Healthy Ways to Start Your Day
(Part 4 - Healthy Diet Tips and Recipes)
For example, eating oats for breakfast cereals is a good idea as a low G.I. carb and then adding wheat germ and stewed or fresh fruit will give you additional protein as well as natural fruit sugars. Using maple syrup instead of sugar gives you a low G.I. sweetener.
Combining a low G.I. breakfast cereal with protein makes for a sustainable start to your day. A few other suggestions include baked beans on whole grain toast with vegetable yeast extract. Perhaps try a boiled egg with toast, bacon and eggs, cheese on toast, or salmon on toast.
Poached eggs and mushrooms cooked in a small amount of butter or vegetable oil with whole meal toast gives you protein from the egg, vitamins from the mushrooms, carbs from the toast and fat from the oil.
What if you don't have much time?
If you do want to try a "fast food" breakfast cereal then choose one that hasn't been tampered with too much. There are even corn flakes available now which are more natural and have less added sugar. As a general rule, if it has been modified too much or given a fancy shape or colour then it isn't the best choice. Get as close to nature as possible and you can't go too far wrong.
Eating a balanced breakfast gives you energy and strength for your morning. Skipping breakfast can leave you feeling weak and washed out by lunch time. Breakfast can be one of the most important meals of the day.
Low Fat Highly Nutritious Breakfast Ideas!
Eating a low-fat and low glycemic index diet does not mean it can’t be delicious. Being a little experimental with your food choices in the morning can help to give you a healthy start to the day. Here are some simple low fat, nutritious options for a healthy breakfast:
- A boiled egg and one slice of whole grain toast.
- A poached egg with rocket salad on toast.
- A slice of smoked salmon with cucumber or rocket salad on whole grain toast with low-fat mayonnaise instead of butter.
- Avocado on toast with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
- Avocado and a slice of ham on whole grain toast with lettuce or cucumber.
- Mushrooms and garlic on toast cooked with olive oil gives you vitamins and vital fatty acids. Fresh garlic (as long as it is not overcooked, throw in at last minute!) helps to lower cholesterol levels and also helps to fight infection.
- Tinned red salmon on whole grain toast with lemon, salt & pepper to taste.
- Baked beans on whole grain toast.
- Low fat cheese on toast with tomato.
- Low fat creamed cheese with chives or rocket salad.
There are many excellent, easy-to-make breakfasts that help to maintain sensible blood sugar levels and provide you with protein, wholesome carbs and vitamins and minerals.
Energising Fresh Fruit & Veggie Juices
Maybe you feel that you can't get started in the morning until you have had a coffee. Sound familiar? Well, try substituting your morning coffee for a fresh fruit juice or vegetable juice.
Fresh fruit and veggie juices are packed with vital nutrients that help you to feel energised and at the same time help to fight off toxins and bacteria. The vitamin and mineral content of fresh juices far outweighs that of cooked vegetables. This is a tasty way to get some of your daily vitamins and minerals. Adding ginger, mint and protein powders to juices also provides a nutritious, tasty drink.
As well as containing vitamins and minerals, fruit contains high levels of fruit sugars and is a great way to start the day. Fresh fruit is also nutritious at the start of the day and can help to raise sugar levels sensibly, as well as being a digestive aid.
Start Each Day with a Health Boost
Do you sometimes wake up, take a quick shower, get dressed and then rush out of the door? Do you often skip breakfast or perhaps think to yourself : "I'll grab something on the way" and then forget?
It is a well-known fact that people who skip breakfast don't have as much energy for their morning's work as people who eat breakfast. By the way, most breakfast cereal bars are not a healthy substitute for a nutritious breakfast.
During sleep, we are using energy constantly, not as much as during the day but nonetheless, we are still burning energy. During the sleep cycle our bodies are still functioning, we are breathing, the lungs are oxygenating the blood and removing waste products from the cells, our glands are still operating and the digestive system is busy breaking down food.
By morning, we have not eaten for perhaps 7 to 10 hours and our blood sugar levels are at their lowest, so now is the time to get them back up to a sensible range and give the body fuel to get through the morning's work.
Nutritious breakfasts do not have to take a lot of time to prepare. Plan ahead and give yourself an extra 15 minutes or so to really supercharge your day.
Here's Part 5 - Natural Healthy Weight Loss Diet Tips
