Breakfast and Fiber

For those that skip breakfast, think again! Studies have proven that skipping breakfast can lead to obesity. The Harvard Men’s Health Watch reported that “missing breakfast is associated with a fourfold increase in the risk of obesity”. Your body needs to be refueled many times throughout the day, so when you skip breakfast, you are more likely to overindulge on your next meal because you feel so hungry. Be careful of breakfasts with too much sugar, sodium, fat and calories. I try to avoid sugary cereals or foods with a lot of carbs like pancakes, waffles and bagels. Many times people add even more calories and sugar to pancakes and waffles by adding in chocolate chips or putting syrup or whip cream on top. Cream cheese and butter also add unwanted calories to bagels. I know avoiding these foods is easier said than done, but a good step to avoiding them is just to not buy them. You are more likely to just grab something in your house when you are hungry rather than take a trip to the grocery store. If these unhealthy foods aren’t in your house, then you will find something else to eat that is in your house! Personally, I am more tempted by bad foods when they are in my house more than I am tempted to buy them at the grocery store. So what foods should you eat for breakfast? Personally I am a big fan of oatmeal. I buy the Quakers Quick oatmeal. It takes no more than a couple of minutes to make and only a half a cup of oatmeal fills me up! I usually add a teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon to give it more flavor. Be careful not to put too much sugar! Also, fruit goes really well with oatmeal. I sometimes put blueberries or strawberries on top of it. Whenever I crave bagels (which is a lot), I will substitute a mini bagel or a bagel thin for a regular bagel since the portion size is controlled. Instead of adding cream cheese which is very high in saturated fat and calories, I will use a Laughing Cow cheese wedge, which is only 35 calories per wedge! My favorite kind of cheese wedge is the light garlic and herb. 

For those who don’t like oatmeal, I would recommend high fiber cereals. Fiber is awesome! Fiber not only helps you have soft regular bowel movements, it also makes your intestines move faster. Since fiber moves quickly through your intestines, it can help signal that you are full so you won’t over eat. It also cleans your colon, which is pretty cool because it cleans out bacteria or other buildup in your intestines. Foods with fiber also are absorbed into your bloodstream slower. This keeps your blood glucose levels from rising too fast. Spikes in glucose fall quickly, which can cause you to be hungry not long after you eat. Other foods with fiber include beans, whole grain breads (good for toast!), fruits, vegetables, etc. Thank you Benioff Children’s Hospital for this great information on fiber!