Five Really Healthy Breakfast Ideas

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Category: Diet

Published on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 04:26

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The average person’s breakfast consists of items that aren’t going to be declared “good for one’s health” anytime soon. Fatty bacon, fried eggs, artificially-enhanced cereals, and white bread are the main components of a typical breakfast in the west. Though there’s nothing wrong with eating these once in a while, having them every single day can result in undesirable health conditions. So if you want to start your day with a healthier breakfast, give these five ideas a shot.

Breakfast Burritos

Who says Mexican food isn’t healthy? With a few substitutes here and there, a typical burrito can be a healthy breakfast item that will surely leave you well-nourished and fully satisfied. So how do you go about making one? To start, get out your frying pan, and spray some non-stick solution on it. Place egg whites (no egg yolks) into the pan and scramble them. Once the egg whites are cooked to your desired level of doneness, place them on the tortillas. Give it a sprinkling of cheese as well as a handful of black or pinto beans. Prepare each tortilla by rolling it into a wrap. Let the microwave do its thing for half a minute, top the burrito with a spoonful of salsa, and voila! You’ve got a healthy and hearty breakfast in a burrito!

Smoothies

For those of you who can’t resist eating something sweet the moment you get out of bed, smoothies are the perfect compromise. They’re not only delicious and good for your body, but they’re also quite easy to prepare. It doesn’t require much in the way of prep time, either, and that’s something people on the go will truly appreciate. Smoothies can be prepared in as little as three steps. First, grab a cup of your favorite fruit (preferably frozen), and dump the contents into the blender. Next, pour in a cup or two of soy milk, yogurt, fruit juice, or even water. The choice of liquid lies solely on you, but the ones mentioned ought to make your smoothie even healthier. Lastly, blend everything until the mixture is smooth.

Multigrain Pancakes and Waffles

If you can’t do away with pancakes and waffles, you should give their multigrain counterparts a try. They pack a lot of taste, heaps of fiber, and lesser fat. So how do you prepare the healthier versions of your favorite breakfast foods? It’s quite simple, really. All you need to do is substitute whole grain pastry flour for the type of flour you usually use. You can also mix in a half cup of rolled oats into your everyday pancake and waffle recipe. You’ll find that this scrumptious idea won’t take anything from your enjoyment. In fact, you might learn to love the multigrain variety even more than you love the regular types.

Morning Pizza

No, you shouldn’t order pizza so early in the morning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your own. So grab some whole-wheat bread and pop it into the toaster. Spread just enough low-fat cream cheese over each piece, and top it with a slice of fresh tomato. Season it with salt and pepper. Now, that’s healthy pizza!

Cereal "Sundae"

While one and a half cup of bran flakes in 8 ounces of low-fat milk can almost be called a perfect start to your morning, you can still improve on the idea. You can create your very own sundae out of cereal by using vanilla or lemon yogurt in place of milk. Serve it in a to-go container, and you can enjoy your breakfast anywhere and anytime. However, if you really want to go all the way, you can also mix in ¼ cup of dried/fresh fruit or nuts. That will surely cover your fiber and vitamin requirements.

Healthy doesn’t necessarily mean tasteless. With a bit of creative thinking and a few ingenious substitutions, you can turn ordinary breakfast recipes into meals that will be good for you and your family.

Unhealthy Breakfast Choices

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Category: Diet

Published on Wednesday, 02 January 2013 06:46

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We may have been totally misled by the long-held belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Sure, it has its own benefits, but how many people actually know what and what not to eat when they wake up in the morning? In an effort to not miss the first meal of the day, a lot of individuals tend to go for food choices that are brimming with fats, preservatives, and chemicals just to get a quick fix. Little do they know that these can lead to weight gain and other health-related issues. If you want to stay in the pink of health, make sure you avoid unhealthy breakfast choices. Here are some of them:

