4 Reasons Why You Should Eat a Good Breakfast

You might be skipping breakfast because you are in a hurry or you think that it is a way to lose weight. . But skipping breakfast is not the solution. In fact, there are some pretty good reasons why you should eat a good breakfast everyday. 

Here are 4 good reasons:

1. The first reason is that after a long night of fasting, during sleep, your body would have used up the fuel and a good bit of the nutrients that you consumed during the day. A good breakfast will replenish the nutrient levels in your cells to give you the energy and mental clarity you need for optimum performance.
2. Breakfast can provide one-fifth to one-third of your daily nutritional needs. Going without a good breakfast increases the chance that you might consume a lot of empty calories during the day without a matching allowance of vitamins, minerals and other important dietary substances.
3. Breakfast is an opportunity to get milk or other dairy products, including cheese and yogurt, which can help to meet your calcium needs. Keep in mind that calcium is needed to build strong bones. Skipping breakfast may make it harder to get the calcium you need during the rest of the day and put you are risk for osteoporosis.
4. Breakfast will keep you from getting ravenously hungry in the middle of the morning and stuffing yourself with high-calorie junk food.

Lactose Intolerance

Overview

If you have lactose intolerance it means that you cannot digest lactose, which is the sugar that is found in milk. This happens when your body does not produce lactase, an enzyme that is needed to break down the lactose or milk sugar.

How Do You Know If You Have Lactose Intolerance?

You may be lactose intolerant if you develop stomach symptoms within a few minutes to a couple of hours after consuming milk or other foods made with milk. The symptoms may be quite mild in some people, moderate in others and severe in the worse cases.

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

If you have any of the following symptoms after consuming milk or milk products, you may have lactose intolerance:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Nausea

What Should You Do If You Have Lactose Intolerance?
If your symptoms are mild, you might be able to consume a small amount of milk or milk product. Some people who are lactose intolerant are able to consume cheeses and yogurt without experiencing any serious symptoms, even if they cannot tolerate regular milk. You should pay attention to the signals in your own body and avoid those things that trigger a reaction. Always consult with your doctor to rule out any more serious medical condition.

Some supermarkets carry lactose-free or lactose-reduced milk. You might consider trying one of these if you are concerned about getting enough calcium. You can also get calcium from soy milk and other non-milk foods that have been fortified with calcium. 

Lactase enzyme, sold as an over-the-counter product is another option. This enzyme helps to digest the sugar in milk, making it easier for you to consume milk and milk products without the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

What Are Some Non-Dairy Foods That Contain a Good Bit of Calcium?

There are not many foods that provide calcium in amounts close to what you would get from milk, cheese, yogurt or other dairy products. However, there are a few foods that might help to fill the gap.

Here is a short list:

Rhubarb, frozen ....................... 348 mg per cup, cooked

Sardines with bone .................. 325 mg per 3 oz serving

Spinach, frozen ........................ 291 mg per cup, cooked

Salmon, canned, with bone ...... 181 mg per 3 oz serving

Soy milk, unfortified .................. 61 mg per cup

Orange ....................................... 52 mg per medium orange

Broccoli, raw ............................. 41 mg per cup

Pinto beans, cooked ................... 80 mg per cup

In comparison, milk would provide between 250 and 285 mg calcium per cup; Swiss cheese 224 mg per oz; and cottage cheese 87 mg per half-cup.

Summary

If you have lactose intolerance, talk to a registered dietitian to find ways of incorporating more calcium-rich foods in your diet. She can help you to get the calcium you from dairy foods that you can tolerate along with other calcium-rich, non-dairy foods while eliminating those dairy foods that you cannot tolerate.

Resources

Lactose Intolerance

Breakfast: The Importance of Eating a Good Breakfast

Overview
Eating a good breakfast provides all sorts of health benefits; it is important for your overall health, promotes mental alertness and keeps you energized so you can perform your best, both mentally and physically.

Eating a Good Breakfast Offers Many Health Benefits

Here are just a few of the health benefits you will enjoy when you eat a good breakfast.

