Well-Balanced
Be a Breakfast Believer
Food is fuel for our bodies and minds and some of the highest-octane fuel we can ingest is a nutritious, balanced breakfast.
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and there are a host of good reasons to incorporate a nutritious, delicious, and perhaps not-so-traditional meal into your morning. Preparing a power-packed breakfast need not be tedious and time consuming and once you begin making it a part of your morning routine, I promise you’ll wonder how you ever made it through the morning on a belly full of coffee.
Dessert First?
One in five Americans skips breakfast, and many who do eat consume what amounts to a piece of cake. We wouldn’t eat a scone or muffin for dinner so why do these choices seem fit for breakfast? Well, they aren’t and here’s why. Pastries and the like are comprised of simple carbohydrates (i.e. sugar and refined flour), which break down very rapidly and go straight to our bloodstream, causing our blood sugar to spike and then plummet due to a surge in insulin. With this blood sugar crash comes what I call “the pit,” a dip in energy and crazy hunger that make you reach for another donut before lunch. Because the body is constantly in search of homeostasis, it wants the equivalent high to the low you just subjected it to, thus the spike-inducing donut.
Make Your Choices Count
Complex carbohydrates, because they don’t rush to your bloodstream, save you from the blood sugar roller coaster. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and some fruits take longer to digest and dole out their energy-giving benefits over a period of time. (Bananas, cantaloupes, mangoes, papayas, and pineapples are considered simple carbohydrates due to their high sugar content; apples, cherries, grapefruits, oranges, pears, and plums contain less sugar.) Maintaining a steady blood sugar level, not just at breakfast, but also at every meal and snack, is key to warding off insulin resistance syndrome, which can be the precursor to diabetes.
The beauty of focusing on whole grains (and fruit) is that you’ll get a good allotment of your daily fiber needs. Fiber helps lower the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes and also helps maintain blood pressure.
Still, there is just a little more to the picture. To build a breakfast with real staying power, you need protein and quality fats. Both help you feel fuller longer, which makes it much easier to stroll on past the box of donuts. Eggs have long been the breakfast protein staple, and for good reason; they’re a near-perfect balance of amino acids. Other nutritious breakfast proteins include nuts and nut butters, yogurt, cheese, quality breakfast meats, and soy-based veggie sausages.
Good-for-you fats are an important macronutrient and won’t make you fat, as it takes fat to burn fat. Organic and grass-based full-fat cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese (yes, full fat, not skim), avocadoes, flax seeds, fish and nuts are all great breakfast choices. See, this isn’t so hard, as you can get fat and protein from some of the same sources!
Rev Your Engine
The most common reason that I hear for skipping breakfast is that people are afraid they’ll gain weight. They’re “fine” getting by on coffee and are “saving the calories for later.” First, I don’t believe in counting calories. Second, this reasoning couldn’t be further from the truth. After eight or so hours of sleep, our body needs to be refueled and eating is critical (“break the fast”). Otherwise, your body goes into a sort of famine state, and metabolism comes to a screeching halt. You go about your day, running on fumes (and caffeine), while your body waits to get its fuel. No fuel, no fat loss.
A good breakfast really does set your mood, energy level, and metabolic rate for the day. Recent studies have also shown that breakfast eaters are less likely to suffer from heart attacks and strokes. Once you see and feel the difference breakfast can make in your life, you’ll never be a two-meal eater again.
Quick and easy breakfasts:
- Fruit, nut, and cheese plate
- Whole grain waffle and nut butter with drizzle of real maple syrup
- Breakfast pizza – whole grain bread or English muffin, ricotta or cottage cheese, tomatoes, with drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste
- Breakfast sandwich with whole grain English muffin, organic egg, veggie sausage or organic meat, and cheese or avocado
- Breakfast burrito on sprouted or whole grain tortilla with scrambled egg, sautéed vegetables, and cheese
- Yogurt, almond milk, flaxseed, and fruit smoothie
- Whole grain cereal with nuts and fruit
And for those of you who don’t like “breakfast-y” foods, break the rules!
- Fish and sautéed dark leafy greens
- Lox (smoked salmon) and organic cream cheese on whole grain English muffin with red onion slices and capers
- Turkey and avocado sandwich on whole grain bread
- Last night’s leftovers
Jill Grunewald
Jill Grunewald is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City and a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. She has a private health counseling practice, with specialized knowledge in weight loss without deprivation and struggle, women's health, thyroid issues, osteoporosis, hypoglycemia and diabetes, candida, energy issues, and acidic conditions. You can find out more about her personalized nutritional approach at www.healthfulelements.com. You can also reach her at jill@healthfulelements.com.
|
