FitSugar

Diet Tip: Timely Breakfast

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:30:00 PDT

By now I hope you all know that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. However, your early morning meal is like a good joke: timing is everything. It is important to eat breakfast early. Delaying your first meal of the day can begin the slow down process of your metabolism. You need to eat to stoke the fires or your metabolism.

If you tend to skip breakfast or wait until later in the morning to eat it, try setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier. Buy some healthy toaster waffles you can eat on the run. Hard boil some eggs the night before!

Ten extra morning minutes will give you enough time to make toast with almond butter and eat it. Or at least make and eat a bowl of Kashi cereal!

Source

Eat Cake For Breakfast and Lose Weight, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:21:52 PST

If your insatiable sweet tooth is preventing you from losing weight, findings from a recent study may be just the thing to help you slim down. Researchers found those who ate a large breakfast that included something sweet lost weight and were able to keep off more pounds than those who ate a small breakfast.

A group of 193 obese adults (not a huge study) were split into two groups. One ate a large, 600-calorie breakfast that included a sweet item such as a cookie, cake, or doughnut. The other group ate a 300-calorie breakfast with no dessert. Both groups ate the same amount of calories daily: 1,600 for men and 1,400 for women.

Keep reading to find out more details about cake and weight loss.

Lil Links: Tips For Speeding Up the Breakfast Routine

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:33:49 PST

Superfast breakfasts kids can eat en route to school - Parenting
Mom induces labor so her dying husband can meet their baby - The Stir
Ashley Simpson thinks her sister will make a great mom - Celebrity Baby Scoop
The latest advice on five different breastfeeding issues - FitPregnancy
Joy Williams of The Civil Wars is pregnant - Celebrity Baby Blog
Would you try for a baby after 40? - Momformation
Six mistakes room mothers make - Yahoo! Shine
New uses for old things, the family edition - Real Simple
The best kids activities for your buck - LearnVest

Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Morning Workout

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:50:47 PST

If you work or go to school full time, getting your sweat on in the wee hours of the morn is probably the only time you can fit it in. Kudos to you for resisting the urge to hit the snooze button and skip out. Make setting your alarm and pulling yourself out of bed worth all the effort and avoid these morning exercise mistakes.

Not eating: It's super early, but you need to eat in order to fuel your workout. Munch on something small while you're getting ready, like half a banana or half a piece of toast with a little peanut butter. You'll not only avoid the gnawing hunger pangs, but you'll also have an extra pep in your step to exercise harder or longer than you would on an empty stomach. When you get home, you can enjoy your usual breakfast, which is always something to look forward to.
Loading up on fiber: While it's important to eat a little something, you don't want to load up on bulky fiber that can make you feel too full or upset your stomach.
Not hydrating: Aside from food, you also need water. Definitely don't down half a gallon before you hit the gym because too much water can cause cramping, but make sure you sip a short glass of H2O while enjoying your small snack.
Not laying your outfit out the night before: You don't have oodles of time in the morning, so don't take away from your exercise time by scrambling to find your missing sock. Plan your outfit before you go to bed so you can just slip it on and go.

Keep reading for more morning exercise mistakes to avoid.

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.

5 Heart-Healthy Foods For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Leta Shy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:58:10 PST

February is American Heart Month. You may not think you have to worry about your heart until you're older, but in fact, the healthy things you do now can help prevent serious heart conditions later.

One such healthy habit is to eat foods that help lower cholesterol or improve your heart function. We've made it easy with these five foods that you should be incorporating into your breakfast-lunch-dinner routine (don't worry, we didn't forget snacks and desserts!), so read on to find out what, how much, and why you should be adding these heart-healthy foods to your diet.

