Skipping breakfast may seem like a great way to cut calories and catch a few extra z’s in the morning, but you’re not helping your health or your weight-loss efforts. In fact, failing to eat a healthful morning meal has been linked to obesity, diabetes, mineral deficiencies, and a host of
other health issues. On the other hand, people who eat a nutritious breakfast tend be healthier, more productive, and demonstrate superior mental clarity.
Those in the know postulate that there are several reasons why people who eat breakfast are healthier than those who don’t.
• By eating early in the day, your body doesn’t go into starvation mode and begin storing fat.
• People who skip meals are famished by the time they actually eat and therefore tend to overindulge.
• Those who eat a healthful breakfast tend to eat healthier foods and consequently consume fewer calories throughout the rest of the day.
• Eating healthful foods regularly throughout the day keeps your insulin levels stable.
• People who skip breakfast tend to eat more sugary foods and snack more often than people who don’t.
However, not all breakfasts are created equal. People who eat large, heavy breakfasts such as omelets stuffed with fatty meats and cheeses or carb-filled pancakes and waffles tend to eat more
calories at every meal throughout the day than their banana-grabbing counterparts. As a matter o fact, breakfast doesn’t have to be a big meal for you to reap the health benefits. The important part is to “break the fast” between supper and lunch so that your body isn’t deprived of nutrition for any longer than necessary.
Ideally, you should shoot for a breakfast that’s high in protein, nutrients, good carbs, and healthful fats. Though they’re tempting, avoid donuts, sugary muffins, and fast-food biscuits-- these are packed with bad fats, empty simple carbs that suppress the sensation of fullness and can cause you to crave more sugar. If you don’t have the time to sit down and eat a meal, a smoothie is a great, healthful alternative to fast foods or junk foods. In the pages to come, you’ll find recipes that are both delicious and satisfying. Feel free to experiment with ingredients, and most important, have fun!
Pumpkin Juice
Packed with omega-3s and an army of antioxidants led by vitamin A, this smoothie has everything you need to get you through the day, and its rich, smooth flavor will remind you of fall. Blend it with ice for a refreshing, midsummer treat, or stick to the milk for a comforting winter pick-me-up.
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/4 avocado, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup almond milk, soy milk, or skim milk
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Cut the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces.
Juice the carrots and sweet potatoes first, followed by the pumpkin. You may enjoy adding
cinnamon to this juice as well to give it a bit of spice.
Yield: About 3 cups.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
This smoothie is a fresh and fruity way to start your day. The strawberries deliver vitamin A and the
pomegranate does everything from actually stopping cancer to cleaning your teeth. Add in the potassium
and vitamins from the banana along with the chlorophyll and other goodies from the cucumber, and you’re
nutritionally ready to start the day!
• 6 strawberries, capped
• 1 banana, peeled
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 1 cucumber, quartered
Add all the ingredients to your blender, and puree. You’ll get the benefit from the fiber and the
nutrients in the skins as well! If needed, add a little water for a drinkable consistency.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Berry Melon Blast
This smoothie delivers a fruity blast of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that start your day right. The
cucumber cuts the sweetness, but the flavors of the melon and berries really shine through.
• 6 medium strawberries, capped • 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 honeydew, peeled and seeded • 1 cucumber, quartered
Simply blend together. The cucumber does an excellent job of cutting down some of the sweet
flavor and lightening up the smoothie.
Yield: About 3 cups.
other health issues. On the other hand, people who eat a nutritious breakfast tend be healthier, more productive, and demonstrate superior mental clarity.
Those in the know postulate that there are several reasons why people who eat breakfast are healthier than those who don’t.
• By eating early in the day, your body doesn’t go into starvation mode and begin storing fat.
• People who skip meals are famished by the time they actually eat and therefore tend to overindulge.
• Those who eat a healthful breakfast tend to eat healthier foods and consequently consume fewer calories throughout the rest of the day.
• Eating healthful foods regularly throughout the day keeps your insulin levels stable.
• People who skip breakfast tend to eat more sugary foods and snack more often than people who don’t.
However, not all breakfasts are created equal. People who eat large, heavy breakfasts such as omelets stuffed with fatty meats and cheeses or carb-filled pancakes and waffles tend to eat more
calories at every meal throughout the day than their banana-grabbing counterparts. As a matter o fact, breakfast doesn’t have to be a big meal for you to reap the health benefits. The important part is to “break the fast” between supper and lunch so that your body isn’t deprived of nutrition for any longer than necessary.
Ideally, you should shoot for a breakfast that’s high in protein, nutrients, good carbs, and healthful fats. Though they’re tempting, avoid donuts, sugary muffins, and fast-food biscuits-- these are packed with bad fats, empty simple carbs that suppress the sensation of fullness and can cause you to crave more sugar. If you don’t have the time to sit down and eat a meal, a smoothie is a great, healthful alternative to fast foods or junk foods. In the pages to come, you’ll find recipes that are both delicious and satisfying. Feel free to experiment with ingredients, and most important, have fun!
Pumpkin Juice
Packed with omega-3s and an army of antioxidants led by vitamin A, this smoothie has everything you need to get you through the day, and its rich, smooth flavor will remind you of fall. Blend it with ice for a refreshing, midsummer treat, or stick to the milk for a comforting winter pick-me-up.
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/4 avocado, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup almond milk, soy milk, or skim milk
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Cut the sweet potato into 1-inch pieces.
Juice the carrots and sweet potatoes first, followed by the pumpkin. You may enjoy adding
cinnamon to this juice as well to give it a bit of spice.
Yield: About 3 cups.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
This smoothie is a fresh and fruity way to start your day. The strawberries deliver vitamin A and the
pomegranate does everything from actually stopping cancer to cleaning your teeth. Add in the potassium
and vitamins from the banana along with the chlorophyll and other goodies from the cucumber, and you’re
nutritionally ready to start the day!
• 6 strawberries, capped
• 1 banana, peeled
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 1 cucumber, quartered
Add all the ingredients to your blender, and puree. You’ll get the benefit from the fiber and the
nutrients in the skins as well! If needed, add a little water for a drinkable consistency.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Berry Melon Blast
This smoothie delivers a fruity blast of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that start your day right. The
cucumber cuts the sweetness, but the flavors of the melon and berries really shine through.
• 6 medium strawberries, capped • 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 honeydew, peeled and seeded • 1 cucumber, quartered
Simply blend together. The cucumber does an excellent job of cutting down some of the sweet
flavor and lightening up the smoothie.
Yield: About 3 cups.