Breakfast is Under Attack

Breakfast Is Under Attack

Or is it? So there was a new study that came out and said that eating breakfast (unknown what they ate for breakfast) did not provide any meaningful data for weight loss. Another day, another study. But, what were the parameters of the study were they allowed to eat anything they wanted for breakfast? Pancakes and syrup? Waffles and whipped cream? Dry sugar coated cereal? When you are told you can eat or not eat and there is no direction there is also no control group.

Let’s Assume

So maybe the group was given a set of choices for breakfast (benefit of the doubt that they were well-balanced) and the other group did not have breakfast. Do we know if the non-breakfast eaters were allowed a mid-morning snack when they were hungry? Or forced to wait it out till lunch? And what were their choices of foods during the rest of day. The same as everyone else or just allowed to eat what they wanted? So much data that is needed to know the background of the study. Also, what were they told about the study? Mindset is as important to weight loss as anything. Did they know what the anticipated results were? Did they know the Doctor conducting the study didn’t like breakfast and was tired of being told to eat breakfast?

Is It All About Losing Weight?

When it comes down to it is breakfast all about losing weight? I eat breakfast every day and I haven’t needed to lose weight for over 5 years.  So I never said that eating breakfast will make you lose weight. Otherwise I would continue to keep losing weight until I was nothing…eating breakfast makes me feel better and I think helps me make better choices throughout the day. I don’t eat a big breakfast usually. Most times it is an egg with some Canadian bacon and a little fruit or veggies in the egg. I also never deprived myself throughout the day just to see if I can lose more weight. Eating is about making you productive during the each day, giving you the ability to think and focus and the energy to do what you need to do and the ability go to sleep at night and start all over again.

Remember that Breakfast is breaking the fast; so no matter what time you do it and no matter what you eat, you need Breakfast!!

Sherri Sue Fisher, author of TimerDiet and TimerOrganizer

www.timerdiet.com

www.timerorganizer.com

Eggs

Any kind of eggs add value to your daily diet!

Eggs were the most searched for calories in 2013 according to Google

My guess is that most people were surprised to find out that on average the egg has only 70 calories. As you may or may not know, in my book TimerDiet, I do NOT count calories, however, I do find calories interesting for comparison and contrast. What I find most interesting about the egg is that (Egg·land’s Best®-Large egg) one egg has 4g of dietary fat and 6g of protein and no carbohydrates! That makes the egg an amazing food—to me anyway! Dietary fat is important to include in your daily intake of food. The fact that there are no carbohydrates in an egg means you can add a slice of toast and a small amount of fruit and you will have a well-balanced meal.

Eggs have been beaten up in the past

I can only guess why the egg was the most searched for food in 2013 and that would be that eggs have been given a hard time in the past and blamed for the woes of many a physical condition. But, then the egg was once again praised for its qualities like having Lutein and Omega 3 fatty acids. So it is no wonder that people are confused and want to see what this food is all about. When I was a child we used to get crates of eggs and go through them in about a week’s time. We did not have a large family and there was no obesity in our family either. We used eggs to bake our bread, have for breakfast, and hard-boiled as a snack!

Somehow we have decided it takes too long to cook

In our fast paced, give it to me now world we tend to feel that taking a couple of minutes to cook in the morning will slow us down. I would like to challenge this perception, especially when you compare eating out at a restaurant to cooking at home. I love going out to a restaurant as well, but cooking at home is a very close second. It is important to pass on the knowledge or acquire it ourselves and then pass it on to the next generation. In fact I would say it is imperative. The ability to make meals for oneself and others is not a gender specific issue. When I was in middle school we had to take home economics and everyone was required to take it. Now I don’t even know if such a course exists! We are all about cutting what are deemed to be unimportant curriculum in the classroom. But, isn’t learning how to feed yourself once you get out into the real world important?

Teach the next generation

If you have children I encourage you to have them learn how to cook, how to read a recipe (the difference between a large egg and an extra-large egg), how to properly crack an egg (in a separate bowl…), how to use the oven and the stove. Have them make breakfast for the family on the weekend!! Make a homemade quiche or frittata. Show them how to boil eggs!  Learning the value, flexibility, and usefulness of the egg is a great way to start.

 

Bon appétit mon ami!!! 

 

By Sherri Sue Fisher

author of TimerDiet

www.timerdiet.com/timer-diet-concepts

 

"Google Trends - Top Charts." Google Trends - Top Charts. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2014

Breakfast--Think Outside the Box

Think Outside the Box—Not Just the Cereal Box

When you think of breakfast you most likely think of cereal, I used to as well. Then I realized I felt so much better when I ate a more balanced breakfast that included dietary fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It wasn’t until much later that I actually looked at the labels of the cereal box (with a little more knowledge of what the label meant only to find out that the carbohydrate ratio was completely out of whack with the dietary fat and protein. In fact my favorite cereal had virtually no dietary fat and minimal protein, meaning that I was eating carbs for breakfast!

Carbs are Not Bad—BUT!!

Carbohydrates are not bad, but really they must be part of a well-balanced diet. They are not the diet. Somehow in our quest to eat “healthy” we have traded cereal for fruit. Which is what? Right! Carbohydrates. Do not forget the nutrients of the foods you are eating. They are made of either dietary fat, protein, and/or carbohydrates. There is no way around it. They are one of or some combination of these three nutrients. That simple knowledge will bode you well when you think about what to eat.

Eggs for Breakfast is Good—BUT!!

I want you to think even more outside the box!! Eggs for breakfast is an easy switch and I do have them about 75% of the time for breakfast. But, sometimes I just eat whatever for breakfast. Like left over fish, steak, chicken, enchiladas.  Really!! If I know I am not going to be around to eat my leftovers for lunch or dinner, and I am in the mood I will have grilled grouper with cilantro couscous from the night before. Or maby steak with potatoes au gratin. Or even a salad with leftover grilled chicken. Anything that is well-balanced makes a great choice for breakfast.  So if your mainstay is a bagel and cream cheese; add some salmon, and capers and now you have a well-balanced breakfast!!

Above all Enjoy Breakfast!

I hope these ideas help you in making better choices for breakfast. Not every day will be a bacon and eggs day, but do what you can to avoid the overdone carb breakfast!! Always remember to eat just until satisfied and not one bite more. You will feel so much better!!

 Sherri Sue Fisher, author of TimerDiet

www.timerdiet.com