Bread, milk, yogurt, bowls of sugary cereal, pancakes and/or coffee. All these elements are part of a morning meal practically devoid of nutrition. And what would become of us and our bodies if we dared to spend the rest of our lives giving in to small (big) temptations?
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of our day. Its relevance comes from the fact that, in the morning, when we wake up, we need to recover from our fast of around eight hours, where the body remained active, consuming energy at the same time. Even during the night, the body continues to work to maintain our internal balance, through breathing, heartbeat, among other functions. So, what happens if we start our daily activities without providing our body with all the energy it needs through a balanced and complete breakfast? We enter a process of deficiency that will disrupt our appetite for the rest of the day.
Sometimes this meal ends up being dependent on gluten, dairy, oats and corn — elements to which many of us are sensitive. When we choose less healthy options, what many call a rollercoaster of appetite-stimulating calories and, consequently, weight gain happens.
Milk, cheese, gluten and white flour (considered salty sugar) are almost everything we should stay away from, and it is best to opt for eggs, fruits, nuts, proteins, dried fruits, nuts and oats.
The busy lives we lead make us long for simpler solutions. And that, sometimes, simply means drinking a coffee. The result? Spikes in energy and ups and downs in our anxiety levels.
Start the day with a good breakfast
The first step to starting the day well is a breakfast with high nutritional value, with healthy fats and proteins without added sugars, wheat, gluten or dairy products. Only from this turning point will the results in the functioning of the body, according to some nutritionists, be noticeable.
The ideal is to adapt this first meal to our dietary preferences, our appetite and the level of activity we will develop. If you usually go without eating for more than an hour after waking up, this means you skip this meal. And that can be drastic for your energy and your weight.
We can make many healthy combinations, but it is essential that three nutrients are always present:
- Slowly absorbed carbohydrates , such as whole grains (oats, rye, barley, whole wheat, spelt, etc.) or dark bread;
- Source of calcium and protein such as yogurt/cheese or its substitutes for soy/almond/sesame/oats/etc.;
- Fresh fruit , full of vitamins.
Some suggestions for a complete, healthy and tasty breakfast:
- Skimmed milk or soy drink without added sugar, with whole oat flakes (half the amount of milk) cooked and with the addition of wild fruits;
- Slices of dark bread with ricotta , banana and warm red fruits, accompanied by a herbal tea;
- Blended with a piece of fruit, low-fat cow's yogurt or sesame/almond milk and some whole oat flakes just to thicken – you should add cinnamon to slow the absorption of fruit sugar.
