Today I want to talk about breakfast and why it is so important NOT to skip it. More often than not, I hear many people say that they don’t eat breakfast. I personally won’t make it through the mornings without eating something, but that’s beside the point. Here are some facts on WHY breakfast is IMPORTANT:

• breakfast is how you refuel your body after not eating for about 8-12 hours
• linked to better overall health
• may positively affect blood glucose levels
• Reduce risk of metabolic syndrome
• healthier body weight
• better concentration
• you consume more vitamins, minerals, and fiber when you have breakfast that may come up short if you do not

What a high quality breakfast looks like:

• Foods from at least 3 of the food groups (grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein) 
• is between 15-25% of you total calorie recommendation
• is not full of sodium, added sugars, saturated fats. READ THE NUTRITION LABELS AND PORTION SIZES!!
• Match breakfasts to your personal taste. Don’t like breakfast food? Don’t eat something you don’t like. It’s okay to have what is considered a lunch or dinner meal for breakfast. 

Breakfast Barriers

1. Not hungry when you wake up: have a light meal like 100% juice and 100% whole-wheat toast topped with nut butter
2. Too busy to cook in the morning: make your breakfast the night before…. hard boil eggs, make overnight oats, have yogurt topped with fruit and nuts, instant oatmeal
3. Skipping breakfast to lose weight: having a breakfast that is balanced can aid in fat loss
4. Don’t like breakfast foods: Have whatever meal you prefer as long as its balanced. Some examples could be a lean beef or turkey sandwich, quesadilla with scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa, leftovers, etc.

Quick breakfast Ideas: 

• Greek yogurt with berries and a cup of tea or coffee
• instant oatmeal made with skim milk topped with berries or nuts
• a breakfast smoothie (kefir or skim milk, frozen fruit, oats, optional: scoop protein powder) 
• Nut butter on a whole-grain bagel, an apple, glass of skim milk
• Rice with chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon and 100% juice
• A breakfast wrap

On the Run- Ordering Breakfast:Think of ordering a typical bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit sandwich somewhere. Most sandwiches like that average around 450 calories and have over 1,000mg of sodium. This doesn’t include the side that comes with it or a drink. Here are some easy swaps:

• Order a breakfast egg sandwich with veggies and only some cheese. 
• Swap our regular bacon for turkey bacon
• Swap for a whole-grain or 100% whole wheat bun, English muffin, or flatbread 
• Get a fruit cup for a side instead of hash browns 
• Order hot oatmeal with fruit  
• Order a parfait with berries and nuts 

Breakfast While Traveling (Hotel Continental Breakfasts)

• have fresh fruit, small bagel (or half a large one) with peanut butter, an egg, skim milk
• grits or oatmeal topped with fresh fruit or nutsand coffee or tea
• low-fat yogurt, whole-wheat English muffin with nut butter or a jelly spread, fresh fruit, coffee or tea

Some of my favorite breakfasts are:

1. Overnight oats: 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon 100% maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix and put in fridge overnight. In the morning, I top it with a sliced apple, pecans and cinnamon. 
2. 1 egg, 4 egg whites scrambled with a pinch of cheese and seasoned with pepper, 1 English muffin with peanut butter and coffee 
3. English Muffin Sandwich: 1 English muffin with two egg whites, two slices of turkey bacon, a serving of fresh fruit 
4. 4 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1 English muffin with low-calorie jelly
5. Steel cut oats made with almond milk (or milk of choice) with 1 Tbsp. 100% maple syrup, cinnamon, and almond slices
6. 1 whole wheat tortilla with 4 egg whites and some cheese (make into a burrito) You can also add veggies of choice and some salsa
7. Greek yogurt with a chopped peach and cinnamon

According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness. We NEED good sleep hygiene because it is beneficial for both physical and mental health…I can’t stress that enough. Overall, it improves your quality of life. Some sleep hygiene tools you can add to your toolbox are:

• Limiting naps to 30 minutes tops. If you have trouble sleeping at night, avoid naps, especially afternoon naps.
• Avoid caffeine in the evenings
• Exercise! The ACSM recommends that adults get 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly. This can be achieved by engaging in activities such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming for only 30 minutes five days per week.
• Stay away from fried foods, citrus fruit, and carbonated drinks before bed. They can trigger heartburn that disrupts sleep.
• Expose yourself to sunlight daily. When you wake up in the morning, open your blinds. Stand on your porch for a few minutes, even in the winter. It will be refreshing. This also helps your sleep-wake cycle.
• Establish a regular bedtime routine and stick to it even on the weekends (+/- 2 hours)
• Keep your room between 60-67 degrees, use low light at night.
• Keep the bedroom for sleeping only. It helps strengthen the association of the bed and sleep. Keeping a TV in your room can make it harder to go to bed at a decent time.
• Take a warm bath or shower before bed. The difference in temperature, especially if your room is cool, may help you fall asleep faster.
  

Why do we need good sleep? Here’s why:

• Better concentration
• More productivity
• Lower risk for gaining weight- you tend to eat more when you are tired
• If you’re an athlete or workout regularly, sleep helps you perform better and you also recover during sleep
• Lowers risk for heart disease 
• Helps build a stronger immune system 

If you have trouble sleeping at night on a regular basis, please make an appointment with your doctor. 

“What Is Sleep Hygiene?” National Sleep Foundation, http://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-hygiene. “Sleep and the Circadian System.” National Sleep Foundation, http://www.sleepfoundation.org/shift-work-disorder/what-shift-work/sleep-and-circadian-system. “Is Sex Helping or Hurting Sleep.” Sleep.org, http://www.sleep.org/articles/does-sex-affect-sleep/.