Chautauqua Star April 18, 2014 | Page 23

CHAUTAUQUA STAR FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014 they’re eating healthfully by foregoing a doughnut and choosing a huge blueberry muffin instead, or a cream I’m often amazed at cheese covered bagel what people think is the size of their head. a nutritious breakfast. However, based on the Watching people, and size and ingredients, looking at the pictures some of those muffins many post on social and bagels contain an media these days, it’s astonishing amount no wonder so many of calories, sometimes people are also saying they’re struggling with much more than a doughnut contains. their weight. Think about the origin Other people throw an iced pastry into the of the word breakfast. toaster and call that It means break the fast. It involves fueling a day starter. Plenty of others pop a frozen your body to get your waffle in their toaster metabolism moving. oven and then drench What you eat after you wake needs to give it in butter and syrup, or they dump a pile of you enough energy to overly sweetened cereal perform well during what is likely to be one into a gigantic bowl of the most productive and think that’s better for them because they periods of your day. pour a little milk over Do you really think it. Maybe you think it’s a jelly fi lled frosted doughnut washed down healthier and easier to by a giant latte covered simply grab a yogurt, in whipped cream and but then make the mistake of choosing caramel sauce will do that? That sounds more one with fruit on the bottom or one that’s like a recipe for early packed with a highly morning sugar shock. sweetened granola or Yet that’s what has candy crunch topping. become an acceptable Looking at many breakfast for far too people’s breakfast many of us. choices makes me Some people delude themselves into thinking wonder exactly when By Patty Hammond Start Your Day in a Good Way HEALTH 23 Smart Living people began to think sugar should play such an important role in the way they start their day. There is no good reason breakfast has to be so sweet. Don’t be sucked in by what advertisers tell us we should want to eat to start our day, or by what restaurants have on their breakfast menus. Some current restaurant options are absolutely horrifying. Lately I’ve seen menus featuring options like huge stacks of chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with icing and covered in whipped cream. Don’t kid yourself. That’s not a reasonable breakfast. It’s dessert. Even the traditional American breakfast many of us grew up eating isn’t really the best option for most of us. A big plate of eggs, bacon or sausage, fried potatoes, toast and jelly with a glass of orange juice doesn’t really fit in all that well with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans re