Eating a healthy breakfast is important for us all
Why is important for us to eat breakfast?
Breakfast as the word suggests literally means ‘ breaking the fast’. After 10 – 12 hours overnight without food our energy reserves are low and our body and perhaps more importantly our brain need fuel. What you choose to eat (or not to eat) at breakfast can affect your mood, physical and mental performance, weight and your general and long term health.
- Breakfast improves the nutrition density of the diet
- Breakfast is negatively correlated with body weight ie people who eat breakfast are less likely to be over weight
- Improves cognitive function throughout the morning – ie people who eat concentrate better during the morning and perform better on tests of cognitive function
- Eating Low GI breakfast reduces urge to snack
What tips do you have for eating breakfast for those who complain they don’t have time?
I understand that for many people, mornings are extremely busy and getting out of bed early and in enough time to have breakfast is a struggle, other people just don’t feel hungry when they get up. You don’t have to have breakfast as soon as you get up, so if you haven’t got time or simply can’t face eating anything first thing in the morning take something with you to eat when you get to work or where ever you’re going. Eating breakfast at home or taking something with you from home gives you much more control over what you eat. If you wait to buy something in a café or coffee shop on the way to work you don’t have the same healthy choices available - and even if you think you are choosing something healthy it might not be as healthy as you believe (a take-away high fibre muffin can contain around 442 calories/24g fat/24g sugar!) plus there’s the danger that you’re going to be tempted by one of the less healthy choices on offer.
Which healthy breakfasts do you recommend for nutrition value?
You should aim for a breakfast that provides a balance of nutrients, something that provides slow release carbohydrates and doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar, something that provides, fibre and wholegrains, breakfast should also provide at least one portion of fruit and a serving of diary (to provide calcium for healthy bones) and it shouldn’t be too high in fat or sugar.
What’s your prefect ‘treat’ breakfast?
A toasted cinnamon bagel with chocolate spread AND peanut butter – but only a weekend treat.
What other healthy eating tips do you have?
My first tip is not about what to eat it’s about your attitude to food. You’ve got to understand that food you choose can have an important and long lasting effect on your health. When you’re young it’s easy to put your health on the back burner and think it’s something you can deal with when you’re older and have more time but you only have one body you need to look after it! A healthy diet can affect your long term health and how you age, but in the short term it can help boost immunity, improve mental and physical performance and help you cope with the stresses and strains of modern life. My top tips for healthy eating include:
Be organised - start by making sure you have your fridge/freezer/kitchen cupboards filled with healthy stuff so that you have the building blocks for a healthy diet ready and waiting -
Plan ahead –write a weekly menu plan so you know what you’re going to eat each day so when you get home you know what you’re going to cook and that you have the all the ingredients you need.
What do you think of superfoods?
The problem is the term has been over used and abused in recent years – these days it is used more as marketing tool to hype some exotic fruit, vegetables or grain, which is overpriced and has travelled hundreds of thousands so miles to get to us. Goji berries are good example – they are no better for you than other fruits – the truth is all fruit and vegetables are superfoods.
Which one food would you recommend that we eat more of in our diet?
It’s a food group rather than a food and that would be fruit and vegetables – there are so many health benefits are associated eating fruit and veg. We all need to remember that 5 portions a day is the MINIMUM we need to eat.
Belvita Breakfast biscuits are perfect for rushed mornings as they come in individually wrapped portion packs so you can pop them in your handbag, desk drawer or even in the glove box in the car. They are clinically proven to slowly release carbohydrates over four hours and when eaten with an apple and latte, provide a balanced breakfast. They come in 10 tasty flavours.
Tagged in Nutrition Diet Healthy eating Diet tips Healthy Diet Plan