Bacon

Often included in a full breakfast, bacon is one of the most famous elements in a person’s morning meal. Brine-cured, bacon was first used in England as a term describing all types of pork. While delicious, bacon, especially when not eaten moderately, can be detrimental to your health in the long run. In the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress held last October 2012, Dr. Todd Anderson, researcher for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, emphasized the setback of eating high-fat foods such as bacon. Anderson further asserted that it can lead to atherosclerosis or narrowing of the arteries due to plaque build-up. Because bacon meat is cured, it is considered a processed meat – a type of food that can increase an individual’s risk of developing cancer. Regular consumption of bacon and other processed foods has also been proven to cause colorectal cancer and prostate cancer, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Sugar-Loaded Cereals

Because of their fast-paced lifestyle, many individuals opt for breakfast foods that can be prepared easily. One of these easy-to-eat choices is cereals. Unfortunately, many of us eat cereals that are high in sugar (containing 40% or more than 12 grams per serving.) In an article by the Harvard University School of Public Health, the general public is advised to reduce their sugar intake in order to prevent heart conditions and obesity.  So in place for sugar-loaded foods for breakfast, why not choose a healthy brand of cereal and add blackstrap molasses or sugar substitutes like Sweet N’ Low? It’s healthier!

Doughnuts

Doughnuts are the most common sinfully sweet grubs seen on people’s breakfast plates. Because they are high in calories, trans-fats, and sugars, they are some of the worst choices you can have for breakfast. These sugary treats can lead to a variety of “lifestyle diseases” like type 2 diabetes. According to Dr. Andrew Weil of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, not only are doughnuts bad for your health, they are likely to give you an energy crash in the middle of the day. If you find yourself hankering for breakfast doughnuts, you better set your sight on whole grain bread with peanut butter and jam instead. Breakfast is among the important things in a person's daily routine where the principle "quality over quantity" should be applied. You need to be cautious with what you eat in the morning as poor choices can eventually lead to a variety of health problems, not to mention weight gain. When preparing your morning meal, make sure to avoid unhealthy breakfast choices,  like those mentioned above, in order to enjoy a life free from loathsome illnesses.  

What To Eat For Breakfast In Order To Lose Weight

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Category: Diet

Published on Wednesday, 02 January 2013 06:37

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Have you found yourself gagging over those diet fads, appetite suppressants, and exercises that never seem to work? If you want to be successful at your seemingly lifelong attempt to get rid of your burgeoning belly, you may have to start on such a simple trick as debunking the belief that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. No, you need not necessarily skip it because it is indeed indispensable; just make sure that you have a healthy, light snack within your reach, and you're guaranteed to be on the right track.

Not ready to give up all the bacon and French toasts, are you? They are quite enticing ways to start the day, but they will not help in shedding those unwanted pounds. What about trying out these healthier alternatives that will aid your weight loss goal? They don't taste that bad--not at all! Here is a list of the best breakfast foods that will definitely assist you in your weight management pursuit:

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great breakfast option. It is not only healthy; it is also effective at helping you lose weight. It is loaded with fiber, which stays in your stomach for a longer period of time, thus slowing the digestive process so you will not find yourself craving for food right away.

Apart from helping you achieve your target weight, oatmeal can also lower your cholesterol level, according to the Mayo Clinic. Its fiber content helps in lowering the level of bad cholesterol (also known as low density lipoprotein or LDL) in your body.

2. High-fiber Cereal

If you are looking for what to eat for breakfast to lose weight without having to spend a lot of time in order to prepare it, then you should consider stacking boxes of high-fiber cereal in your kitchen cupboard. To get the daily dietary fiber that you need, experts advise buyers to check the nutrition facts for products containing 3 to 5 grams of fiber. Good examples are Healthy Choice – Toasted Brown Sugar, Sun Country Granola with Raisin and Strawberry Squares, to name a few.

Word of advice: avoid taking too much of this food, unless you want to move your bowels several times within the day.

