Oatmeal and wheat

Question
Hello Mr. Santoro

To your knowledge, does oatmeal contain wheat or gluten?  I want to try to cut down on wheat as I am trying to get rid of what appears to be some visceral fat (the kind that forms beneath the abdominal muscles) and I heard that wheat is one food that can cause visceral fat to begin with.  

So far, I have cut down on bread and pasta, as well as other things like snack crackers, but now I am trying to see if oatmeal needs to be added to that list as well.

Thank you.

Answer
Christopher, I apologize for the late response, I had to attend to a personal issue. I know you have been waiting.

The best thing to do with oatmeal is to buy pure oats. Oats on their own don't contain gluten but some oatmeal products are more so blends of oats and other ingredients. Many instant oatmeals will contain fillers.

Probably your best bet is to get Irish steel cut oatmeal. These oats are cut as opposed to rolled or pressed. They often will have a grainy texture and take longer to cook. But by buying Steel Cut Irish oats you are pretty safe in avoiding fillers that may add wheat gluten.

As an aside you should be careful when it comes to the whole gluten free diet craze. It seems the be the new Atkins. The opinions on if wheat is good or bad for your fitness and health is divided. There are certain medical conditions that dictate you avoid wheat. But those not afflicted by such conditions can eat wheat with no problem. And keep in mind many gluten free foods can have added sugars. Its a nasty reality from the food industry, when they take something away them often add something in thats just as bad or worse for you.

Finally another thing to consider when it comes to abdominal fat is sodium. You need sodium in your diet, however too much can combine with water and form gel type substance around your mid section. This is why many bodybuilders and fitness competitors partake in diets that alternate sodium and water intake before a show in an effort to "dry out". This shouldn't be of concern though unless you're prepping for a show.

Again my apologies in the late response.  

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