Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
This saying has not become popular for nothing. Breakfast is no doubt the most important meal of the day.
Why should you give high importance to breakfast?
Aside from the fact that it gives you the energy to start your day right, it is also linked to many health benefits such as improved performance and weight control. Eating a healthy breakfast can help give you a more complete diet that is high in vitamins, nutrients and minerals, improve your performance and concentration, gives you more endurance and strength, and helps lower your cholesterol level. If you’re in doubt about the importance of breakfast read what the Huffington post as to say about eating if your should eat or skip breakfast!
Start adopting these healthy breakfast habits for an improved overall health.
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Eat Unprocessed Food
Packaged foods make our lives easier. It demands little time and effort to prepare that is why most of us prefer to have unprocessed food for breakfast. Though these foods are convenient, but not healthy.
But they are not recommended as they contain high amounts of:
- Artificial man-made coloring’s
- Preservatives and other added chemicals
- Packed foods are higher in salt, fat and sugar
- Loaded with GMOs
Instead of conveniently frying some hot dogs, start the habit of choosing healthy foods for your breakfast. Eat fresh organic and/or local harvest vegetables and fruits, eggs, lean meats, milk, oats, nuts and yogurt. Include organic or local harvest fresh fruit juice in your breakfast. Prefer high quality masticating juicers.
Preparing healthy breakfast should not take much of your time. There are plenty of healthy recipes that you can try that only requires a few minutes of your time. Quinoa breakfast bowl, poached eggs with mushroom and tomatoes, and yogurt with grapes and granola are perfect examples of convenience and health.
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Eat at Fixed Hours
With our busy schedules, we tend to forget our meals and eat it when we can no longer control the grumbling of our stomachs.
But did you know that eating when you feel like it is not good for your health?
Two studies published in the journal Proceedings of the Nutrition Society tell us that it’s not only what we eat that matters, but when we eat it as well. Participants who don’t follow a fixed meal schedule have higher BMIs and blood pressure compared to those who followed an eating schedule. According to Gerda Pot, a professor at King’s College London who worked on both studies, inconsistent eating may affect our internal body clock. This disruption can lead to weight gain and other health risks.
Schedule your breakfast at the same time every day for a healthier you.
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Drink More Water
It is a common practice in Japan to drink two full glasses of water upon waking up. They believe that drinking water on an empty stomach has many health benefits and can cure lots of diseases including cancer.
Are you still hesitant of following this practice?
Below are the reasons why you should drink more water in the morning.
- It rehydrates your body after a long sleep.
- It flushes out unwanted toxins from your body (add some fresh lemon juice for the ultimate boost)
- It fires up your metabolism and increases your potential to burn calories throughout the day.
- It fuels your brain.
- It provides relief in constipation and regulates bowel movement.
Now these are good reasons why you should start drinking lots of water in the morning.
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Eat Healthy Whole Grains
Whole grains are ideal for breakfast as they are low in calories, yet high in protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and many important vitamins and minerals. Whole grains such as oats, buckwheat, millet and barley are perfect to jump-start your day. There are a lot of healthy breakfast recipes that you can incorporate whole grains too. Check out bestraters.com for some lists of whole grain breakfast recipes that you can try in your own kitchen.
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Don’t Skip Meals
Skipping breakfast because we want to lose weight is one of the most common misconceptions that people have. On the contrary, foregoing breakfast can do the opposite. Those who skip breakfast tend to overeat and consume more calories than those who had their breakfast.
Eating a healthy breakfast can make you feel full for a longer period of time and therefore you avoid unnecessary food cravings. As it is the most important meal of the day, it fuels your body with the energy that you need to be productive all throughout the day.
It’s time to jump on the breakfast bandwagon and be amazed with the many health benefits this habit can give you.
What healthy habits do you have or need to change? Leave your your suggestions in the comment section!
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