The Importance of Breakfast - A Weight Loss Essential

Breakfast is the most important meal of day! Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast are less focused, irritable and lack the enthusiasm and energy to perform their daily routines. Breakfast provides the essential fuel (glucose) for the brain and body to get started and remain active throughout the day. The body, has literally been “fasting” for six to eight hours without its main source of energy and needs a good healthy meal to restart its metabolism – thus the origin of “break” “fast.” This first meal is needed for the body to refuel its energy reserve.

For the weight conscious, it is even more important to have a good breakfast since it will help curb your appetite and control your urge to binge later in the day. A good healthy breakfast has been proven to encourage weight loss and it's highly recommended not to skip this most important meal.

Here are some tips on making good choices:

1. CEREAL BASICS
I don’t often recommend selecting cereal as a breakfast option, however so many people find it hard to resist so I always allow cereal in a weight-loss plan. However, with a few strings attached! If you do decide on cereal, choose to eat one that contains whole grains. Many cereals these days are not properly labeled and can be very deceptive to the consumer. Be sure to check the ingredients (not just read the front of the box!). The first ingredient should be whole grain…not sugar or something else you are not able to pronounce. Some good brands I like are Arrowhead Mills, Kashi, Food For Life, Bob’s Red Mill, and Nature’s Path.
Another tip - mix your cereal with some fruit to reduce the amount of cereal you eat. Add some sliced strawberries or other low sugar fruits like raspberries or peaches. Not only is this better for your waistline, but looks beautiful and tastes great! Lastly, try using unsweetened soy milk, almond milk or rice milk and add a little stevia (a natural zero calorie sweetener that doesn’t raise your insulin level) if you are really craving a little sweetness in the morning.

2. Select FIBER-rich, WATER-rich WHOLE GRAINS over dry grains
Dry grains like cold cereals, breads, bagels, cereal bars, and muffins are dense with calories. Per bite, you’re ingesting a lot of calories. By the time you’ve eaten enough to feel full, you’ve probably eaten more calories than you would have liked. That’s why half a box of Frosted Flakes (and its 700+ calories) can disappear so quickly!
For losing weight, you’re much better off selecting "wet" (cooked in water, nonfat milk, or soymilk) cereals like oatmeal, kamut, or rolled barley flakes. Ounce for ounce, you’re eating about one-third the calories of dry cereal or breads. The water that the hot whole-grain cereal is cooked in adds bulk and a lot more stomach-filling satisfaction, which means you’re less likely to go overboard on calories at breakfast.

3. PREPARE A SMOOTHIE
If you don’t have time to sit down to a nice breakfast, take it to go. This will prevent you from grabbing that bagel or slice of coffee cake at Starbucks! Not only is making a smoothie easy but can be fun mixing and trying new recipes and tastes really great. Try the following basic recipe:

• 1 cup of frozen fruit (strawberries, mixed berries, or peaches)
• 4 oz of plain low fat yogurt
• 1 cup of soymilk (or almond milk) or if you must skim milk
• 1 scoop of whey or soy protein powder
• 1 tablespoon of flax meal (for fiber)
• 1 packet of stevia (for some added sweetness if you prefer)

Blend all ingredients together and viola, you are ready to go!

4. ADD SOME PROTEIN
The “American breakfast” is extremely high in carbs – actually is almost entirely carbs – oatmeal, breads, cereal, muffins, waffles, pancakes etc.- and also high in fat – bacon, eggs, sausage.
My suggestion is to try adding a low-fat organic protein since protein fills you up and gets your metabolism started for the day ahead. Some good options include:

• Scrambled organic egg whites with onions, tomatoes (and if you want add other vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, string beans, be creative!)
• Scrambled organic egg whites with sprinkled parmesan cheese and asparagus
• Organic egg white omelet with slices of zucchini and onions. Slice of low-fat organic cheese if you must!
• Greek yogurt, plain – 2% or fat free (use greek yogurt over regular plain yogurt as greek yogurt has much more protein and less carbs). Add tablespoon of agave nectar (better than honey) or stevia for added sweetness. Also try adding a touch of vanilla.
• Salmon on one slice of pumpernickel bread (very high in good fat – Omega 3). Compliment with a side of berries
• Whey protein shake (blended with yogurt and soymilk). Sprinkle with flax powder for fiber

Hope this articles helps you get your day off to a better start!