We have always heard "Eat Breakfast like a King" but in today's rushed world everyone's meal timings are scattered, sleep is erratic and they want to look a certain way, cutting calories is affecting their breakfast intake every day!
Breakfast is an important meal because you are literally breaking your fast (8-10 hours minimum) and to get started with the day, your body needs the right fuel.
Eating a balanced breakfast is important as it kick-starts your metabolism, your blood glucose metabolism is much better throughout the day, and it boosts your energy levels and also helps you make better meal choices throughout the day. Breakfast is also given a lot of importance in Ayurveda as that is the time our body's 'pitta' (fire or metabolism) is at its peak.
Sahiba Bhardwaj, a Nutritionist & Nutrition Educator helps us look at some common breakfast mistakes that could hamper our metabolism.
Skipping Breakfast: Eating late at night or trying a new diet, cutting calories or maybe you simply don't have the time to eat breakfast. This is the biggest mistake you can make as it will not only dampen your metabolism but also increase your chances of developing health problems like high blood cholesterol, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. But a balanced breakfast can lower those risks and fuel you for the rest of the day.
Bite-Sized Breakfast: Eating just a fruit or a small bite-sized breakfast will leave you hungry and affect your mental focus. Not eating sufficient calories during the day may leave you munching on unhealthy energy-dense snacks later in the day and may lead to weight gain. However, eating a good filling breakfast fires up your metabolism and helps you burn calories throughout the day.
Speedy Eating: Sit and eat. We have always heard that but we tend to ignore it. Always in a rush, we tend to eat fast and take large bites of our food. This as per some studies increases the odds of obesity as it may lead to overeating. Also, as per Ayurveda, when you sit and eat your food, chewing it properly, it improves digestion and absorption of nutrients. So slow down, and savour each bite of your breakfast.
Going low on Protein: A protein-packed breakfast has more benefits than just feeding your muscles. Protein takes longer to break down in the body and hence keeps you full for longer. So make sure your Breakfast has good quality protein that is paired with complex carbohydrates and good fats. Eggs, smoked salmon, nut butter, yoghurt, and paneer are all good protein options. Stay clear of processed meat (sausages, salamis, seeks, bacon etc.)
Saying No to Carbs: Another grave mistake is leaving out carbohydrates completely. You don't have to say no to them, just choose wisely. Include Complex Carbs that are slow energy releasing and don't spike your blood glucose levels and give you energy through the day. Some good ones are steel-cut oats, upma, poha, sandwiches, cheelas with veggies are some options. Avoid loading up on Simple carbs (fruit juices, waffles, pancakes) on a daily basis as they can lead to a sudden dip in energy levels mid-morning
Don't fear fats and include healthy fats in your breakfast in small portions with your proteins and carbs. Adding avocado or a tablespoon of nut butter to your toast, adding nuts & seeds to your cereal or smoothies, and cooking cheelas in desi ghee are good ways of adding healthy fats. Unsaturated fats and the Omega-3 fatty acids from nuts & flax seeds are good for the heart too.
Calories: Increase calories in your diet. Add 500 plus Calories to your daily meals. From your regular food start adding one more portion. For example, if you eat two chapatis per meal -- eat three and stuff it with high fibrous vegetables like bottle gourd, spinach, potatoes etc. You can also stuff it with paneer or combine chapati with two sabzi, one lentil and curd.
The good news is that you do not have to do heavy exercises for long hours to strengthen your immune system. Here are five simple exercises recommended by InterMiles that can get the job done. Check out these impactful immunity-boosting exercises to do at home:
Saffron aka Kesar is an exotic spice, derived painstakingly from the flowers of Crocus sativus, which usually forms a part of several Ayurvedic recipes and has numerous health benefits.
In our modern life, we have certainly habits that we think are alright to follow but in reality, could be slowly eroding away at our health and immune systems. Neha Mittal, the co-founder of healthcare device company OneAbove, shares 5 habits as dangerous as smoking:
Facing the new normal of working from home, home-schooling of children has been keeping us all very busy. Hence, it is more important than ever to look after ourselves and our mental and physical well-being.
The process to check your resting heart rate, the doctor explains, is very simple. Put two fingers on your pulse for 60 seconds and count the heartbeats.
