The Reality of Health and Weight Loss

“Skipping breakfast is often a big no-no if you are trying to lose or maintain weight because it leads to high-calorie cravings later.”

Source: Web MD.

I know that eating breakfast isn’t always on the top of our priority list when you’re running late or not feeling hungry, but it’s important! Eating a good, healthy breakfast improves your mood and energy levels. 

Prepare a parfait or smoothie makings in the fridge before you go to bed! That way, you’ll have no excuse. 

5 Minute Meals

photo by adactio via Flickr Creative Commons

Take control of your health and cook your own meals!

I recommend this cool website called “Small Kitchen.” It has a lot of easy to make healthy meals that you can cook on a limited budget!

Their PB&J Smoothie looks awesome, I’m going to give it a try!

5 Health Benefits of Leafy Green Veggies:

1. Reduce risk of diabetes
2. Protects bones from osteoporosis
3. Best source of healing vitamins and minerals (vitamins K, C, E, and B)
4. Phytonutrients help protect us against age-related disease and damage
5. Large amount of vitamin K may help prevent cancer and brain problems such as dementia

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WHY EATING A GOOD BREAKFAST = WEIGHT LOSS

A study run by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that if you eat big dinners, you’re more likely to gain weight. 

Here’s the details about the study: 

“For the first four weeks of the study, all 420 participants lost weight around the same rate. Beginning at about week five, the dieters who ate their main meal after 3 p.m. had more or less plateaued in their weight loss. By the time the study finished, they lost 22 percent less weight than dieters who ate more earlier in the day. The dieter’s diet, amount of sleep, appetite and hunger hormone levels were all held constant.  

Eating later in the day may throw off our circadian rhythms (our internal clock), which could affect our metabolism, researchers suggest. Skipping breakfast can lead to overeating later and doesn’t give your metabolism the boost it needs in the morning.”

My breakfast most mornings?

• 1/2 a grapefruit
• 1 smoothie 
• 1 small bowl of bran flakes w/ soy milk
• 2 cups of mixed fruit
• 1 cup of tea (Tazo passion is a favorite!)
• Scrambled eggs
• A spinach croissant

I’ve definitely found a change in my energy levels through eating larger breakfasts and small dinners. 

Get this metabolism booster working for you and start your morning off right :)

Sure, you may end up spending a little more for those fresh fruits and veggies than if you’d gone to McDonalds.

But you know what? Your health and well being is worth it.

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It’s easier to give into cravings if you don’t have healthy food on hand. 

So here are 3 Easy-to-Prepare Healthy Meals:

1. Breakfast Parfait:

Approx. 300 calories.

2. Italian Tuna Bowl:

1. 3 oz can of chunk light tuna (drained)
2. 1/4 cup chopped red onion
3. 1/4 cup chopped green onion
4. 3 tbsp olive oil based dressing 

Approx. 400 calories

3. Veggie Burger:

• Veggie burger patty (my personal favorites include any veggie patty from Morningstar farms!)
• Whole grain patty
• 3 large romaine leaves
• 1/2 tomato
• Sliced onion
• 1/4 cup sliced avocado **Metabolism Booster**

Approx. 300 calories

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Visit RealityofYou.com for more weight loss and health articles!

The goal with this approach to weight loss is to ensure you don’t get too hungry and binge on junk food.

You can find a sample five-meal-a-day weight loss plan here.

Source: Study from the US Library of Medicine