3. Yogurt

Yogurt is considered a miracle dairy food, as it fosters weight loss unlike most of its contemporaries. In fact, Professor Walter Willet of the Harvard University shared the results of the study he conducted on an interview with the National Public Radio. The conclusion showed that yogurt is one of the best foods to eat for weight loss. He added that weight loss might have resulted from the healthy bacteria in the yogurt interacting with the bacteria usually found in the colon.

Because yogurt is high in protein, it is also ideal for individuals who want to pack on some muscle. Because there are many commercial yogurt products out there, make sure to look for those that come with no preservatives and added artificial flavoring. Should plain yogurt bore your taste buds, you can make it taste better by adding healthy fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, grapes or peaches.

4. Scrambled Whites

If you're an egg lover, you do not have to pass up on this food to lose weight. You just need to pick the healthiest part – the egg whites – and think of new ways to make it a tasty part of your morning meal. Egg is rich in protein, which gives you a longer feeling of fullness, so you do not have to eat every so often.

A scrambled egg whites dish can be done easily. As its name implies, all you have to do is scramble the egg whites and fry them with low-fat oil. To intensify the flavor, you can add healthy ingredients like spinach or mushrooms, to name a few.

5. Frozen Fruits and Some Canned Fruits

Contrary to popular beliefs, frozen fruits like blueberries and peaches are actually good options for individuals who want to lose weight. In a Web MD interview with Milton Stokes, chief dietitian from the St. Barnabas Hospital, he suggested that some frozen fruits are healthier than their fresh counterparts, because they were picked at their peak time and immediately frozen. As for canned fruits, there are some selections that are recommended by nutritionists. One of them is canned peaches in natural syrup, minus the sugar.

6. Healthy Sandwiches

If driving or commuting to your workplace is your biggest reason why you skip breakfast, you will be glad to know that there is a still a way for you to fill that empty stomach even when you are on the go. Aside from being conveniently handy, it does not take much preparation time. You can even have one ready in your fridge the night before work so you don’t have to rush off making one before you take a ride to your workplace.

Here are a few examples of low-calorie, quick and easy-to-prepare breakfast foods:  whole grain English muffins sandwiched with low-fat cheese, Canadian ham, and soft-boiled eggs.

7. Low-fat Granola Bars

This breakfast siding is a delicious and appetizing option. You can even make your own recipe with your favorite ingredients such as peanut butter and jelly, dark chocolate, pecans, blueberries and bananas, to name a few. While low-fat granola bars are healthy, treat them as a side dish rather than your main meal. If not, you will end up ingesting too much fat and sugar. You wouldn’t want that to happen.

8. Frozen Fruit Shake

Apart from your regular breakfast food, you also need a cup or two of a healthy beverage to perk you up in the morning. Complete your meal by making a frozen fruit shake.  Just eliminate mixing it with dairy products.  Instead, blend unsweetened blueberries, bananas, wheat germ, and water in a blender and enjoy. While this might sound fancy, runner Bruce Shapiro actually lost weight with his healthy frozen fruit shakes. That is good evidence of the benefits of incorporating one in your breakfast regime.

You need not deprive yourself of the tastiest breakfast foods just because you want to trim your waistline. Just grab any of those foods mentioned above, and you are off to a good start!

 About The Author

This guest post is provided by Fitz101.  Fitz101 is a health and wellness blog that looks to promote lifelong physical health through exercise and proper diet.

Is Breakfast Really The Most Important Meal Of The Day?

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Category: Diet

Published on Wednesday, 05 December 2012 21:31

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Whether you skip breakfast in the morning because you’re rushed to leave the house or you’re just not ready to eat when you first wake up, be assured that you’re not the only one. But society has ingrained in our heads This common advice is based off of the general presumption that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Recent studies, however, prove otherwise, suggesting that this may be nothing more than a popular myth and that skipping breakfast can, in fact, help you lose weight and avoid overeating throughout the day. The three main assumptions that prop up the breakfast myth is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, that it helps jump start the body’s metabolism, and that it’ll prevent overeating throughout the day. However, science has begun to debunk each one of these commonly held presumptions.

