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Breakfast: A Better Way To Start The Day
There's no better way to start the day than with a good breakfast. When I was in London April 2005, I was highly impressed with the dietitian at the Holiday Inn in Camden. During their daily breakfast buffet, they post on each restaurant table the following dietary principles:
Make a great start to the day...10 Good Reasons To Enjoy A Healthy Breakfast:
1. Energy - Energy levels are maintained and sustained by eating carbohydratefoods which release their energy (glucose) slowly. Eat porridge or whole meal toast.
2. Metabolism - Missing breakfast tends to slow down metabolism and makes it harder for the body to burn fat.
3. Weight - Eating a low fat, high carbohydrate breakfast is the best way to begin the day - it will kick-start your metabolism, that in turn, keeps body fat levels under control.
4. Memory - the most consistent findings to date suggest that eating breakfast influences the processes involved in the formation and retrieval of memories, and in managing complex or challenging information. Breakfast achieves this through its ability to raise blood glucose levels, which makes sure brain cells are in top form.
5. Concentration and Alertness - Missing breakfast is an occupational hazard: research has shown a much lower incidence of work-related accidents for people who eat breakfast. To boost concentration and alleviate tiredness, the brain needs feeding to keep it satisfied and alert.
6. Hunger - Slow release carbohydrates induce a feeling of satisfaction and fullness, which prevents binging on high fat and sugary foods later in the day.
7. Mood - The mood-food connection is often ignored: feeding your brain at the appropriate time such as first thing in the morning and with the appropriate nutrients, i.e. a high carbohydrate, low fat breakfast, will cheer you up!
8. Stress - Breakfast is a stress buster! To help you get through the anxieties and problems of the day, eat foods rich in serotonin-enhancing carbohydrates and also B complex vitamins such as granary bread and oats, but avoid too much caffeine (especially in the form of coffee), as this will only enhance nervousness and irritability.
9. Hydration - Load up on fluids by starting your day with water, fruit or vegetable juice and/or weak tea - it is important to keep your fluid intake high: drink at least 2 liters (8 glasses) of fluid per day.
10. Immunity - Begin the day with foods rich in vitamins A and C, B vitamins and zinc. Include some of the following in your diet: citrus fruit, berries, melon, eggs, oily fish, whole grain cereals, wheat germ and oats.
--Priscilla Marmar -SRD (UK), FRSH (UK), MNutrDiet
Dietitian and Nutritionist for Holiday Inn
Posted September 2005 | Permanent Link
Other Articles In The January Issue
- Introduction
- Healthy Feedback
- Trace Your Minerals - Part 1
- Trace Your Minerals - Part 2
- Tummy Talk - Always Listen To Your Liver Series
- Q & A with Dr. Hull
- Did You Know?
- Healthy Recipes
- Extra Help In School
Other Articles In This Category
- A Love Story - Candida Loves Sugar - December 2008
- The Heaviest Element Known To Science - December 2008
- Learn To Listen When Your Kidneys Do The Talking - Part 1 - November 2008
- Learn To Listen When Your Kidneys Do The Talking - Part 2 - November 2008
- The Acai (ah-sigh-ee) Berry - November 2008