Nutrition. After a long night without food, your body is in a state of nutritional deprivation. It must draw on the reserve of nutrients in your cells in order to continue functioning. Eating a good breakfast helps to maintain those reserves. A good breakfast provides the nutrients you need for healthy growth and development, as well. If you skip breakfast, chances are you may consume too many calories during the day without getting enough of the vitamins, minerals and other dietary essentials that you need for optimum health. Your breakfast should provide two-fifths to one-third of the nutrients you need for the day.  

Blood sugar. Your body literally goes into an overnight fast while you sleep. By the time you awaken, your blood sugar drops, which diminishes your energy level. A good breakfast restores your blood sugar and gives you the energy you need to get up and go. Try to eat foods that contain a mix of complex carbohydrates so that you get some fiber. Try to avoid consuming a lot of sugar that could send a rush of glucose into your bloodstream at once. 

Mental alertness. Your brain needs glucose (sugar) to function properly. During sleep, the level of glucose in your blood is lowered. As a result, your brain might not be getting enough. By eating a good breakfast, you are able to recharge your brain, in a manner of speaking, so that you can think clearly and perform other tasks efficiently throughout the morning hours. Eating a balanced breakfast of fruits and/or vegetables, whole grain bread or cereal and a good source of protein is key. Breakfast is also a good time to get some calcium in your diet from things like milk, cheese or yogurt.

Physical activity. Your muscles need glucose for optimum performance. But, like all the cells in your body, muscle cells must have other key nutrients present in order to metabolize or use the glucose you consume. So, eating a balanced breakfast that provides a variety of vitamins, minerals and other dietary essentials is important. Avoid drinking sodas or consuming cookies, chips and donuts or other sugary and/or high fat foods for breakfast, as these foods could actually impede your performance.

Weight control. Studies show that people who eat a good breakfast are more likely to control their weight than those who skip breakfast. One reason might be that when you eat a good breakfast, you are less likely to fill up on sodas, chips, donuts and other high-calorie, low nutrient foods that lead to unhealthy weight gain. Try to eat foods that are minimally processed and that are low in sugar, saturated fat and salt. Eating foods high in fiber, such as whole grains and nuts can help you to feel full longer, making it less likely that you will fill up on high fiber foods later in the morning.

Constipation. A good breakfast that includes whole grains and other high-fiber foods will help to improve gut function, move waste along your G.I. tract and out as waste. This will reduce the risk of constipation so that you can enjoy total health.

Summary

The bottom line is, you need to start your day by eating a good breakfast. This will help you to get some key nutrients, boost your metabolism, enhance both mental and physical activity, and may help you to lose weight if that is your goal.

Next blog: What to Eat for Breakfast 

Resources

Preventing Osteoporosis

Overview 

Osteoporosis is a major problem for millions of women and men in the US. The basic cause is lack of adequate vitamin D and calcium. If you are at risk, there are some things that you can do to prevent or slow the development of osteoporosis.

What is Osteoporosis? 

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose calcium and become thin and brittle.

Causes of Osteoporosis 

You can develop osteoporosis if you are not consuming enough calcium. Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption, so if you do not have enough vitamin D in your body, you could also be at risk for osteoporosis.

Signs of Osteoporosis 

The first sign that someone has osteoporosis might be when they fall and break a bone. It is often said that you fall and break a bone, but as one of my professors used to say, it is more likely that the reverse happens – you break a bone and fall. Sometimes, pain in the hips could be a sign of osteoporosis.

Testing for Osteoporosis 

A bone density test is used to determine the density or thickness of your bones.

Preventing Osteoporosis 

Eating a diet that is rich in calcium is the first step in preventing osteoporosis. But vitamin D must be present in order for you to absorb the calcium and make it available to build strong bones. Taking a calcium supplement along with vitamin D might delay bone loss in some individuals. Regular exercise can also help to prevent or delay the development of osteoporosis.

Treating Osteoporosis 

Unfortunately, by the time osteoporosis is diagnosed, it may be too late to correct the problem with calcium and vitamin D supplements alone. At this stage, your doctor might prescribe a type of drug, called bisphosphonate, that literally harden the calcium in the bones. However, these drugs, which turn your bones into cement-like structures, can have serious side effects.

