The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Breakfast

  • A Ramadan breakfast packed with energy

    A Ramandan breakfast which packs the body with energy until the fast is broken at sunset isn’t an easy project. To start with, many people eat late heavily when the fast has been broken, with the result that they suffer indigestion and constipation. After sunset, the body’s energy profile goes down and this is not the time to give the body the task of digesting heavy meals. In the morning, food has to be eaten before sunrise when energy from the sun’s rays hasn’t powered the “energies” of the body for serious work. In any case, this is the time the body is struggling to eliminate waste from processes of digestion so, what may one have for breakfast that is light, small in quantity and yet so energy yielding that it can power the body all day, so that, invigorated from sunrise to sunset, those familiar tell tales of a drawn face or weak muscles do not cripple one’s day and business? Every year, I suggest a recipe. This year, the recipe is Golden Mellon with Spirulina and Wheat grass, bedecked with food supplements such as Ginseng, Lecithin and Vitamin E, to mention a few. Golden Melon is in season. Also called Honey dew and Cucumins it is the sweetest of all melons, and parades almost all the nutrients the body requires in adequate proportions. When I have a golden melon breakfast, I am almost certain to skip lunch and have light supper. Green, yellow or golden in colour, the fruit is about the only one in the melon family which continues to ripen after it has been picked. Although it is the sweetest of them all, it has a low glycemic index. This means its sugar releases slowly, a quality which makes it beneficial for even diabetics.

    Golden melon has no saturated fat, is a good source of folic acid and Vitamin C, has no cholesterol. In every 100 grammes it parades about Vitamin A (20 Percent,) Vitamin C (53Percent), Iron (2 Percent,) Calcium (1Percent), it’s mineral content include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, Zinc and sodium. Its Vitamins are Vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, k. Potassium prevents muscle cramps, Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, fights diseases, inflammation and bleeding, folic acid is good for pregnant women and it prevents birth defects, including spina bifida. For people who wish to lose weight, the food cheer is that Golden melon has no fats. It is for this reason that it has been recommended for diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases. Its Vitamin B6 content is a plus for the immune system. I eat Golden melon, diced; you may wish to try the puree or the pure mixed nutrition in a smoothie nutrition power house plant powders such as Spirulina and Wheatgrass.

    This column mention spirulina often. Mrs. Veronica Momoh of Benin knows I have a son who, as a child, hated vegetables and didn’t appear to be growing well for his age. When, after some difficulties, I added spirulina to his diet, he sprang up rapidly.

  • Don’t skip breakfast, says nutritionist

    Don’t skip breakfast, says nutritionist

    Breakfast is essential and it is not advisable to skip, a nutritionist has said. Dr Folake Samuel of the Department of Human Nutrition, Univeristy of Ibadan (UI), said it is dangerous to skip breakfast or eat just anything to replace breakfast. In an inteerview with The Nation,Dr  Samuel said: “Skipping breakfast can make both children and adults feel tired, restless, or irritable. Imagine you are a car. After a long night of sleeping, your fuel tank is empty. Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road. You need to provide enough new energy for your body to get started and to keep you functioning until lunch.

    “Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast – that’s where its name originates, breaking the fast!  Without breakfast you are effectively running on empty, like trying to start the car with no petrol. We nutritionists advise that breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking. A six-year study compared the mental and physical efficiency of a group of adults throughout the day, some of whom ate healthy nutritious breakfasts while others did not. When compared to those who ate breakfast, the people who did not became less efficient as the day went on. Their productivity improved after eating lunch, but by the end of the day, their work completion was slower than those who had eaten breakfast.

    “For children, a good breakfast is even more important. Children who do not eat a good breakfast become tired in school and have shorter attention spans, especially late in the morning. In one study, test scores of children who did not eat breakfast were generally lower than those who had eaten a well-balanced morning meal. Another good reason to make sure that children have a balanced breakfast is that four out of five children do not get enough vitamins and minerals from lunch and dinner alone. By adding good breakfast, children are more likely to get the vitamins and minerals they need. Also, children who don’t eat a good breakfast tend to eat more junk food during the day such as snacks that are high in fat and sugar and low in nutritional value.”

    Dr Samuel said: “The point of breakfast is to feed your child’s body the protein and energy it needs to start the day and to carry him through to lunch. Of course, children often learn most by example, so it’s important for parents to set a good example and have a nutritious breakfast each day too.

    “The morning meal does not have to be a headache, as there are excellent resources, such as cereals within our local environment that Nigerians can utilise to make up nutritious golden breakfast meals that can be prepared quickly, eaten and even enjoyed before leaving for school, work or any business for the day. They include maize, millet, cow pea and sorghum.”

    She explained that cereals make a nutritious and filling breakfast. “Breakfast cereals are high fibre when made of whole grains and contain nutrients such as iron and vitamin A when fortified. Breakfast cereals when fortified with nutrients such as iron and vitamin A are good for children. Children usually like the taste of breakfast cereals and they can easily prepare by themselves. A good breakfast gives a good start to your day and provides energy for work and play. Children remain active during school and play. When you give a golden start to your day with a nutritious breakfast, you have energy for work and play. Children remain active during school and play.

    “Apart from providing adults too with energy, eating a good breakfast makes it more likely for them to meet their daily nutritional needs.  Breakfast has various health benefits. It helps to maintain an ideal body weight as those who eat breakfast are more likely to be within their ideal weight range compared with those who regularly skip breakfast.”

  • Food to eat for breakfast

    Food to eat for breakfast

    Waking up in the morning and rushing to work with an empty stomach may not be the right way to a healthy living. Eating a nutritious food in the morning boosts your energy and strengthens your body system for daily activities.

    Here are some simple foods that can be eaten without taking time to prepare:

    1. Watermelon
    Water melon is an excellent way to hydrate in the morning.
    Watermelon contains just 40 calories per cup, landing it on lists of so-called negative-calorie foods that supposedly burn more calories during digestion than they add in.

    This juicy fruit is among the best sources of lycopene- a nutrient found in red fruits and vegetables that is important for vision, heart health, and cancer prevention.

    2. BlueBerries
    Studies suggest that eating blueberries regularly can help improve everything from memory and motor skills to blood pressure and metabolism.
    Blueberries are also lower in calories than a lot of other fruits (they contain just 80 per cup).

    3. Strawberries
    Berries are super foods because they’re so high in antioxidants without being high in calories.
    A recent study found that women were less likely to have a heart attack over an 18-year period if they ate more than three servings of strawberries or blueberries per week.

    4. Tea
    Tea has a pretty impressive resume of health benefits too. Because it has less caffeine, it hydrates you more effectively than coffee, and it’s also a rich source of the immunity boosting antioxidants known as catechins.
    Research suggests that drinking five cups a day can increase your body’s metabolism and help you lose more weight around the middle.
    All tea (black, green or white) provides antioxidants, but green tea maybe healthiest of all.

    5. Orange Juice
    Fresh squeezed orange juice is a classic (tasty) morning beverage. It is one of the few dietary sources of the sunshine vitamin, higher levels of which have been link to a lower risk of osteoporosis, depression, certain cancers.

    6. Cereal
    Top off your bowl with skim milk and fruit for the complete package. Whole grains to fill you up, protein to supply all-day energy, and antioxidants to keep your immune system humming.

    7. Bananas
    There is nothing like banana at breakfast to keep those mid-morning cravings at bay. Bananas are a particularly good choice for people with hypertension. It helps lower blood pressure naturally.

    8. Eggs
    Once shunned for being high in dietary cholesterol (one yolk contains about 60% of your daily allotment), eggs are now embraced as a healthy source of protein and nutrients like vitamin D.