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Unhealthy Breakfast Foods
By Diane Hanson
I eat breakfast. Without food to pacify my growling stomach, I cannot function optimally. Many people skip breakfast because of time constraint, or because they simply do not have an early appetite.
However, the advantage of eating substantially in the first part of the day should not be ignored. When you get up in the morning, the last meal that you had would be at least 9 hours ago. And if your first meal of the day is lunch, that deprives your body of nutrients for more than 12 hours.
With so many breakfast choices and ideas available, are you sure you are fueling
your body right? Let's examine a few of the most commonly eaten breakfast foods and
know what are the unhealthy breakfast foods.
Cereals
No doubt cereals make a quick and easy breakfast choice, some are guilty of
high sugar content. Many of us, however, are not keen on cereals associated with
bran, we prefer our cereals "frosted".
Take a look at the sugar content per serve of these cereals, you’ll be surprised
that they contain as much suar as a candy bar! Raisin Bran 19g, Kashi Go Lean Crunch
13g, Frosted Flakes & Frosted Mini-
Consuming too much sugar can only cause excessive weight gain. Refined sugar will rob your body of vitamins and minerals and also cause your insulin level in your blood to elevate.
When insulin level in your blood fluctuates, it makes you feeling tired and listless. Headaches and mood swings are also apparent when the blood glucose is unstable. And, sugar is addictive – the more sugar you consume, the more unbalanced your blood glucose becomes, and the more sugar your body craves in order to fix the imbalance it perceives.
Having said all that, if you prefer cereal sweet, try adding fresh fruit, especially the naturally sweet ones like bananas. Or, add a dollop of fruit yogurt without added sugar to improve the flavor.
Alternatively, eat a bowl of hot oatmeal porridge with fruits such as blueberries
or bananas, or sprinkle some healthy seeds and nuts. Oatmeal offers more fibre, phytochemicals
and protein than packaged cereals. It provides you with a steady level of energy
and fullness to control hunger.
Bacon, Ham and Sausages
Processed meat has received the most criticism for its high
fat and salt content; which means they are not heart-
Sodium nitrite found in most processed meat like bacon, breakfast sausage, beef jerky, pepperoni, cured ham, luncheon meat and hot dog is closely associated with a higher risk of cancer. Manufacturers use this chemical to turn dead meat looking fresh and vibrant red.
To minimize the damage, you might want to consume fairly large amounts of vitamins
C and E before dietary exposure to sodium nitrite. This inhibits the conversion of
sodium nitrite to cancer-
The best thing you can do is to stay away and instead, start your day with protein rich eggs, a piece of wholemeal toast and a small vitamin C rich fruit, which will help the body make the best use of the iron in the eggs.
Fruit Juice
If you think a breakfast of only a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice
without added sugar and nothing else, is an elixir to youth and good health, you
might want to think twice.
The truth is fructose in fruit juices is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream and causes your insulin level to go haywire. But if you eat a whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice, it slows down the pace of absorption of natural sugars in your body.
Muffins
Since the 80's muffins had been marketed as a light and nutritious breakfast
food. But look closely at what goes into a muffin – basically it is nothing more
than sugar, flour and butter or margarine. Hence, a muffin is no different from any
butter cake.
A bakery bought muffin has a whopping 350-
Energy Bars
Maybe you do not have the time for a sit down breakfast so you grab a
healthy power bar on the way out to combat hunger attack. As far as I am concerned,
a power bar is a candy bar gussied up with protein powder.
It is just sugar with fat with added flavors from chocolate, nuts, seeds and fruit. Sugar laden power bars only sap your energy and leave you hungry by mid morning.
If you want a “grab-
Open your eyes to what you eat. Throw out any unhealthy breakfast items that will
make you stray away from healthy foods. My maxim for healthy breakfast choices –
if Grandma is not eating it, why should you?
Quick and Easy Healthy Breakfast Smoothies
Delicious and unquestionably nutritious in a single glass-
Hot Drop Scones (Scotch Pancakes)
Well worth trying out this ever popular breakfast recipe! So easy even children can make pancakes.
Looking for homemade grab-
What Is the Best Milk to Drink?
Cow's milk, soy milk, raw milk, fermented milk (kefir), or raw almond milk? Find your answer here.
10 Healthy Oatmeal Ideas and Toppings
Oatmeal ideas plus recipes that are quick and easy to make, not only for breakfast. Brightens up your day!
What Is the Best Bread to Eat?
Learn how to make sense of ingredient labels and buy the best breads at your supermarket.
Are You Buying Really Whole Grain Products?
How can you be sure a food is really made with whole grains? Learn to tell good sources
of whole-
Get Enough Calcium without Diary
Discover good sources of calcium other than milk, including delicious dairy free meal and snack ideas.
6 Bad Ingredients in Food Labels
Learn how to read food label for unhealthy ingredients, and know the effects they have on your health.
