What you eat after rolling out of bed has the power to banish cravings, turbo-charge energy, and keep your waistline in check. Breakfast munchers eat 12% healthier throughout the day. Skipping breakfast makes you more likely to overindulge at your next meal or eat mid-morning snacks that are high in calories and sugar to ward off hunger until lunch.
If the morning is your time to exercise then you especially need to eat. When you wake up, blood sugar levels and carb stores are way down, breakfast provides what your brain needs to feel alert and what your muscles need to perform at their best, so you feel zippy on the treadmill instead of fatigued. Don’t reach for just any cereal or oatmeal, though. Different morning routines call for different morning meals. Whether you’re trying to drop 10 pounds or rip through a morning BodyPump class, one of these yummy, satisfying breakfast ideas will start your day on a high note.
Make muscle-building protein a priority. Combine 1/4 cup each granola, rolled oats, chopped almonds, raisins or dried cranberries with low-fat milk. (Feel free to eat half and save the rest for tomorrow, depending on your calorie needs.) After you leave the gym, aim for another 20 grams of protein, as studies show this is ideal for kick-starting the muscle-repair process. Try 6 ounces of fat-free or low-fat ricotta cheese, a cup of fat-free or low-fat Greek yogurt, or 3 ounces of sliced roast beef or roasted chicken.
Repeat after us: A grande skinny caramel macchiato is not a breakfast. For the same wake-you-up buzz of caffeine and healthful antioxidants and no calories, have green tea. Then make one or two eggs – the whole thing, not just the whites since more than half of the fill-you-up protein is in the yolk – with a piece of fruit such as an apple or a cup of raspberries. This all clocks in between 135 to 240 calories and has 7 to 14 grams of protein and 4.5 to 8 grams of fiber to provide staying power until lunch.
First things first: Eat! That will keep your metabolism going. Nibble on something light within an hour of waking up such as a piece of fruit. And next time push back dinnertime. Eating two to three hours before going to sleep, including snacks, will give your body ample time to digest everything before morning.
Your muscles run on carbs as their main source of fuel when your heart’s pumping while you run, spin, or sweat on an elliptical, so eat an hour before your exercise to boost energy and allow your body time to break down your meal. Swirl fat-free or low-fat yogurt into oatmeal and top with fresh fruit or raisins. (if you have less time, a fruit and milk or yogurt smoothie wins points for easy digestibility.)
Post-workout, enjoy a mix of carbs to replenish glycogen stores and protein to maximize muscle repair, ideally within 30 minutes of your cooldown, this is the prime time when muscles are like a sponge, absorbing all those powerhouse nutrients. A 100-calorie whole-wheat sandwich, spread with a thin layer of peanut butter and topped with a bit of honey or jelly is an easy choice.
Slow-digesting fiber and protein are your best friends when you want to quash stomach rumblings. Shoot for 7 to 10 grams of fiber and 15 to 20 grams of protein, which can deliciously be reached with a pseudo-parfait of a cup of fat-free or low-fat Greek yogurt, a serving of high-fiber cereal (look for those that pack at least five grams per serving), and fresh or frozen blueberries.
The last thing you want is something that sits like a rock in your gut, so an easy-to-digest smoothie is the way to go. Keep it healthy by blending frozen fruit and milk or a non-dairy alternative. Or buy a bottled one that contains less than 30 grams of sugar per serving and protein to slow the rate at which your body absorbs that sugar and keep you fuller longer. Either way, sip slowly through the morning for a dose of important vitamins and minerals.
If you are too busy to prepare breakfast in the morning, prepare the night before. Either a sandwich or something you can throw in the microwave.
This article was first published on www.edenlifenigeria.com