Breakfast (Break-the-Fast)

 

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I have no appetite what so ever and my first instinct is not to eat anything before starting my day. But this is a definitely a MUST NOT DO. Our bodies need fuel for energy first thing in the morning to help us have a productive and energized day. Although I have no appetite the first thing I do is have a 16 ounce glass of cold water to get my metabolism going, then I will have a small protein shake or protein bar, or nuts before my workout.  Breakfast stands for Break-the-Fast, and the fast is us going through 6-8 hours of sleeping with no food, or water intake giving our bodies the proper nutrients. When I started to eat breakfast regularly I noticed that I had a ton of energy throughout the day, and I wasn’t as hungry for lunch and dinner which helped to control my portion size for those meals. I also noticed that when I went to gym I had so much energy to get my workout done and made me feel great.

Any breakfast may be better than no breakfast, there are foods you may want to avoid because they’re high in sugars, sodium, saturated fats and calories. Cut back on sugary cereals, high-calorie pastries, and meats like bacon and sausage that are high in saturated fat and sodium. Foods to avoid: Bagels, donuts, pastries, pancakes, and FAST FOOD.Breakfast should include protein and plenty of fiber; the combination will help satisfy your hunger and will keep you feeling full until lunch time. The protein can come from low-fat meat, eggs, nuts or dairy products. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A healthy breakfast doesn’t need to be extravagant or take a long time to prepare. Try something simple like a hard boiled egg, whole grain toast and 100% fruit juice.  Food to consume: Eggs (any style), protein smoothie, protein bar, fruit, oatmeal minus the sugar instead add fruit to your oatmeal, and low fat, low calories yogurt.

Eating breakfast may be good for losing weight. People who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight. Some experts believe eating breakfast keeps your metabolism running because skipping meals causes the body to kick into ‘starvation’ mode. This really isn’t the case, however, because it takes three or for days of not eating for the body to start gearing down.

Skipping breakfast is a common strategy for people who are trying to lose weight, but it’s usually not a successful one. Your body (or maybe your brain) expects to be refueled a few times each day, so when you skip meals you may feel so hungry that when lunch time comes, you over-eat or maybe you choose foods that are not the healthiest choices.

Intaking an early morning snack increases the metabolic rate (how fast you burn calories) and kick starts your body into gear, telling it what to expect the rest of the day. If breakfast isn’t had, your body doesn’t process your next meal as quickly and tries to hold onto those nutrients. Since it didn’t get any morning fuel, it tries to hold onto the afternoon meal as long as possible — instead of burning it right away.

Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It’s important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity. http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/most-important-meal

My Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

Almond Protein Smoothie

10 Almonds

8 ounces of soymilk  (chocolate, vanilla, plain), skim milk, or almond milk

1 cup of ice cubes

1 scoop of protein powder of your choice

Blend for 30 seconds

Banana Fruit Smoothie

1 small banana

2 tablespoon of raisins

1/2 cup of sliced strawberries

1 scoop of protein powder of you choice

8 ounces of soymilk, skim milk, almond milk

 

 

About these ads