Читать книгу Absolutely Everyone Needs a Plan - John Schlife - Страница 9

Breakfast

The importance of eating breakfast each morning has been known for many years, and researchers can show that both children and adults function better when they begin the day with breakfast.

The traditional American breakfast, which many were raised on, is too high in fat and salt. Although bacon, ham, and sausage provide energy, they are very high in fat and cause obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and intestinal irritation. These animal products contain no fiber.

A healthy breakfast should consist of clean-burning, high­energy foods that keep the blood sugar level steady, stimulate the digestive system, and are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium. Two categories of food are important for breakfast:

 Grains (ideally with minimal processing)cerealswhole-grain breadetc.

 Fruits (ideally fresh or frozen and whole)

Select 1 item from each category.

(Grains and fruits details on page 5.)

Grains

1 Cereal—hot or cold with nonfat milk. Read the label and select those which are*whole-grain*high in fiber*low in fat, sugar, salt*high in starch (complex carbohydrates)

2 Bread—whole-grain

3 Pancakes and waffles—made with whole-grain flour

4 French toast—made with whole-grain breads, nonfat milk, egg whites

5 Muffins, rolls, bagels—Made with whole-grain flour

Use the nonfat margarine/butter-tasting spreads. Use minimal amounts of “Lite” jellies and syrups.

Fruits

 Fresh fruits are low in calories and sodium and are high in vitamins and potassium.

 Fruit canned in syrup should be avoided or washed in cold water.

 Fruits packed in water are acceptable in terms of calories but are lower in fiber because they are peeled.

 Fruit juice does not contain fiber; thus it causes a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) response. Caution: Fruit juice is a high-calorie food item.