NATASHA!!
She'll be getting five Larabars to try out soon!
Now on to this week's challenge. Does anybody remember the slogan for this cereal? (Hint...It's posted below the name of the cereal in the picture below)...
Image found here
I'm actually not a huge Wheaties fan myself (I find them a little bland) but I am going to steal and tweak their slogan just a bit. For this week's challenge, I want this to be your new motto...
By far, the most important meal you will eat each day will be breakfast. After fasting for 10+ hours or so during the night, your body needs this meal in order to start firing up your metabolism and give you energy during the day. According to Elisabetta Politi, RD, MPH, and nutrition manager for the Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School, "when you don't eat breakfast, you're actually fasting for 15 to 20 hours, so you're not producing the enzymes needed to metabolize fat to lose weight." Some people skip breakfast either because they aren't hungry in the morning, don't have time to eat, or even worse, because they are trying to save on calories. People who don't eat breakfast are more likely to overeat during the rest of the day, completely negating any "saved calories" from not eating breakfast. And if you aren't eating breakfast because you aren't hungry, you are probably eating too many calories the night before. If you began to reduce your nightly calorie intake, I bet you would start to feel more ravenous upon waking in the morning.
In this webmd article, it also states that breakfast eaters are more likely to exercise. You know that you need to fuel yourself properly in order to workout effectively, so it makes sense that eating breakfast should go hand-in-hand with any fitness program that you endeavor to complete.
So this week's challenge is this...eat breakfast EVERYDAY!! Try to eat within an hour of waking up so that you can start firing that metabolism as soon as possible. Also, try to include a good source of protein in your breakfast so that it will keep you fuller longer (and you will have that protein available to repair and fuel your muscles during the day.) Here are some examples of some nutritious ways to begin each day...
A bowl of cereal w/ 1 cup lowfat milk (easy-peasy, right?)...Try to choose a high fiber/high protein cereal to get the most bang for your buck (My pick...Kashi GoLean cereal. In 3/4 cup, it has 10g of fiber and 13 g of protein. Add in the 11 g of protein from 1 cup of milk, and you're protein requirements are set!)
One egg + one egg white omelet with veggies and whole wheat toast...Eggs for breakfast are yummy (and this is a great way to get in some vegetable nice and early), but this one does require more prep and planning time than most people are willing to give to "the meal of champions!"
Protein Smoothie...throw in a frozen banana, some ice, water, protein powder then add any of the following to change it up each day...blueberries, strawberries, pumpkin puree, even spinach (the banana will overpower the spinach taste!). This is especially good on hot, summer days.
Protein Oatmeal...You all know this is my go-to breakfast 90% of the time. I just love it, it keeps me full and is packed full of nutrition. You can add almost anything to oatmeal too to make it different each day, but I am a girl of routine and pretty much make it the same way each day...
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 scoop protein powder
1 spoonful of ground flax (a healthy fat rich in omega-3 and great for the digestive system!)
So that's your challenge this week...eat a healthy breakfast everyday and remember our slogan this week..."Breakfast, the meal of champions!"
Talking Point: How did you do on last week's challenge (trying out a new-to-you workout?) What do you like to eat for breakfast?
