Don’t we all agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and what happens when you start the day with junk food – it’s bound to have a negative effect on your health. And particularly, if you are trying to lose weight, it sets you up for failure. A majority of people make unhealthy breakfast choices for a number of reasons – some are always short of time in the mornings, in such a scenario, applying jam on bread slices makes up for a convenient option. Others would rather grab-and-go a cookie or muffin because they are running late for work and need a sugar rush to kickstart the day. But the problem with having sugary stuff for breakfast would spike up blood sugar which would trigger a sharp insulin release, and the subsequent slump would make you hungry in a short period of time; not to mention, excess sugar slows down metabolism, adds a lot of empty calories that can be difficult to burn off, particularly with the kind of sedentary lifestyle a majority of us are leading. Regular consumption of breakfast that’s essentially refined carbs and sugar would lead to chronic inflammation that would in turn increase the risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease; obesity of course is the most obvious outcome. But how can you gauge which breakfast is weight loss friendly, when there’s a lot of hype surrounding “healthy” and “diet friendly” packaged foods which are no better than sugar bombs because they spike up blood sugar really fast. Well, we are here to help – here’s a list of 8 popular foods that are high in sugar and you are better off without them on your breakfast table.
1. Breakfast Cereals: Don’t fall for the “healthy” tags on breakfast cereals because most of them have sugar under different names, and you might be flushing the body with an insane amount of sugar. Also, made mostly of refined carbs, these packaged cereals throw blood sugar levels into a tizzy, and the subsequent insulin release encourages fat storage in the body. Those candied fruits that have been added are no good either because they too are coated in sugar and artificial colors, along with preservatives, and other stuff to appeal to the tastebuds of the consumers.
2. Bread and Jam: Bread and jam is a staple breakfast not only in India but across the world. White bread is made from refined flour, high on empty calories. Jam, on the other hand that claim to be made from natural fruits, but they have sugar and preservatives that just ruin their “all natural” claim. The combination of both sends the blood sugar shooting up, and makes sure you crave for more and more food through the day.
3. Fruit Juices: Beginning with a big glass of orange juice poured straight down from a packaged container may seem like the healthiest decision you can ever make. But one look at the tetra pack’s ingredient list would reveal that along with the orange juice concentrate, the list would also have sugar, identical orange flavour, permitted natural color, stabilizers, etc. Bottled and packaged fruit juices are the worst when it comes to sugar content. They contain such high amounts of sugar and you need to avoid them as much as possible to make the most prudent health choice indeed. Though fruits provide the body with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, juices have simple sugars without the fiber content, and will spike up the sugar levels. These sugar spikes raise the blood sugar levels and then make them fall sharply, leaving you hungry and craving for more sugar through the day. Start your day with a whole orange instead.
4. Chai and Biscuit: Dunking a biscuit into chai makes it more delicious, and they make such an awesome pair! This can be a snack towards the evening, not a proper breakfast because there’s nothing in there that would nourish the body after long hours of fasting in the night.
5. Toast and Margarine: Think margarine is a low-calorie and a healthier alternative to butter to pair along with toast? Think again! A lot of people believe that margarine is comparatively healthier than butter because it’s low in fat, but it’s not at all healthy considering margarine is made frmo vegetable oils, salt, and emulsifiers. Toast is usually made from refined flour, and a combination of toast and margarine is totally not recommended as breakfast.
6. Waffles: Though waffles have eggs in them, the refined flour or maida content is completely bad for your weight loss.
7. Instant oats: Oats are healthy and a great option when you want to lose weight, but the instant ones may not be a great way to start your day because they are low in fiber and get digested quickly by the body, making you hungry right after. You could have rolled oats instead that has a higher fiber content. Also read: “8 Mistakes with Oatmeal that Make you Fat.”
Summing up, an ideal breakfast should be rich in protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and enough fiber to keep your appetite in check, provide adequate nutrients for the body to function, boost metabolism, and keep unnecessary cravings. Also, if you are confused about what kind of breakfast would help you lose weight fast, check out the Speed Slim program on Rati Beauty app.
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