5 Unbelievably Bad Fast-Food Breakfasts

Prevention — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:06:39 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Molly Raisch, Prevention

Mom always said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” And she was right. Morning meals are essential to revving your metabolism and kick-starting your calorie burn, but indulging in a fat- and calorie-laden breakfast from your favorite fast-food chain could easily send you into sugar shock and pack on the pounds. Research shows that people who ate a big morning meal consumed an extra 400 calories per day, setting themselves up for muffin tops and pancake bottoms. Here are six breakfast drive-through disasters and their Prevention-approved healthier, make-at-home options.

Fifty Simple Strategies to Lose 10 Pounds

Starbucks® Zucchini-Walnut Muffin
Muffins are calorie sinkholes - they pack in the calories but somehow still leave your stomach grumbling. This muffin from Starbucks® seems healthy enough, boasting both zucchini and walnuts, but don’t be fooled by its veggie-based name. This morning baked good has close to 500 calories and 28 grams of fat.

Try Instead: Zucchini-Raisin Muffin
These scrumptious zucchini muffins are half the calories and nearly a third of the fat as their coffeehouse counterparts. Tricks of the trade: Load up your bread batter with tons of zucchini shreds and add raisins for a touch of natural sweetness.

Ten Breakfasts For Glowing Skin

McDonald’s Big Breakfast® With Hotcakes
When your breakfast comes off a fast-food menu and has the word “big” in it, your waistline is headed in the same direction. This hearty breakfast has scrambled eggs, sausage, a buttermilk biscuit, hash browns, and two hotcakes piled onto a plate, making it no surprise that one order accounts for over half your day’s calories and over 55 grams of fat. The worst part? This lumberjack breakfast is sky-high in sodium: 2,150 milligrams.

Try Instead: Pancakes With Berries and Cinnamon
Satisfy your hotcake cravings with these light and fluffy low-cal flapjacks. The secret to cutting fat and calories without losing any buttery flavor: bake them in the oven. Top with berries and cinnamon, and you’ve got a mouthwatering, guilt-free pancake breakfast the whole family will love.

Keep reading for more healthy breakfast swaps after the break.

The Health Benefits of Eating Breakfast

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:57:20 PDT

Except for weekends, breakfast is often the meal that either gets ignored or rushed through - does grabbing a banana as you head out the door sound familiar? With such busy schedules nowadays, breakfast often becomes an afterthought, when it really should be a top priority in morning routines.

We always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day - but why is this true? In a way, breakfast is "breaking the fast" because after sleeping for eight hours and being without food during the night, our brain and muscles need energy and fuel to function. And the glucose in food (as well as the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and protein) is how we get this energy. With this rush of nutrients and glucose to our brains, we are better able to concentrate, focus, be productive, and be in better spirits - no waking up on the wrong side of the bed!

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of breakfast time.

10 Cereals With 8 or More Grams of Fiber

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:13:14 PST

We all could use a little extra fiber in our diets, since it's recommended that women eat between 25 and 30 grams a day. Not only does fiber keep you regular, but it can also help lower your cholesterol and prevent heart disease and certain cancers. Breakfast is a wonderful time to fill up on fiber-rich foods, so check out which cereals contain eight or more grams of fiber per serving.

In Season: Collard Greens

Camilla Salem — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:39:45 PST

Leafy greens are all the rage these days. Sure, they're chock-full of nutrients and vitamins, but they're also delicious. Collard greens are no exception. The mildly smoky flavor in the this Southern vegetable staple is great for cooking. Collard greens come from the same species as cabbage and broccoli, but like kale, this vegetable doesn't form a head. The leaves are dark blue-green and smooth, and they're a great source of vitamin C and fiber.

Collard greens are a very important part of Southern cuisine, often prepared with smoked ham hock. Since the leaves resemble folded money, traditionally, they are enjoyed with black-eyed peas for good fortune on New Year's Day. But the South isn't the only place that appreciates this cruciferous vegetable. Portuguese cuisine makes great use of collard greens. Popular soup Caldo verde, meaning "green broth" in Portuguese, employs collard greens as a base. In addition, the juice of pressed leaves is thought to alleviate several maladies, including bronchitis!

For more ways to eat up your collard greens, keep reading.