Breakfast, Is It Killing You?

Perhaps the biggest reality is the fact that there is not one healthy breakfast that everyone can eat. We all have food preferences and it doesn't matter how good something is for us if we can't stand the taste of it.  Food allergies play a big part in what we can have and if you are one of the 15 to 25% percent of the population that is lactose intollerant, it doesn't matter how good milk is, you still can't put it on your cereal. Your preferences, allergies and food sensitivities might make eating the standard North American breakfast impossible. If in the past you have found that eating breakfast makes you feel worse not better in the morning (and that is why you skip it) then it is time for you to examine how you react to different foods.

Lactose intolerance is due to a deficiency of an enzyme in the stomach so undigested dairy products ferment in the stomach causing problems such as stomach pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea.  You might be able to eat dairy products latter in the day and not feel the affects as much since you have buffered your stomach with other foods and not realize that you are just unable to digest dairy products first thing in the morning. Some people find that they can eat probiotic yogurt and have no effects while others find that no amount of dairy is comfortable for them. While the estimate is 15 to 25% of the population is lactose intolerant (that can be as high as 1 in 4 people) this is just an estimate as many people have been misdiagnosed with more serious stomach ailments and others don't do anything about it and just suffer through it. People of African, Asian and Mediterranean descent have a much higher percentage of being lactose intolerant.

While you might shy away from having orange juice in the morning because it upsets your stomach it might be the amount of orange juice that you are drinking that is the problem. Orange juice commercials show large glasses of orange juice being consumed giving the inference that is the size you should be having but a small juice glass is sufficient. The large glasses were a marketing ploy to have people buy more product and it has worked. Orange juice is healthy but drinking large qualities would have the same calorie count as soft drinks. (orange juice 120 calories per 8 ounces, soft drinks 95 to 110 calories per 8 ounces). One of the suggested reasons why this generation is much heavier than previous ones is we are drinking more of our calories. The juice glass size in the 1950's for your breakfast juice was about 3  1/2 ounces.

Eggs have truly been misrepresented over the last several years. When studies first started linking high cholesterol to health problems the thought was to remove all cholesterol from the diet. But since that time they have found that there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol and that eggs are not a demon food. If you have no health problems then recent findings show that eggs will not contribute to heart disease. Eggs are high in protein and have been called the perfect food. If you have health concerns then research eggs at eggs.ca. Health care professionals don't always stay on top of new findings and often repeat out of date information.

Cereal is often shown as a breakfast staple but not all cereals are the same, if what you are eating is highly processed and full of sugar and salt then your insulin levels are going to go on a roller coaster ride with the end result of you crashing in an hour or two. Having a sweet pastry will give the same effect of a spike in your sugar level and then the let down of a crash. Most breakfast muffins are about as healthy as having a slice of cake in the morning. Studies have shown that women that have a sugary breakfast in the morning tend to continue the day by having sugary snacks and making other bad food choices.

The idea behind breakfast sandwiches is sensible, with protein from the ham and egg, grain from the bun, slap a tomato on it and have some fruit on the side you are good to go. But the breakfast sandwiches served at most fast food restaurants have a large amount of salt and fat in them. The average recomened amount of salt intake a day is 1500 mg, a breakfast sandwich has 840 mg.

A fancy coffee first thing in the morning is not a breakfast even though it might have enough calories in it as a regular meal. This is another case of filling yourself up with way too much sugar. The jury is still out on how good or bad caffeine is for you, recent studies showing that it can help with memory and other studies showing that it can make high blood pressure worse.

So what to eat? First off it should be something that you like having. Secondly it doesn't have to be the same thing every morning.  Third off it has to be something that you will make the time to eat, if that means getting up half and hour earlier in the morning then realize it. You might have to start off with very tiny portions if it has been a very long time since you have regularly had breakfast. A full portion might make you feel queasy  if your stomach is not use to it. Having a glass of water first thing in the morning has been suggested to kick start your metabolism. Having breakfast at a fast food restaurant is not a good financial option or health option. It can be expensive to eat out every morning (add up what you are spending a month) and fast food has never been known for its health benefits.

It has been recommended that you should eat between 300 and 400 calories for breakfast. If you are having any juice in the morning put it in a smaller glass. Your choice of fruit juices are endless from cranberry to pineapple.

Avoid the sugary cereal and find something healthier that you like. Granola is a good choice but watch the sugar content. Many people enjoy granola and yogurt as it is very easy to make and very filling. Oatmeal has been advanced as the new miracle breakfast food  (that probably would make great grandpa laugh) but not the instant type which is full of sugars and salts. Oatmeal is surprisingly easy to make, boil water in a pot, add the oatmeal, put the timer on. If you find it too bland try cutting up an apple and tossing that in in the last few minutes of cooking and then sprinkle on cinnamon. Any type of fresh seasonal fruit like peaches, blueberries, cherries or strawberries can be added to oatmeal to give it more taste but don't add unnecessary sugar.  The less sugar you have at breakfast the less you will crave it through out the day Throw in a few cut up nuts for protein and a lovely crunch.

In a world with so many different types of bread it is just sad that people still eat over processed, over refined, white supermarket bread. In an ideal world there would be a fine European bakery at the end of every street with a plethora of breads to chose from (what you are trying to stay away from are the mushy white bread that have been stripped of all fiber and nutrients).  Where ever you get your bread try to chose ones made with whole wheat or multigrains, rye breads are also a good choice. You actually might prefer to have a bun or a bagel in the morning, these also come in whole wheat, multigrain and rye.

So what to top your bread, bun or bagel with? Most people like either butter or margarine on their toast. The jury is out on which is better for you as different studies have different results. The whole point is not to have lashings of butter or margarine to keep the calories down. The same with cream cheese, don't pile it on and hike up you calories. Nut butters such as peanut butter and hazelnut spreads can be very sweet but there are ones out there with less sugar. Jams also have a lot of sugar in it but there are jams with less sugar and more fruit in them that can be an option once in a while.

You might find that you do better in the day if you have something more substantial with your toast like sliced meat. Chicken or turkey are good options. Ham is very traditional for breakfast but it can have a lot of salt in it. A small amount of cheese could be nice and why not salmon or tuna if you enjoy it. 

Eggs as we mentioned earlier have been greatly maligned . A boiled egg is an easy option and doesn't take that long to make. Put a egg in cold water and cover while you bring to a boil.  Take the lid off when it is boiling and cook for 4 minutes, turn off the burner and let the egg sit  in the hot water for another 4 minutes. You will have a perfectly hard boiled egg. If you let an egg boil for for too long it will get a gray tinge around the yolk and taste a bit rubbery. There seem to be countless ways in making eggs for breakfast, chose what ever you have the time for.

Try adding some fresh fruit and vegetables to your breakfast. Any seasonal fruit like melons, berries or apples would be great. Though it might seem unusual at first if you are not use to it vegetables can be very nice at breakfast. Most people have seen tomatoes on a breakfast plate but why not asparagus or cucumbers or green peppers or  broccoli, you never know, it might become the favourite part of your breakfast.

If you are eating healthy 80 percent of the time then go ahead and have something a little more decadent once or twice a month. Mix up some pancake batter, fry up a huge cheese omelet, pull out Great Aunt Sara's french toast recipe. But for your every day breakfast make some healthy choices. Learn to love your breakfast, what ever you decide it will be because, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.