NoExcusesGym

People who skip or eat an inadequate breakfast may find mid-morning a time they are likely to eat high calorie foods. They may also get extremely hungry at lunch and overeat. Studies of binge eating consistently link it with a pattern of eating little in the morning and large amounts near the end of the day.

In a study involving the National Weight Conrol Registry - a group in which members have each lost at least 30 pounds and maintained the loss at least a year - 78 percent say they eat breakfast daily and almost 90 percent say they do most days.

Although it might seem that skipping breakfast would make weight control easier, studies suggest that eating breakfast may help reduce calorie intake later in the day. Why breakfast?

Furthermore, breakfast is a good time to:

•  take in nutrients often lacking in the American diet, such as fiber, calcium, iron, folic acid, and vitamin C;

•  meet the goal of three or more servings of whole grains: whole-grain cereal, oatmeal, and whole-grain bread for toast;

•  get in at least one serving of fruit or vegetables, perhaps in an omelet or vegetable juice.

For a long-lasting, health-promoting breakfast, one formula is to combine a whole grain, a fruit or vegetable, and a healthful source of protein. For the latter, choose a food that is either low in fat, such as skim milk and low-fat yogurt, or contains healthful fat, such as peanut butter and walnuts.

(by Marcela Vanharova)