Eating a Big Breakfast May Add Inches to Your Waistline

Nutritionists have long advised that the key to a successful diet is starting the day off with a big breakfast. The theory holds that eating more at the beginning of the day allows for less food consumption later in the day. However, a new study conducted by German scientists suggests that a big breakfast simply boosts your daily calorie intake because you will likely eat the same amount of lunch and dinner no matter the amount of calories you consume at breakfast. The details of the study were recently published in the Nutrition Journal.

Although a good breakfast functions to jump-start the metabolism and promote calorie burn off, if you are looking to lose weight you will need to cut back on the amount of calories you consume in the morning. This is the conclusion of the team of German researchers led by Dr. Volker Schusdziarra of the Else-Kroner-Fresenius Center of Nutritional Medicine in Munich. The finding was true for both obese people and those being of normal weight.

The study involved 100 normal weight and 280 obese volunteers who wanted to lose weight. All 380 people were asked to keep detailed food diaries that would include all calories consumed over a 10-day period for the obese patients, and 14 days for the normal weight study volunteers.

A broad variation of calorie intake at breakfast was noted for the participants in both groups. An individual might consume a big breakfast on one day and skip breakfast entirely the next. Breakfast calories consumed ranged from 121 to 606 calories for obese patients, while they varied from 134 to 559 calories for participants of normal weight.

Although a big breakfast was shown to reduce the likelihood of late morning snacking for both groups, it had no impact on extra calories consumed by the end of the day. Participants in the study consumed an average of around 500 to 550 calories at lunch and dinner and the calories consumed at breakfast calories simply increased the daily total. Those people who ate a breakfast having about 400 more calories than a typical small breakfast had the tendency to eat around 400 more calories during the rest of the day.

Previous studies on the relationship between breakfast calories consumed and calories eaten throughout the remainder of the day have had mixed results. Some have shown that those who eat breakfast in general weigh less than those who don't, and others have suggested that eating a big breakfast leads to less calorie intake for the balance of the day. Still other studies have found that the higher the calorie intake at breakfast in relation to all meals combined, the lower the overall daily energy intake.

A healthy diet includes eating a nutritious breakfast, not a big one. Skipping breakfast for weight loss is not a healthy choice. Cutting back on the amount of calories consumed during the first meal of the day is the key. Among breakfast items consumed by study participants that boosted their calorie counts were fatty and sugary foods such as bread, eggs, sausages, butter and marmalade. Better choices would include foods with protein and fiber to help you feel full longer. Eat smaller meals totaling 400 to 500 calories and supplement your calorie intake with light snacks to keep hunger at bay.

Source: Healthnews By Drucilla Dyess

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Daily Diet: Healthy Beverage Choices During Pregnancy

By now every woman should know that alcohol is verboten while pregnant and caffeinated beverages should be minimized or avoided. But recent data also shows that diet soft drinks can increase the risk of premature births. So what’s a mother-to-be to do?

Keeping hydrated while pregnant is important. HealthNews “Bringing in Baby” columnists Constance Rock & Aleksandra Evanguelidi encourage clients to get plenty of good quality hydration. The ideal quantity of fluid ounces for each pregnant woman to consume is at least 50-75 percent of their body weight in ounces of good quality water and herbal teas. So, if a woman is 150 pounds before pregnancy, she should be drinking a minimum of 75-100 ounces of fluid a day. That’s a lot of liquid.

Here are a few of the Do’s and Don’ts:

DO drink plenty of water. It can be still or carbonated, flavored or plain. In fact, given the amount of water you should be drinking, it might be nice to switch it up now and then. Hot water with lemon in the morning, flavored seltzer in the afternoon. (Check out my recent post "Summer Soda Substitute," which provides easy recipes for flavored syrups to add to your sparkling water. ) Throw in the occasional coconut water, full of electrolytes, fat free, cholesterol free and full of potassium, it can also be beneficial to digestion.

