Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day!!!!!

Eating breakfast is the secret to staying healthy. They believe skipping the first meal of the day increases the chances of becoming obese, developing diabetes or even having a heart attack. 
Breakfast is the first and the most important meal of the day. It’s the energy pack which lets you kick out of the dizzy morning feeling and gives you the boost for starting a good morning. Well actually a good breakfast is the recipe for a good morning. Breakfast should be a priority on everybody. It actually sets prepare for the day and promote short-term memory, energy and vitality, mental and physical alertness, focus and concentration, lower levels of stress and a healthier body weight.

Skipping breakfast is a very usual practice among children, teenagers, adolescents and elders who want to reduce their weights. If breakfast is not taken on time, one would feel quite hungry by the lunchtime, and then would not care for the amount and the quality of food that he would consume during his or her lunch.
Studies find that people who skip breakfast are likely to have problems with concentration, metabolism and weight. 


Skipping breakfast especially among children affects mental performance in the class. Children who take breakfast regularly are more active and alert than the children who skip breakfast. Not only mental performance, academic performance and physical performance of the children who take breakfast daily are better than the children who skip breakfast. They perform better in school, pay more attention, are more creative, have higher concentration and score more and better marks in the tests.

Excuses for not eating breakfast could include any of the following:
No time: How much time does it take to eat a bowl of cereal or two toasts and some juice/ milk? You can even eat it on your way to school or work. Making time for breakfast is making time to be healthy.
Not hungry: To get started, don’t eat anything after an early dinner. Eating breakfast will actually help you reach and maintain your healthy weight. Your appetite will be satisfied longer. You’ll be eating food when you can best burn the calories. You’ll feel great.
Don’t like traditional breakfast: You don’t have to eat traditional breakfast foods. Any healthy food is fine.
Don’t like eating breakfast: Sorry it can’t be helped. You’ve got to eat.
Cash on Calories!
One would then think what should a good breakfast be like????

A good breakfast is one that provides at least one third of the day’s calories. It is generally seen that individuals who consume up to a 1/3 of their daily calories in the morning meal will eat less later on that day. The effects of a skipped breakfast are short attention span, lack of alertness, longer reaction time, low blood sugar, decreased work productivity etc. You wouldn’t try and drive an empty car to work would you? So why drive an empty body?
The sky’s the limit. The only limitation is your imagination. Make it a priority. Eat breakfast. Starting your day with a good breakfast:
• Boosts your energy
• Increases your attention span
• Heightens your sense of well-being.
• You’ll be in better control of your emotions.


A Healthy Breakfast should consist of carbohydrate, protein and fibre.
Example:
1. Any one cereal preparation which could be as simple as wheat flakes or oats meal with milk and a fruit.
2. Choose Whole Grain Bread. Have it with an egg made the way you like. If you’re a veggie, try scrambled tofu (soya paneer) or sliced cucumber and tomato with mint chutney.
3. A good example of a full healthy breakfast might be something simple like a hardboiled egg, an orange, and a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk.
4. South Indian breakfasts like idly/dosa/poha/upma with sambar, a sliced banana or strawberries etc.
5. It may include simple low fat vegetable paratha along with a fruit and a cup of milk.

Eating out : The Healthy Way

Nowadays Indians tend to eat out about 3 times per week, spending a third of their food budget away from home. Eating out provides a chance to celebrate or socialize, experience new foods or just an excuse to avoid cooking. However for many, fast foods and restaurants can be an obstacle to maintaining a healthy weight. Dining out poses many challenges to a healthy lifestyle: Portion sizes are often larger!!!!!!!!!! Food may be prepared with added fat or sugar!!!!!!!!! The meal may not offer 3 out of the 4 food groups to balance the meal.

For instance, a fast food meal is usually devoid of vegetables and fruit. If you eat out on special occasions, eat what you want and enjoy the meal. However, if eating out is a more regular occurrence, it is important to choose wisely. It isn’t impossible to maintain a healthy weight and eat out but it will require some thought and planning. Choose Restaurants Wisely Don’t wait until you are starving to find a place to eat, this will lead to an impulse decision and most likely an unhealthy one. Plan ahead and give yourself some time to choose. Look for a place that offers menus with nutrition information. If you are stuck with fast food, walk away from the pizza place or hot dog stand and look for places that offer fruit, yogurt, soup and sandwiches.

Most fast food places now offer healthy options like salads and yogurt. Select from the Menu Carefully Ask the waiter how a dish you are interested in ordering is prepared. See if you can request healthy substitutions (baked instead of fried, olive oil instead of butter or just no butter). Start your meal by ordering for a soup(thin usually clear), and a green salad. Starters in tandoor, barbequed steamed or roasted form to be welcomed. Go for more of raw salads, raithas, dal preparations instead of heavy gravies. If gravy is an option go in for a green based gravy like palak paneer or mushroom palak , or palak chicken/pudina chicken etc.

Avoid alcohol as far as possible. However if inevitable enjoy it in moderation (probably just one peg). Alcohol has almost as many calories per gram as fat does and contains no nutrients. For dessert, green tea or decaffeinated coffee. If you just can’t resist dessert, order something with fruit and split it with a dining partner. Eat slowly and enjoy your meal!!!!!!!! Remember there is no need to clean your plate. If u feel full don’t overburden your stomach. Parcel the remaining food and either have afterwards or offer it to pets at home. Don’t make your stomach a dustbin.

Do's and Don'ts for Summertime : Kids

Ten Tips For Healthy and Nutritious Summer Vacations!!!

Do’s:
 • Keep your children well hydrated by encouraging them to have fluids in the form of water, coconut water, jaljeera, dhania and jeera water, rose water, nimbu sharbat, kokam sharbat, glucon-D, fresh fruit juices. • All the fluids to be given at room temperature, avoid fridge cold water/ drinks as it may be a cause for throat infections and cough.
 • “Beat the Heat foods”: Encourage foods like cucumber, tomato, watermelon, muskmelon, strawberry, litchee, blackberries and citrus fruits.
 • Incorporate curd and buttermilk in the form of lassi, chaas, raithas, or curries made up of curd, to keep up the probiotics in their systems.
 • Encourage short frequent meals instead of two large meals, in order to keep them active and energetic throughout the day.

 Don’ts
 • Avoid cold drinks/aerated drinks and ice creams or lollies as the source of fluids. It will only dehydrate your child.
 • Try to avoid junk, fried foods like burgers, samosas, wadas, chips etc as it is going to only add on to dehydration and the associated gastrointestinal disturbances.
• Avoid heavy meals with chicken, red meat and masalas instead opt for fish options which will be lighter to digest.
• Avoid giving any cooling drink even plain water just after coming from sun….keep atleast a gap of 5-10 mins , to rehydrate your children.
• Avoid spices and condiments like cloves, garlic, garam masala in their foods as they increase the heat in the body.