Food Sources of Calcium 

The most common food sources of calcium are milk and other dairy products. You can also get calcium from other foods that have been fortified with calcium, including orange juice and some breakfast cereals.

Food Sources of Vitamin D 

Natural sources of vitamin D include fish, fish oil, fish liver oil and mushrooms that have been irradiated. Orange juice and some breakfast cereals that have been fortified with vitamin D are also good sources. However, most of the vitamin D that you get comes from the sun. You can get about 400 IUs of vitamin D from food. In comparison, your body can make 10,000 IUs with just a brief exposure to the sun (10 to 20 minutes of sunlight).

Recommended Intake of Calcium 

The recommended intake for calcium is 800 milligram for adults. If you are at risk for osteoporosis, you might need as much as 1000 to 1200 milligrams of calcium plus vitamin D. To meet this goal, a dietary supplement is usually required.

Recommended Intake of Vitamin D 

The recommended intake for vitamin D is 400 IUs from food sources. This is the amount deemed necessary to prevent rickets or osteomalacia, which are signs of calcium deficiency in children and adults, respectively.

There has been a lot of discussion about the need for higher doses of vitamin D, with some studies suggesting that the recommended intake of 400 IUs is not enough and that people need a much higher dose of this vitamin.

Summary 

Osteoporosis is a condition that results from lack of adequate calcium and vitamin D in the body. You can prevent or delay the development of osteoporosis by eating foods rich in these two nutrients, and getting regular exposure to the sun. Exercise can also help to prevent osteoporosis.

Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked to Obesity

Overview
If your are obese, your doctor might want to run a test to determine your vitamin D status. Don't be too surprised if a blood test shows that the level of vitamin D circulating in your blood is below normal. This would be consistent with what others have found. Studies on American adults show that obese individuals are more likely to have insufficient vitamin D in their blood than individuals who are not obese.

Vitamin D is Trapped in the Fat Cells
Vitamin D insufficiency - low levels of vitamin D - is believed to be a major problem, affecting millions of Americans. All too often, the level of vitamin D circulating in the blood is found to be low in obese individuals, with a greater number of normal weight individuals having adequate levels.

You may be consuming what the recommended level of vitamin D, which should be adequate to meet your needs. You could be getting adequate exposure to the sun. You might even be taking a vitamin D supplement. But if you are obese, your lab work is likely to come back showing that your blood levels are low, maybe even deficient.

The low levels of vitamin D in the blood of people who are obese may be due to the way fat cells process the vitamin. It seems like the fat cells trap the vitamin, making it unavailable for all the vital functions that require vitamin D. The good news is, losing weight appears to resolve the problem for many people, according to a number of studies.

Insufficient levels of circulating vitamin D can also happen to obese people who undergo gastric bypass surgery. The problem with gastric bypass is that the surgery involves bypassing an area of the small intestine where vitamin D would normally be absorbed. Consequently, little or no vitamin D can be absorbed following the surgery. In this case, the doctor is likely to prescribe a vitamin D supplement.

If you suspect that you may be suffering from vitamin D insufficiency, talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian before making any drastic changes to your diet or taking large doses of any supplement.

Osteoporosis
Vitamin D helps to promote the absorption and transport of calcium from the gut to the various tissues and organs where it is needed. This includes carrying calcium to the bones where it is needed for ongoing remodeling of the bone. If vitamin D is locked in the fat cells and not available in the blood when needed, the remodeling of the bone will be impeded. As a result, the bones will become weak and thin. This condition, called osteoporosis, often leads to hip fractures and falls, particularly among the elderly.

Losing weight
Losing weight and consuming a diet that is rich in calcium and vitamin D, along with adequate exposure to the sun can help to prevent or slow bone loss associated with osteoporosis. But keep in mind that although calcium and vitamin D are key factors in promoting bone health, there are a number of other nutrients that are also involved.

Note: The information provided in this blog is for information and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for personal medical guidance. Always consultant your personal doctor and registered dietitian before making any drastic changes that could affect your nutritional status and your health.