The Benefits of Eating Breakfast!!

What is breakfast? Yes, we all know what breakfast is, but do you know what the word "BREAKFAST" actually means? The literal meaning of " breakfast" is to break the fast between dinner and the meal eaten after a person wakes up the next morning. If you really think about it the meaning of the word is very fitting. for many of us it can be up to 12 hours since our last meal. Therefore eating breakfast is not only important but beneficial.

Here are 5 benefits of eating breakfast and why it is considered the most important meal of the day:

 

1) Energy Boost:

It is important for you to start your day of right by eating as many vitamins and nutrients as possible. what is great about breakfast is there are so many common breakfast food that can be considered super foods because of their nutrition value. For Example:

 

• Eggs are packed with protein and amino acids. They are also a significant source of vitamin D, which is important for absorbing calcium for stronger bones.

• Whole Grains this super food is a great source of fiber, which is essential for a healthy heart and digestive tract, and can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

 

2) Breakfast Helps Reduce Morning Moodiness and Crankiness:

Who doesn't want to stay in bed in the morning? You don't want to go to work and not only are you cranky but you are starving. Just imagine yourself going 8-12 hours during the day without eating you probably wont be the most approachable person in the office or classroom. Please do yourself and everyone else a favor by eating breakfast. Eating breakfast will reduce moodiness and stress.

 

3) Metabolism Boost:

Did you know that your metabolism slows down when your are sleeping? Eating a balanced healthy breakfast in the morning helps jump start your metabolism for the day ahead. Eating breakfast will allow your body to start burning calories in the morning rather than later in the day after you have eaten lunch.

4) Keeps You From Overeating:

Oh don't act like you haven't wanted to order everything on the menu at lunch time because you are so hungry because you skipped breakfast. It's true the hunger pangs and the thought of food all morning will only cause you to over eat at lunch time. This causes you to eat extra calories that can lead to obesity and other health complications. Eat a well portioned healthy breakfast.

 

5) Breakfast is Nutritious and Delicious:

We are all pressed for time in the morning during the work week, but don't let this be the reason why you can not have a tasty and nutritious breakfast. Even if it means preparing you breakfast the night before, do so. For example:

 

• Hard Boiled Eggs: On Sunday evening you can boil a dozen eggs and equally portion them out in ziploc bags for each day. all you have to do is drop the ziploc bag in a cup of hot water to quickly reheat them.

• Turkey Bacon/Sausage: There are many great turkey bacon/ sausage products out now that you can buy that are already prepared all you have to do is give it a quick zap in the microwave. Turkey bacon/sausage is leaner and has less fat compared to your regular bacon(pork).

• Toast:  1 or 2 slices of whole grain or wheat toast with some jelly or low fat margarine is a great way to add in your carbs. Also if you are not a toast person you can always purchase whole grain waffles or pancakes in your freezer isle at your local grocery store.

 

Here is a link to 8 healthy breakfast ideas:

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/8-healthy-breakfast-ideas

 

Hope you found this post helpful, Please come back soon.

 

Have a Triple Fresh Monday!!!

 

 

 

 

Are You A Juicer?

 Do You Juice?

 

 

In an attempt to start eating healthy I turned to the Nutri Bullet that my boyfriend had purchased.

I must admit when he first came home with it I was in no way shape or form interested in juicing. he opened the box and right away started using it. As I sat there watching him throw a handful of kale, 1/2 of a green apple, 1/2 of a banana, and a mixture of dried fruits and nuts. I thought to my self there is no way I am about to drink that, it looked like baby throw up but it smelled good. I took a sip of it and to my surprise it tasted REALLY good. A few months passed and I noticed that I had really bad eating habits and was not getting any exercise aside from work. So, I turned to the nutri bullet, I started juicing and now I am hooked.

 

Now, you  are probably asking yourself well how is juicing benefiting you? There are 3 reasons why you should juice.

1) Juicing allows you to extract all the essential nutrients from the vegetables.

2) Juicing allows you to consume and optimal amount of vegetables in an efficient manner

3) Juicing allows you to add a vast variety of vegetables to you diet that you normally wouldn't eat.

One thing that is important for all new juicers to know is that juicing is NOT a complete meal. the vegetable juice has very little protein and no fat. Juicing should be used in addition to your regular meals not to replace it. Unless, you are doing a special diet such as fasting or detoxification. it is not recommended to use juicing as a meal replacement.

When starting off juicing start with fruits and vegetables that you already like and than you can work your way up to other fruits and vegetables. It is very important that you listen to your body.

 When you first start off juicing it is VERY important to try to avoid fruits and  veggies that have pesticides. If possible it is best to purchase pesticide free or organic.Listed below are the vegetables that have the most pesticides according to the environmental working group:

1)Celery

2)Spinach

3) kale

4) Collard greens

5) lettuce

6) Carrots

7) Cucumber ( not bad if you peel the skin off)

I have never been one to be picky about what I eat I love vegetables. therefore it didn't take me any time to start incorporating other leafy greens into my diet. For those of who are just starting off here is a list of some veggies you can start off with.

1) Celery

2) Cucumber

3) red leaf lettuce

4) Green Leaf lettuce

5) Romaine lettuce

6) Endive

7) Escarole

8) Spinach

 

Once you are used to these leafy greens you can than start incorporating other green veggies that most of us are not use to eating:

1) Chinese Cabbage

2) Collard Greens (Bitter)

3 ) Mustard Greens(Bitter)

 

Don't be afraid to add herbs if you want.

For those of you that are worried about the bitterness that some of the greens may add to you juice this is where you make your juice taste good. To cut the bitterness that some of these leafy greens may add to your juice you can add a lime or lemon or orange juice. Juicing does not have to be nasty. You can incorporate all types of fruits and nuts (if you are using a blender of some sort) DO NOT ADD NUTS TO A TRADITIONAL JUICER!! I love incorporating nuts to my juicing because it a good source of protein and fiber. Makes your juices taste good.
 If you are like me once you start you wont want to stop. I now juice at least twice a day. I make my juice my in between meal snacks.Make juicing worth your while and beneficial to your health.

 It also good to remember to talk to your Physician about the pros and cons of juicing to your health.
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Have a Triple Fresh Day
Alice