Nutrition on a Plate
Breakfast bonanza
Mom was right! Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Research indicates people who eat breakfast are more alert and weigh less. Apparently, that’s because breakfast eaters consume more vitamins and minerals than those who go without.
Eating breakfast also helps to regulate our blood sugar level: a healthy breakfast contributes to a more gradual rise in blood sugar, thus avoiding those peaks and troughs of energy and lethargy that make us less productive and less alert.
But that doesn’t mean any old breakfast will do. Forget that plate of greasy bacon and eggs, or that giant donut. They’re off the menu, except on a very occasional basis.
Instead, treat yourself to a big bowl of porridge. Not only will it help to keep you warm in the colder weather: it’s also low on the glycaemic index because your body will digest it more slowly. So you get the benefits of fibre, vitamins, and minerals, as well as oats which are good for the skin.
Don’t skip lunch, either
When we skip meals, our systems go into starvation mode, burning calories more slowly and making it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight. And that should be reason enough to take time out from our hectic schedules to enjoy a proper lunch. So whether we take a packed lunch from home, or ‘do lunch’ at our favourite restaurant, it’s important to replenish our bodies and keep our systems topped up with the fuel we need to do our best work and avoid unnecessary fatigue.
Dinner: keep it light
Eating a huge, heavy meal in the evening is hard on our digestive systems, and can affect our sleeping patterns and overall wellbeing. Make sure your evening meal is comparatively light, and avoid monstrous portions. A bit of pasta with a light sauce, a piece of lightly grilled chicken or fish served with fresh vegetables or salad – these are ideal evening meals.
The grand finale
Eating healthily doesn’t mean desserts have to be banished from the menu. Just be careful what you have and how much. Even chocolate can be good for you: experts say good quality chocolate can contain helpful antioxidants similar to those found in some red wines. So go ahead – reward yourself. Just remember, desserts are like alcohol: moderation is the key.
And finally, take the 20-minute challenge!
Don’t forget: it takes the stomach 20 minutes to tell the brain it’s full. That’s why, when we eat quickly, we get that bloated, sluggish feeling that makes us feel uncomfortable. So be sure to chew your food well and eat slowly. You’ll eat less, weigh less, have more energy, and just generally feel so much better.
Good carbs, bad carbs
With all the negative press about carbohydrates, don’t be tempted to cut them out altogether. Remember: there are good carbs and bad carbs.
Some carbohydrates – and white bread is one of them – have had the nutrients overprocessed right out of them, and are too quickly digested. The result? We feel hungry again just a short time later.
Tuck into good carbs such as wholegrains, beans, pulses, fruit and vegetables, however, and you’ll be treating your body to plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals which are more complex. This means the digestive process takes longer as our bodies absorb the nutrients. So we feel full for longer, eat less and gradually shed a few pounds.
So forget those fad diets. Treat yourself to more wholesome food, start some form of exercise routine, and lose weight the healthy way. It’s just common sense!
Worth remembering . . .
As the saying goes, breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.
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