September is National Breakfast Month
The word "breakfast" means breaking fast because your body has been fasting all night. Given this, doesn't it seem a little silly to either skip or overlook what you're eating for such an important meal?
September is National Breakfast Month, a holiday that celebrates breakfasts around the world and focuses on healthier breakfast options.
Starting the day off right
When it comes to healthy breakfast choices, Robert Pampin, D.O., a family practitioner at Skylands Medical Group, which has locations across Sussex County said, "We are bombarded with advertisements which encourage poor nutritional choices such as, 'America runs on Dunkin.' Really? The empty calories surround us on all sides and the quantity and quality pose the biggest challenge.
"Our high paced, wired up American lifestyle is a major impediment to overall health," Pampin added. "With an obesity rate of 30 percent in our country, we need to take a step back and become mindful of our health and lifestyle. Healthy nutrition does not need to be as complicated as it seems, but does take dedication and conscious personal responsibility to make it happen."
Pinpointing breakfast is the key.
"We are all too busy, or don't feel hungry on awakening," Pampin said. "We scramble around to get the kids off to school, and ourselves off to work and just skip it or eat the wrong things."
He said that there is evidence that a healthy breakfast with a mix of complex nutrients, especially protein will set us up for better choices and fewer stress calories throughout the day.
"Maintaining adequate hydration also is a key element in proper nutritional balance," Pampin said. "So be sure to limit caffeine, drink plenty of water and juice before you run out the door."
Breakfast choices
Making the right choices doesn't have to be time consuming, there are options that are simple and energizing for the rest of the day.
Pampin suggests eggs or egg whites as a great protein source that is easy to prepare. For those on the run, he suggests a premade frittata.
"You can vary the flavor and style quite easily, and have these throughout the week to start your day by rewarming in the microwave for 30 seconds," Pampin said. "Just Google some recipes and have fun. Also a quick scrambled egg on a tortilla wrap can be put together in just a few minutes. All it takes is just a bit of forethought and we can all live healthier lives."
Nutritionist Erin Palinski-Wade said the biggest trap that the typical American falls into when it comes to breakfast is skipping it. Palinski-Wade owns Vernon Nutrition Center, in Franklin, and among other accomplishments, is the author of "Belly Fat Diet for Dummies."
"When you skip breakfast, this leads to unbalanced blood sugar throughout the rest of the day," Palinski-Wade said. "Erratic blood sugar leads to fatigue, irritability, decreased concentration and focus as well as increased hunger and cravings. When you skip breakfast, you set yourself up to eat too much and too fast at the next meal or snack (and often the wrong type of food as well)."
Palinski-Wade suggests these quick and nutritious breakfasts:
Natural peanut butter on whole grain bread
Daisy Brand Cottage Cheese topped with fresh berries
A Nut and Spice Bar
Homemade trail mix with almonds
Raisins and bran cereal
A hard boiled egg with fresh fruit or vegetables
Low fat string cheese with fresh fruit such as a banana
"If you choose to skip breakfast, you may slow your metabolism, increase your appetite for the remainder of the day, and decrease your ability to think and concentrate," said Palinski-Wade. "Grabbing a breakfast at a fast food establishment or deli may be high in sodium, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats. If you do choose to stop to get breakfast, order a healthy option such as an egg with boiled ham on whole grain toast or pick up a low sugar yogurt and fresh fruit at the convenient store over the Taylor Ham/Egg/cheese on a bagel combo."
Palinski-Wade describes what happens to the body when skipping breakfast.
"After an overnight fast (as you are sleeping), your metabolism is slowed," Palinski-Wade said. "Your metabolism fails to rev back up until you eat. If you skip breakfast, you are extending this period of slowed metabolism, which can impact weight. In addition skipping breakfast causes blood sugar imbalance which can impact mood, mental clarity, focus, energy levels, and lead to an increase in hunger and food cravings."
Healthy at any age
At age 69, Bob Fargo's is in exceptional shape for his age, and recently the Lafayette resident completed a 316-mile, three-day bike ride from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. Fargo logs miles and miles on his bike and also lifts free weights. He knows the importance of breakfast.
"Before I hit the saddle, I have a fiber cereal, a couple of pancakes and one coffee," Fargo said.
Carbs are key before any training ride or any sports, so his breakfast is a little different than the average Joe's. He said he's learned from nutritional mistakes over the year and realizes how important a healthy breakfast is for optimal health and athletic performance. He also drinks plenty of water and Gatorade and takes a multi vitamin.
Since retiring in November of 2011, Fargo has ridden more than 15,00 miles and also lifts free weights.
Tracey Swenson, of Sparta, is a former nationally ranked triathlete and mother of 8-year-old twins. Before training, she said she eats an energy bar and hard boiled egg.
"It satisfies my hunger and provides the energy I need for the event," Swenson said.
She said when it comes to being an athlete and breakfast, the most important thing she's learned (through trial and error) is, "Don't try something new before an event. Curiosity sometimes gets the best of me and I have to give a new food a try, but don't make the mistake of trying it before a race."
As to her daughters she starts their day with cereal and fruit.