Jumpstart your day!

Many people can’t face food when they crawl out of bed. A quick cup of coffee is a standard adult breakfast. An increasing number of children arrive at school having eaten nothing at all.

Why bother with breakfast?

A group of scientists spent 10 years studying the effects of different kinds of breakfasts versus no breakfast at all on people of different ages.

A good breakfast, they concluded, can help both children and adults be less irritable, more efficient and more energetic. Breakfast helped children score higher on tests written before the noon recess. The steady influx of energy apparently stabilized glucose levels in the brain, improving mental function and attention span.

Other studies have even linked healthy breakfasts with less chronic disease, increased longevity and better health.

A good breakfast, by the way, is one that provides at least one third of the day’s calories. Start your day with a whole-grain cereal, whole-grain bread, and a couple whole, fresh fruits, and you’ll find that your energy level stays high throughout the morning.

What’s wrong with orange juice and a Danish?

You need something with more fiber in it. Although fiber isn’t digested by the body, it does absorb water as it moves through the stomach and intestines. The resulting spongy mass acts as a gentle barrier to the food particles suspended in it so that they are not absorbed too quickly.

On the other hand, fiberless foods, especially sugared foods and drinks, quickly pass into the bloodstream, and cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall rapidly. No wonder energy and efficiency levels drop off in the later morning hours when little or no fiber-containing foods had been eaten at breakfast!

But I’m not hungry until midmorning!

Probably the biggest reason people feel that way is that they eat a large meal in the evening. (TV snacks don’t help either!) When they go to bed, their stomachs are still busy digesting all that food. Since digestion goes into a “slower gear” during sleep, sometimes food is still in the stomach in the morning. But the stomach needs rest too. An exhausted stomach does not feel like taking on a big breakfast.

The solution?

• Eat a light supper at least four hours before bedtime, or even skip supper a few times.
• Eat or drink nothing but water or fruit between supper and bedtime.

If you do these two things, you’ll be ready to break the fast of the long night.

Won’t skipping breakfast help me lose weight?

Surprisingly, no. The Iowa Breakfast Studies demonstrated that the omission of breakfast does not have an advantage in weight reduction. It’s actually a disadvantage because those who omit breakfast accentuate their hunger and eat more snacks and food the rest of the day to make up for the lack. They also suffer a significant loss of efficiency in the late-morning hours.

But I don’t have time to eat breakfast.

Many people are in the habit of staying up late, then sleeping in as long as they can in the morning. Although a few people work more efficiently at night, most don’t fit that timetable.

Try going to bed early enough so you can wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and with time to spare. Begin the day by drinking a glass or two of water to rinse and freshen your stomach. Pull on your gym clothes and get some active exercise, like a brisk walk. Shower and dress for the day. Then fix and eat a hot breakfast.

This works with children, too. Put them to bed early enough so that they wake up in time to join the family around the breakfast table.

A good breakfast boosts your energy, increases your attention span, and heightens your sense of well-being. You’ll be less apt to cheat on your diet by snacking. And you’ll be in better control of your emotions.

What a great way to start your day!

How to Pick a Cereal

It’s tough to pick a cereal these days. Do you go for fiber, or the least fat and sugar? Whole grains, or more vitamins? Or what the kids demand?

At $4.50 a pound, many cereals cost as much as or more than a pound of cheese, chicken breasts, or sirloin steak. That’s because 55% of the price goes into marketing and profits—twice as much as the average for other foods.

• Be wary of names and claims. You can trust claims about nutrients, low-fat and high-fiber. But Honey Nut Cheerios, for example, has more sugar than honey and more salt than nuts. Check the ingredient list. If there is less fruit than sugar, skip it!
• Look for whole grains (to reduce cancer risk). Check ingredients to make sure the wheat and oats are “whole” or “rolled” and the rice is brown. Bran is also good.
• Check the fiber. Cancer experts advise up to 40 grams a day (most Americans get 10 to 15 grams). This means eat lots of whole grains, along with fruit, beans, and vegetables. Look for at least 10 grams of fiber per meal, and 15 grams if you are constipated.
• Minimize sugar. It doesn’t matter if it’s honey, brown sugar, corn syrup, or fruit juice. They all have the same problems. Look for cereals with no more than five grams of added sugar per serving.
• Limit sodium. Look for the least amount of sodium.
• Watch out for fat traps. Most cereals are low in fat, but beware of granola and muesli. Stick to cereals with no more than three grams of fat per serving. Why not try a seven-grain cereal? You can find it in most supermarkets. Pour it into your Crock pot at night. Add enough water. Turn it on, and while you’re sleeping your Crock pot is working. You wake up and a piping-hot delicious breakfast cereal is waiting for you. Just add some fresh fruit, a few raisins or dates, and some milk substitute, like rice milk, and you’re purring. You started your day right. You’re off and running!