Don’t Skip Breakfast!
Here Are Easy, Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Busy Women and Their Heart Health.
Mornings can be very difficult and busy. Often, the one thing that falls to the bottom of the morning to-do list is breakfast. Sometimes you just don’t have time. If this sounds like you then having an easy, healthy breakfast idea might be all you need to make breakfast happen in your home.
Why is an early intervention cardiologist talking about breakfast?
Because several studies show that skipping breakfast can increase your risk of getting—or dying from—heart disease. One possible mechanism was identified in a recent review of seven clinical trials published in the journal Obesity (Silver Spring). This study found that skipping breakfast may significantly increase your LDL (low-density lipoprotein—your “bad” cholesterol) levels which is something I try to teach my patients how to prevent.
Let me share two of my recommended breakfast ideas to make your morning a bit more heart-healthy.
1.
Green Drink (Smoothie)
Smoothies are a great savior for your morning routines. They taste good and are rich in so many vitamins and minerals. The best part is that if you make them yummy, nobody in your family will say no.
Here is one recipe for an easy, healthy breakfast idea:
Ingredients for 1 serving (increase the amounts for more servings):
1 handful of spinach, kale, and/or wheatgrass (if available)
1 stalk celery (cut)
1 green apple (cut)
½ cup cut pineapple
2 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup cranberry juice (Note: I don’t recommend “cranberry cocktail” because it is just high fructose corn syrup)
Optional add-ins: protein powder (can make this a meal replacement), coconut oil, or flaxseed oil if you want to incorporate these into your diet because they mix well and have little to no taste
Place all of your ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.
Another reason I love this recipe is because it’s easy to bring with you on the go. You can put it into a travel mug and rush out the door so you can still get to your destination on time.
Heart Health Benefits:
Green drinks keep the body alkaline. Alkaline pH inhibits cancer growth. You can get pH strips that test both saliva and urine at most health food stores or online.
2.
Egg bowl
You can cook this recipe up very quickly by preparing most of the ingredients ahead of time. For example, you can cook the chicken and pre-cut a whole onion or a bunch of spinach on the weekend. Then freeze them in Ziplock bags or any container that tolerates the freezer temperatures. This way your ingredients are ready to go in the mornings when you don’t have a lot of time.
Here is one recipe for an easy, healthy breakfast idea:
Ingredients
Eggs (1-2 per person)
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
¼ cup spinach, chopped
½ cup cooked chicken breast, chopped
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Mix all of the ingredients together in a pan and scramble them up. Voila, you have a delicious, easy breakfast full of vegetables and protein.
Heart Health Benefits:
This egg bowl is full of protein and antioxidants to start your day off right.
summary
Fuel your morning and help your heart with these easy, healthy breakfast ideas. Getting some vegetables into your body early in the day will help to start it off right.
Make the best of your day . . . and your life!
If you want to learn more about how to make your life an enjoyable one, and life a long healthy life, contact us or make an appointment by calling 352-717-0220.
References
Alvarez, N. 2019. Heels vs. ties: Living with your #1 threat. RI-AL Consulting.
Bonnet, J. P., Cardel, M. I., Cellini, J., Hu, F. B., & Guasch-Ferré, M. (2020). Breakfast Skipping, Body Composition, and Cardiometabolic Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 28(6), 1098–1109. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22791
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7304383/
Ofori-Asenso, R., Owen, A. J., & Liew, D. (2019). Skipping Breakfast and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Death: A Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies in Primary Prevention Settings. Journal of cardiovascular development and disease, 6(3), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcdd6030030
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6787634/
Takagi, H., Hari, Y., Nakashima, K., Kuno, T., Ando, T., & ALICE (All-Literature Investigation of Cardiovascular Evidence) Group (2019). Meta-Analysis of Relation of Skipping Breakfast With Heart Disease. The American journal of cardiology, 124(6), 978–986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2019.06.016
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31326073/