel like substance. This can help ease digestion and daily bowel movements. Soluble fiber slows digestion and can help you feel fuller longer. Good sources of soluble fiber include avocado, beans and oats.
What Does Fiber Do to Your Body
It’s pretty clear one of the main benefits of adding fiber to your diet is better digestive health and better gut health, but one of the other reasons we love fiber is that it keeps you satiated. That means feeling fuller for longer, which can help decrease snacking in between meals. Just ask Sally!
Now that you know the stellar benefits of fiber and how fiber helps the body, you may be wondering how much daily fiber do I really need?
How much daily fiber you need depends on two factors: age and sex. The USDA recommends the daily amount of fiber for adults up to age 50 is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Women and men older than 50 should have 21 and 30 daily grams, respectively.
The average American only gets about 10-15 grams of fiber per day. (Shocking, but not really). Although you can get your recommended amount of daily fiber from a fiber supplement, it’s best to get your fiber from drinking fiber water or eating whole foods sources.
By enjoying fiber infused waterand eating whole foods, not only will you be enjoying a solid serving of fiber, you will also be receiving beneficial nutrients, minerals and vitamins that are naturally found in a whole foods diet. Plus, if you are drinking fiber infused water, you will also be practicing proper hydration.
Easy Ways to Enjoy More Fiber
Adding foods like fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, broccoli and Brussel sprouts to your meals is a simple way to add more fiber to your diet. So is swapping out basic bottled water for a bottle of fiber water. Another easy and delicious way is by starting the day off with a bowl of overnight oats made with a splash of fruit flavored water using hellowater®. Here is an easy recipe for overnight oats.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic cooked rolled oats (We like Bob’s Red Mill, but use whatever brand you prefer)
- 1 scoop of protein powder (For this recipe, we used ISO 100 Fruity Pebbles for a fun fruity flavor).
- ½ bottle of hellowater® mixed berry
- ½ cup of locally grown, farm fresh blueberries. You can also use frozen.
Directions:
1.) Place rolled oats and protein powder in a bowl or mason jar. Use a spoon to gently mix together so the dry ingredients are well combined.
2.) Next, pour in ½ bottle of hellowater® black cherry and stir again until all of the rolled oats are submerged in hellowater®.
3.) Place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4-8 hours.
4.) Before eating, top with a handful of fresh blueberries and enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a midday snack.Tag us @drinkhellowater so we can see all of your homemade overnight oats using your hellowater®