Bigger Breakfast, Bigger Belly

It’s been pounded into our heads: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Prioritizing breakfast over lunch and dinner is both unnecessary and unbalanced from a nutritional standpoint. According to a recent study, those who eat a large breakfast eat the same amount at lunch and dinner than those who consume a lighter breakfast. Eating a big breakfast won’t make you eat any less throughout the day. That means that taking part in the “breakfast of champions” means consuming, on average, 400 more calories per day, than if you were to go with a lighter option in the morning, or if you were to skip breakfast altogether. The basic rule of weight loss is to burn more calories than you eat. Going light in the morning or holding off on eating until lunchtime means that you consume fewer calories by the end of the day, and can burn off more, leaving you closer to your weight loss goals. So, if you’re prone to eat the same amount at lunch or dinner regardless of what you eat in the morning, doesn’t it make sense to eat less for breakfast?

Exercise to Boost Metabolism

Another common myth associated with breakfast is that it helps to “jump start” the metabolism in the morning, after having fasted throughout the night. However, the action of eating a big breakfast won’t burn you more calories than exercising and doing physical activity throughout the day. Also, this myth is based on the incorrect assumption that our bodies are inactive at night. While we sleep, our body continues to work, burning calories as we sleep throughout the night. Performing physical activity will do a lot more in boosting metabolism than eating a large breakfast. For many of us who spend our days stationed at chairs, be it at the office, at class, or at home in front of the television, lack of physical activity is the main culprit behind weight gain, fatigue, obesity, and malaise. Leave the big breakfast of champions behind and instead commit yourself to at least 30 minutes of daily physical exercise. This will not only help boost your metabolism; it’ll contribute to an overall healthier lifestyle that will help you lose weight, get in shape, and be healthier.

Go Light

Another study has found that the more calories are consumed during breakfast, the more are also consumed at subsequent meals throughout the day. This means that overeating in the morning won’t stop you from overeating at lunch or dinner. When you wake up, set the tone for the day: eat light. Going for lighter, healthier options will provide your body with enough glucose and energy to last until lunchtime, without raking in all the extra calories. As a general rule, avoid fats, fried foods, and heavy carbohydrates. That means cutting out the bacon, eggs, hash browns, and maple syrup-drenched waffles. Instead, opt for fruits and vegetables or even a light, natural yogurt. To lose weight, you don’t have to skip breakfast altogether, just go for the lighter and more nutritious choices that won’t leave you feeling weighed down and heavy, but instead energized and ready to take on the day ahead. You may be trying to lose weight, or maybe you’re committed to altering your lifestyle and making healthy choices. Find balance in your life by making mindful and balanced decisions every day. Starting your day out with a heavy breakfast and prioritizing it over other meals won’t do much for healthy living or weight loss goals. Skipping breakfast or opting for lighter options will help curb your appetite throughout the day, consume fewer calories, avoid overeating at other meals, and help you lose weight.

Are Supplements Integral To Bulking Up?

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Category: Diet

Published on Wednesday, 14 November 2012 05:01

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There has been a lot of talk about the necessities of supplements in a weight training regimen.  However, for those that are wary of supplements but want to bulk up at the same time, this is a stickler.  So once and for all, we will settle the debate of whether we need supplements or not in order to bulk up and gain muscle.  But first, let's talk about what supplements are and are not.

What Are Supplements

There seems to be a stigma that is carried with the term "supplements."  When people hear about supplements, they think of creatine or steroids.  However, that's not completely true.  As SupplementHandbook.com so beautifully puts it, both steroids and creatine are supplements, they are only two of the many supplements available in the market today.  Supplements can be anything from fish oils, to proteins, to vitamins, to ginseng.  Essentially, supplements are anything that will chemically enhance your body.  But don't be afraid, supplements are chemicals that are already produced by your body.  But by taking supplements, we are just ingesting additional amounts.

