Teaching your Children The Power of Breakfast

Teaching your Children The Power of Breakfast
Reference: Super Energy Detox, Michael van Straten

While you sleep your body is working hard as this is the time for growth and repair. Your brain switches off the activity hormones and turns on to maintenance mode. While all this work is going on you are using up your reserves of vital nutrients, so your storehouse needs replenishing, which is why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.


The Most Important Meal of the Day

Kids Need Their Morning Meal 
While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform their best, children need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains rely heavily on the regular intake of food. Ideally 25% of one’s daily calories should be from breakfast as breakfast = breaking your fast. When children skip breakfast, it could be 8 to 12 hours since they last ate and your blood-sugar levels is at a rock bottom. This period of semi-starvation can create a lot of physical, intellectual and behavioral problems for them, as the brain requires a constant supply of sugar to function properly.

Skipping breakfast means poorer performance by your children at school, a greater risk of accidents driving and a lack of efficiency at work. It also mean a higher level a irritability.


A Good Investment 
If you and your kids regularly skip breakfast in the interest of saving time or getting a few more minutes of sleep, remember that eating a wholesome, nutritious morning meal will probably save you time in the long run. By recharging your brain and your body, you'll be more efficient in just about everything you do. Interestingly, studies show that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more often than children who eat breakfast on a regular basis. Preparing a good breakfast can be as quick and easy as splashing some milk over cereal. Time invested in breakfast is much more valuable than the few extra minutes of sleep you might get by bypassing the morning meal.

Despite the early morning rushes and the screamings over the washrooms, parents must realize the importance of breakfast. Make it a point to prepare yours and your children’s breakfast the night before if the mornings will be tight of time due to your extra snoozing.

Do not believe it when hear people say that skipping breakfast will help you lose weight. This practice will more likely cause a weight gain instead of a weight loss. Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity. Studies show that overweight and obese children, adolescents, and adults are less likely to break the fast each morning than their thinner counterparts. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger. Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than when they eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals. To teens, especially teenage girls, skipping breakfast may seem like a perfectly logical way to cut down on calories and lose weight. It's important for moms to educate their kids about the importance of the morning meal and the role it plays in maintaining good health and preventing obesity.


Here are some additional tips to help you teach your children how to have good eating habits:


Tip # 1: Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

Especially because we are in a country specializing FOOD-FOOD-FOOD (MAKAN-MAKAN-MAKAN) many of us confuse (or choose to confuse) thirst with hunger. We end up eating that extra dessert (or desserts) from our favourite hawker stores and down a huge glass of sugar cane or glass jelly or even a cup or two of our yummy old fashion condensed milk kopi, when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.
If you do not like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew a cup of Green or Chinese teas , which have lots of flavor and caffeine but no calories.
Additional Morning Tip: Make it a priority to drink at least 4 cups of plain water right when you wake up. It will give you a lot more energy and purify the toxins in your body.


Tip # 2: Think ADDITIONS not SUBTRACT from your diet

Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. This may sound like a lot, but it is well worth it. You will be meeting your fiber goals and feeling more satisfied from the volume of food. (Note: not all calories are the same)
Your tendency to overeat is lessened because fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet on top of the health benefits you get from this increased consumptions of fruits and vegetables.
Thus, work more vegetables into meals instead of just serving them as sides on a plate. Request for ‘more vegetables’ upon ordering your favorite dishes. Make sure you smile and say ‘thank you’ to the Uncle and Aunty.


Tip # 3: Question if you are really hungry.

Hunger is your body’s way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn’t come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it.
When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.
Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably. Keeping your portions reasonable will help you get more in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness.


Tip # 4: Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Mindless eating occurs most frequently after dinner, when you finally sit down and relax.
Sitting down with a bag of chips or cookies in front of the television is an example of eating amnesia, where you mindlessly eat without being hungry, but out of habit. Either close down the kitchen after a certain hour, or allow yourself a low-calorie snack, like a 100-calorie pack of cookies or a half-cup scoop of low-fat ice cream. Once you find that you're usually satisfied with the low-cal snack, try a cup of zero-calorie tea.


Tip # 5: Enjoy your favorite foods.

"I think putting your favorite foods off limits leads to weight gain because it triggers 'rebound' overeating," says Sass.
Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, be a slim shopper. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag.
"You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you must do so in moderation," says Sass.


Tip # 6: Do not keep junk into your home. Enjoy your treats outside

When you need a treat, consider a walking or driving to your local ice cream parlor or planning a family outing.
By making it into an adventure, you do not have to worry about the temptation of having treats in the house, and it is a fun and pleasurable way to make it work when you are trying to lose weight.
If you can not get out, stock your kitchen with fresh fruit and to spice it up, add some low fat yogurt to it for a yummy dessert.


Tip # 7: Eat several mini-meals during the day.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you're hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging.
Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight. She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day -- dinner should be the last time you eat.


Tip # 8: Eat protein at every meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control. Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss.
Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.


Tip # 9: Spice it up.

Add spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied. Food that is loaded with flavor will stimulate your taste buds and be more satisfying so you won’t eat as much.
When you need something sweet, suck on a red-hot fireball candy for a long-lasting burst of sweetness with just a few calories.


Tip # 10: Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.

Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You'll be less likely to indulge on your favorite foods if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.


Tip # 11: Eat foods in season.

If you don’t love certain fruits or vegetables, it could be because you ate them out of season when they have little taste or flavor. When you eat seasonally, fruits and vegetables are more flavorful, at their best, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.


Tip # 12: Swap a cup of noodles for a cup of vegetables.

Simply by eating less noodles or rice and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year.
You can save from 100-200 calories if you reduce the portion of starch on your plate and increase the amount of vegetables.


Tip # 13: Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.

Sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a stressful situation. Instead of turning to food for comfort, be prepared with some non-food tactics that work for you. Go to the beach, go bowling, listen to some music, blog, practice deep breathings or call up a long lost friend.


Tip # 14: Be physically active.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, don’t use exercise either to punish yourself for eating or to "earn" the right to eat more. When you do, it sets up a negative thought pattern, which is why so many people say they hate to exercise.
Instead, focus on how great you feel, how much better you sleep and how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical activity is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not, so keep it positive and build a lifelong habit.