DON’T drink coffee, black or green teas, caffeinated sodas. Caffeine not only blocks iron absorption, but it leaches calcium from your blood. Both iron and calcium are vital for growing a healthy baby and they’re vital to your health and longevity.

DO drink decaffeinated and herbal coffees and teas. You can enjoy the flavor of coffee by drinking decaf coffee, but in moderation. Processing removes most of the caffeine from coffee beans, but not all, same with decaf teas. Herbal teas are a great alternative, particularly ginger or mint tea—which can be helpful with nausea— and chamomile tea—which can be calming.

DON’T drink sugar-filled beverages: sodas, juices. Decreasing refined sugars during pregnancy is good for you and your baby.

DO drink 100% juices. Organic or fresh-pressed is best, but if you don’t have a juicer—or the time and energy—focus on fresh refrigerated juices at your grocery store, or those that say 100% juice.

DON’T drink alcohol. This includes wine, beer and hard alcohol. Alcohol is dangerous in pregnancy, but its danger is due to the fact that alcohol can produce fetal abnormalities in the developing child, as well as miscarriage. Also be wary of kombucha—a fermented tea— which has actually has an alcohol content due to the fermentation. While it is low, usually .5%, it can be as high as 3%, similar to some beer.

DO drink milk products—cold or warmed (with a drop of vanilla extract). Due to the saturated fat in whole milk, you should stick to skim or nonfat milk, but try to get in three 8-ounce glasses of milk or other calcium and protein-rich dairy products each day. Yogurt is a good substitute, either on its own or in smoothies. Fresh fruit, yogurt and ice smoothies are a good source of calcium, vitamins and essential nutrients. Milkshakes are another milk-based beverage that you can enjoy, but beware the high sugar content. (NOTE: Milkshakes and smoothies are often recommended prior to bedtime to keep the hunger at bay and reduce morning sickness.)

DON’T forget to look at nutritional labels on all beverages, particularly those labeled “energy” or “functional.” Oftentimes there are large amounts of caffeine and sugar which should be avoided.

And for a nice soothing treat, try a Bowl of Soul:

1 cup vanilla soy milk

1 chammomile tea bag

1 tablespoon honey

Source:By Susan Brady.health news 

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The Daily Diet: Bottled vs. Brewed Teas

Given the heat wave that most of the country is suffering from at the moment, iced bottled beverages are being consumed in copious amounts. For the health conscious, many of those beverages contain or are based on green tea, which touts numerous health benefits such as reducing the risk for a wide range of diseases, from bacterial or viral infections to chronic degenerative conditions including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis. But not all green tea is created equal, and the secret is in the brewing technique.

Green tea is the least processed of all types of tea, made by briefly steaming the just harvested leaves, rendering them soft and pliable and preventing them from fermenting or changing color. After steaming, the leaves are rolled, then spread out and dried with hot air. Because of green tea’s minimal processing, its catechins—antioxidants which are believed to prevent damage caused by oxidation—are more concentrated.

Many bottled green teas are promoted as having anti-oxidant properties, purely due to the presence of the green tea, but the type of green tea or extract that is used in many of these products is actually significantly lower than a cup of plain old brewed green tea. In fact one new study found that in some cases a person would have to drink up to 20 times the amount of bottled tea in a day to reap the same antioxidant benefits as one cup of brewed tea.

At a meeting of the American Chemical Society, researchers Shiming Li and Chi-Tang Ho, stated that their research led to the conclusion that some popular brands of bottled tea contain much fewer polyphenols than brewed green and black tea. Most of the brands that they tested had “virtually no antixoidants,” while others had such small amounts that there would be no benefit.

Most bottled teas also contain additional sugars and non-beneficial ingredients which could counteract any benefit that was purported in the first place. For some healthy alternatives to sugar-laden teas and sodas, Healthy Eating columnist Susan Brady offers “Trading in Your Diet Soda” and for brewing and flavoring your own iced tea, read “Summer Soda Substitute.”

Source: By Susan Brady.health news 

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