I believe in breakfast. My uncle Griff, who lived in Long Beach, California, was a basketball and tennis coach at Long Beach State College. Our family would drive south for the holidays every year and Uncle Griff would always prepare great breakfasts. Cereals, eggs, pancakes, fresh fruit, orange juice. He taught me that it is the meal that sets the tone for the day. It
gives you the edge. It gives you brain
power. It gets you and your body ready to play and work for the day.
“Breaking the fast” after not eating
all night resets your body’s metabolism to expect small amounts of energy every
couple of hours. Believe it or not,
eating breakfast is one of the master keys to getting to - and staying at - a healthy weight.
Here are 3 great tips you can use:
1.
Replace rolled oats with steel cut oats. The traditional rolled oats are more
processed than steel cut oats. Always
choose less processed foods for better health.
I love the “Bob’s Red Mill” brand because it cooks in about 15
minutes. Add your favorite
toppings. My favorites are cinnamon,
ground flax seed, a little agave nectar and fresh or frozen blueberries (for a
brain boost).
2.
Plan for on-the-run breakfasts when the kids
oversleep on school days and soccer Saturdays. Hard boil some eggs, keep bananas in the family fruit bowl, and let the kids choose a low sugar-high protein breakfast bar to keep on hand.
3.
Don’t skip breakfast. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat
breakfast. Anything is better than nothing.
 |
| Steel cut oats with cinnamon, agave nectar, and frozen blueberries. |
So, what’s in your breakfast bowl?
Peace,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder of the Growing Healthy Kids movement to halt, prevent, and reverse childhood obesity
