How many times have you been told to eat your breakfast because it’s the most important meal of the day? Well, it’s true. Especially for weight control. And here’s why: according to Kathy Freston in her book “The Lean”, when we go for long periods of time without eating, such as overnight, our body goes into starvation mode. Our metabolism slows down by as much as 40% so our body can conserve what it has since it does not know when it’s going to get more food, meaning that we burn less fat and calories (research shows that obese people tend to skip breakfast). Plus our blood sugar level drops. Eating breakfast revs up our metabolism, so we burn more fat and calories.
What makes up a good breakfast? A breakfast that’s rich in complex carbohydrates such as a big bowl of steel-cut oatmeal, a hot cereal made out of brown rice, or a couple of pieces of whole-grain toast with peanut butter or almond butter (no sugary cereals made from refined or enriched flour). Complex carbohydrates have lots of fiber, which is associated with long-term weight loss. Fiber adds volume to foods to make us feel full, and since fiber cannot be digested, it yields no calories. Fiber slows down digestion and absorption of foods, which slowly brings up our blood sugar level without spikes and cravings, and provides fuel to power our body for hours.
Why are complex carbohydrates better than eggs? Eggs have no fiber and are high in cholesterol which can lead to heart disease and stroke; Kathy Freston points out that one egg has more cholesterol than a double Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonalds. Yikes! The famous Harvard Nurses’ Health Study that began in 1976 and enrolled more than 100,000 women found that a woman who consumes the amount of cholesterol found in a single egg per day cuts her life expectancy by as much as she would if she smoked five cigarettes a day for fifteen years! Yikes again!
Want to add protein to your complex carbohydrates? Instead of eating eggs, add beans to your breakfast. They’re high in fiber and low in fat and calories. You can also add nuts, which are higher in fat and calories. Kathy Freston enjoys a bowl of brown rice (2 cooked cups) with chopped up apples or dried apricots, walnuts, cinnamon, unsweetened almond, soy, or rice milk, and a little agave nectar for sweetening. I’ve tried her breakfast, and it’s awesome! Not only is it delicious and satisfying, it keeps me going strong for hours without feeling hungry.
What makes up a good breakfast? A breakfast that’s rich in complex carbohydrates such as a big bowl of steel-cut oatmeal, a hot cereal made out of brown rice, or a couple of pieces of whole-grain toast with peanut butter or almond butter (no sugary cereals made from refined or enriched flour). Complex carbohydrates have lots of fiber, which is associated with long-term weight loss. Fiber adds volume to foods to make us feel full, and since fiber cannot be digested, it yields no calories. Fiber slows down digestion and absorption of foods, which slowly brings up our blood sugar level without spikes and cravings, and provides fuel to power our body for hours.
Why are complex carbohydrates better than eggs? Eggs have no fiber and are high in cholesterol which can lead to heart disease and stroke; Kathy Freston points out that one egg has more cholesterol than a double Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonalds. Yikes! The famous Harvard Nurses’ Health Study that began in 1976 and enrolled more than 100,000 women found that a woman who consumes the amount of cholesterol found in a single egg per day cuts her life expectancy by as much as she would if she smoked five cigarettes a day for fifteen years! Yikes again!
Want to add protein to your complex carbohydrates? Instead of eating eggs, add beans to your breakfast. They’re high in fiber and low in fat and calories. You can also add nuts, which are higher in fat and calories. Kathy Freston enjoys a bowl of brown rice (2 cooked cups) with chopped up apples or dried apricots, walnuts, cinnamon, unsweetened almond, soy, or rice milk, and a little agave nectar for sweetening. I’ve tried her breakfast, and it’s awesome! Not only is it delicious and satisfying, it keeps me going strong for hours without feeling hungry.
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