By Cameron Lewis, Wellness Coordinator

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we have all heard it. As a certified personal trainer I am always amazed at the amount of people who skip breakfast, or resort to cinnamon rolls or donuts. Breakfast is without a doubt the most important meal of the day. It is essential because it: may help prevent heart disease, lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, provide you with the energy needed for a busy day, and gives you a mental edge.  A common myth is that forgoing breakfast can help you shed pounds, but the truth is that eating a nutritious breakfast daily actually helps keep your weight down.

There are also negative side effects to skipping breakfast. Prolonged fasting might lead to an abnormal increase in your hunger hormones, which may cause you to overeat at your next meal and lead to spikes and drops in your glucose levels. These spikes and drops make your pancreas work harder to regulate your blood glucose levels.  The pancreas could potentially become damaged from working overtime, which in turn could lead to diabetes.  Additionally periods of prolonged fasting set you up for an unsustainable lifestyle as you deprive yourself of calories, and thus reduce your energy levels.

Now that we have discussed the importance of eating breakfast let’s talk about which foods you should and should not eat.

Foods to Avoid

Prepackaged/fast-food breakfast sandwiches, sugary cereals, pastries, donuts, bagels, pancakes and foods that have a high glycemic index. These are great treats and I suggest having them once a week to treat yourself, but we really should avoid them on a daily basis. Although these are all tasty, they are high in sodium, unwanted sugars, saturated fats and processed carbohydrates.

Recommended  Foods

• Eggs,
• Fruit,
• Flax seeds,
• Greek yogurt,
• Vegetables,
• Unprocessed carbs like oatmeal,
• Quinoa,
• Steal cut oats and
• Granola.

Recipe

I would like to leave you with one of my favorite breakfast ideas that I share with my clients. It’s an easy recipe that allows you to meal prep your breakfast for the entire week.  Who wouldn’t love to save time in the morning and ensure that you have a healthy breakfast every day of the week?

All you need is:

Ingredients

• 1 Muffin Pan
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2-3 tablespoons onion, diced
• 1 cup cooked turkey sausage or bacon, diced
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, finely shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add in remaining ingredients and mix together.
4. Scoop 1/3 cup of mixture into each muffin liner.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the muffin is completely cooked.
6. Let Cool for 5 min
7. Enjoy!

To discuss your health and nutritional goals more set up a Wellness Consult with Cameron Lewis

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