Health, Wellness and Fitness for People & Pets JUNE 2015 | Page 23
and 3 oz of fried oysters, 6 mg. If you think you're anemic or have significantly low iron levels,
see your primarycare physician before taking iron supplements.
Power Breakfasts
"When you wake up in the morning, you've gone 6 to 8 hours without taking in any calories," Wein
points out. "That is the time to wake up your body by providing it with the right kind of calories to
burn for energy."
So if you skimp on breakfast, you run the risk of a lackluster morning, since your blood sugar will
probably be low and stay low, depriving your brain of the glucose it needs. Here's how to eat a true
power breakfast:
● Hold the pancake syrup.
Sweet breakfasts are an energy disaster, since nothing plummets
your blood sugar faster (after an initial boost) than concentrated forms of simple carbohydrates
like corn or maple syrup. Pouring one of them over refined carbohydrates like white flour
pancakes or waffles exaggerates the effect. Whittle warns that any sweet topping with corn
syrup in it—like the typical mapleflavored syrup or a lot of jellies—is an especially good bet to
spikeanddip your blood sugar to lethargic levels. So try some healthier and more energizing
alternatives, she suggests. Go for French toast made with whole grain bread and egg substitute,
or use a whole grain flour like buckwheat in your pancake or waffle mix. Top them off with
your favorite fruit instead of syrup.
● Reach for some protein.
While fruit and whole grain cereal are fine morning choices, your
breakfast carbohydrates still need to be balanced with some protein foods for more enduring
energy, Whittle says. The fatfree milk or lowfat yogurt you add to the cereal will work. Or go
for eggs or egg substitutes with an English muffin or a slice of whole grain toast.
● Shoot for 3g of fiber per serving.
Whole grains, unlike refined flour products, deliver
energy laced with fiber, which slows down the digestion so that the energy is released over a
longer period of time. That's why whole grain, highfiber cereals are an excellent breakfast
selection for allmorning energy. "Look for one with at least 3 g of fiber per serving," Wein says.
"Some have 8 g or more. Eat it with fatfree milk, and you have a perfect balance."
● Stock up on oatmeal.
A fiberpacked whole grain cereal, oatmeal is your best breakfast
choice for longlasting energy, says William Evans, PhD, director of the nutrition, metabolism,
and exercise laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Veterans Affairs