Reader’s Digest India – August 2019

1. Eat even if you’re not hungry
   Although you might not feel like eating
   first thing in the morning, it’s a good
   idea to get something into your system.
   Eating within 90 minutes of waking up
   will jump-start your metabolism and
   keep you from getting hungry later,
   says certified dietician and nutritionist
   Amy Shapiro, and founder of Real
   Nutrition in New York City. Just a
   banana will do the trick.


2. Be boring
   Varying what you eat is a good idea in
   theory, but if you are watching your
   weight, you might want to stick with
   the same old menu. A 2014 British
   study found that people who allowed
   their breakfast calories to fluctu-
   ate (as measured by a five-day diet
   diary) had larger waists and a higher
   incidence of metabolic syndrome
   (that raises the risk of heart disease,
   stroke and diabetes) than folks who
   kept their morning calorie intake con-
   stant, no matter how much they ate the
   rest of the day. It’s not clear why your
   morning calorie count makes such a

difference, but given that a larger waist

size and metabolic syndrome can in-

crease your chances of diabetes, heart

attack and stroke, it’s worth making the

effort to hold it steady.

3. Add peanuts or peanut butter
   In a small study of 15 obese women,
   eating peanuts or peanut
   butter helped to lower
   the glycemic re-
   sponse to a break-
   fast of Cream of
   Wheat [break-
   fast porridge
   made of wheat
   semolina] and
   orange juice—
   meaning that the
   carbohydrates were
   digested more slowly
   and blood sugar did not rise as
   high. Plus the women felt fuller for up
   to 12 hours after eating the peanut but-
   ter or peanuts, so they were less likely
   to snack later. Peanut butter on toast or
   chopped nuts on cereal adds hassle-
   free protein to a carb-heavy meal.

W

e’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of

the day, and that may actually be true. A study of more than

50,000 adults aged 30 and older found that breakfast-eaters

were more likely to lose weight than those who didn’t eat a

morning meal. Other studies link skipping breakfast with a

higher risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

But it’s not just when you eat; it’s what you eat. Balancing carbohydrates with

protein, fibre and healthy fats is the key to a satisfying and nutritious breakfast.

These tips will help you really rise and shine:

Reader’s Digest

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