The Truth About Supplements

The truth is that it is hard to get enough nutrition and vitamins the way we currently eat as a society.  With fast food, diners, and steakhouses, it is hard to get enough of everything our body needs.  That is why supplements were invented---in order to supplement and support our bodies with the necessary chemicals.  People have used supplements (in its raw form) for thousands of years to treat illnesses and promote overall physical and mental well-being.  So supplements in and of itself, is not bad.  

But keep in mind though, supplements is not medicine.  Although the Food And Drug Administration regulates both supplements and medicine, supplements go through a much more lenient testing process for safety issues.  Therefore, there has been several high profile recalls as of late (Centrum for one)---so I can see where the fear in supplement comes from.  However, the majority of supplements are very safe to ingest and you should use supplements if your body does not produce enough of a certain mineral or chemical or if you lack them in your daily diet.

So Do We Need Supplements For Building Muscles

The short is answer is NO.  You do not need supplements to build muscles.  However, there is a caveat.  In order to get that body builder look (fast) without taking supplements, you will have to have a very specific diet so that your body will be able to have enough to build the muscles.  A common supplement many body builders take is protein.  Protein helps in muscle recovery and is extremely important to building muscle.  So if you do not take protein, you should have a very protein heavy diet---which means eating meat almost every meal.  

So again, if you want that body builder body fast, supplements are the way to go.  But you can go without it---just don't expect results as fast and expect to follow a very strict diet.  I don't know what to tell you if you wanted another answer---you can't have everything.

Nutritional Information About Coconut Oil

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Category: Diet

Published on Monday, 15 October 2012 20:40

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Coconut oil is great for your body.  Its nutritional benefits cannot be ignored, so if you are looking to lose weight, look better, and just be healthier overall, you should start adding more coconut oil to your diet.  If you want to know more about the cosmetic benefits of coconut oil, you should go to CoconutOilKing.com.  They have pretty exhaustive information about coconut oil.  However, in this article, I want to look at the nutritional benefits of coconut oil.

Coconut oil hasn’t always been so popular; everyone used to think it was bad for you simply because it was “oil”.  However, it has recently begun to get more attention after being in the spotlight.  Miranda Kerr (let’s be honest, one of the hottest Victoria Secret models around) posted in her blog about the health benefits of coconut oil and says she just loves it because of its health benefits as well as its deliciousness.  She strongly recommends it to all her readers, and says it one of the main reasons she is able to stay so fit.  Oprah, another name that almost everyone in the world knows, had an episode with Dr. Katz where they described the health benefits attributed to adding more coconut oil in your life.  They swore by it and said that anyone hoping to lose weight should consume more coconut oil in their diet.  Another person who strongly advocates the use of coconut oil is Mike Chang who is the creator of SixPackShortcuts.  Some people who watch his videos on Youtube may have seen him talk about how he is able to get through all of his diet meals because he adds coconut oil to his salads to give them flavor while not adding too many calories.  Now if all these people are hyped up about coconut oil, it must be good for you right?  But before you decide, let’s look at the facts.

Coconut oil can help you lose weight because it has properties that boost your metabolism and make you burn calories faster.  Also, since it is full of fatty acids, having it in your stomach will make you feel full longer than having other substances in your stomach.  Also coconut oil is burned quickly, so after you eat it, you burn it immediately (even when you still feel full) so you don’t store all the fats.

Coconut oil can help get rid of wrinkles by repairing the damaged skin and making it take much longer for the wrinkles to form.   It also keeps your skin hydrated by both consuming it and applying it to your body, and overall keeps your skin very clear and clean and under control.

Having these benefits is usually enough, but coconut oil has another benefit… it tastes delicious!  There may be a handful of people out there who may not like the taste, but adding it to a salad will normally make the salad much more flavorful.  There are many things you can replace with coconut oil to make them less fatty but still delicious; so if you have a hankering to eat something you might regret later, you can try finding a recipe with a coconut oil replacement.

With all these benefits, it’s no wonder all these famous stars are crazy about coconut oil.  In order to stay healthy and shine as brightly as them, you should consider adding coconut oil to your diet so you can look great and feel confident about your body.