Sunday October 12th, 2008
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How You Break Your Fast Can Set Your Mood
Posted by Kerry Trueman on January 18, 2006 - 4:13pm.
By now we all know it's a bad idea to skip breakfast. Studies invariably show that kids who eat breakfast perform better at school, and now we know they're also less likely to become obese. Grown-ups who eat breakfast function better over the course of the day, too, and don't overeat as much.
So if you're at least grabbing a granola bar on your way out the door, stopping off for a smoothie, or noshing on a bagel at your desk, you're better off than all those people who grumble off to work running on empty.
But are you fueling your body with empty carbs or too much protein? Unbalanced breakfasts can have a profound impact on your mood and ability to focus, according to nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, who was on CNN this morning explaining that a balanced breakfast containing protein, carbs, and a little fat is what we really need.
We all have bad habits, and two of mine are eating, and watching TV, in bed. I especially like to do both at once. This is frowned on by every feng shui manual I own, and I'm pretty sure Dr. Weil is opposed to that kind of thing as well; your bedroom is supposed to be a sanctuary of serenity, not a media center and alternate dining room. But when Ms. Skolnik described the ideal breakfast as one containing a whole grain, a protein and/or fat, and fruit, I looked at my plate of teff pancakes with soy sausage patties, garnished with slices of kiwifruit, and felt truly validated despite all my decadence.
Ms. Slotnik warns against an all-protein breakfast such as eggs and sausage, or its inverse, the all-carbohydrate, no-protein pastry or muffin that will send you into a “carb coma.” Your best bets? A bowl of yogurt topped with fruit, granola, and nuts, or the ever popular oatmeal with nuts and berries. Also good: a whole grain bagel or whole wheat toast with smoked salmon.
Do you manage to eat a balanced breakfast, if you eat breakfast at all?
Image credit:Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division – Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Cochran, the wife of a Greyhound bus driver, giving the children Sunday breakfast 1943
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Breakfast for humans is like gassing up your car. In fact, some of us take better care of our cars then our bodies. We fill the car up with gas,check it’s oil,etc to keep that car going…. When it comes to our bodies we start each day on empty. Breakfast is the fuel we need to get us going and keep us going. If all of us would eat breakfast in the morning, we would be a lot healthier, at a better weight and a lot less crabby at 10 AM. I encourage all offices to keep cereal handy- make that cubicle mate eat breakfast so you do not have to see the sodas and candy go into the body at 10 or 11. Treat your body better than your auto and you will be on this planet to drive much longer.
I pretty much HAVE to eat breakfast, but don’t think I’m doing very good with a healthy or balanced meal. Donuts & sugary cereals are my mainstay. I had cookies yesterday because they’re here at my desk. On weekends I do better when I’m home cooking, but weekdays have me riding a sugar rollercoaster.
I usually do a pretty good job of getting something on my way in to the office—I stop for a bagel or a muffin (usually a muffin) at a corner store. But other mornings I’m just plain running late with no excuse or I feel the need to make a nonfat latte at home (every single time foolishly convincing myself that I’ll still have to stop). I end up either starving myself until I can take an early lunch or mooching an apple off a coworker or both.
This is one of those mornings. Sigh…
It really is hard to eat something decent in the morning when we’re so pressed for time, but if you have a blender, you can whip up a tasty smoothie and it only takes a minute to make and a minute to drink, if you keep the necessary ingredients on hand.
I like to use vanilla soymilk, and a scoop of Whole Foods vanilla soy protein powder to give the smoothie more body and flavor, plus lots of frozen fruit: blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and whatever else was threatening to spoil in the fruit bowl before I could get to it…
Don’t have a blender? Maybe there’s a Jamba Juice on your way to work. I tried one of the Sambazon acai smoothies the other day and found it addictively good, it really does taste like chocolate and berries (sometimes, the hype is true!)
Imagine if offices everywhere provided bowls of fresh fruit for their employees along with the obligatory pot of coffee? You may say I’m a dreamer…
Since I’ve gotten a bit lactose-intolerant, soy milk (carob flavored sometimes!) has saved cereals. But I miss the old fruit and yogurt. Is there a tasty non-dairy yogurt substitute?