I didn’t always eat breakfast….I wasn’t hungry, did fine without it, and had good energy. It wasn’t til I started eating breakfast that I realized what I had been missing! Eating a morning meal is a healthy habit. Research shows that regular breakfast eaters tend to be leaner and dieters are more successful at losing weight—and keeping it off—when they eat breakfast.
I realized upon eating breakfast that I had more energy to work out, felt less fatiqued, and wasn’t starving as the day went on.
What’s more, people who typically eat breakfast also get more fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, riboflavin, zinc and iron—and less fat and dietary cholesterol.
According new research in the October 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating breakfast is good for your heart! The study found that people who skipped breakfast throughout childhood and as adults had higher “bad” LDL and total cholesterol than lifelong breakfast eaters. (They also carried more weight in their midsection.)
Eating breakfast has also been shown to improve concentration and mood both in adults and children.
For those who tell me that they are not hungry when you first get up, I tell them to put something in their bodies. Would you start a car without having gas in the tank? It doesn’t have to be a large meal, just make sure that when you do eat, your meal is something that will sustain you for a few hours—it should include some fiber and protein and some heart healthy fat.
I have some great breakfast ideas. How about Egg White and Salmon Sandwich, Breakfast Parfait with Yogurt and Fruit, Fruit Smoothies, Quick Breakfast Taco, Oatmeal with Fruit and Honey and Almonds, Nut Butter on Toast are some ideas to name a few. Want more information and recipes? You can email me at Rachel@livehealthynyc.com
