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| Posted : August, 2008 |
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A big breakfast rich in carbohydrates with some protein makes you healthier, happier, more slender, and excel at school or at work |
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A healthy breakfast each morning is the key to a happy life. Whole-grain breakfast helps you excel at school and at work |
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| A healthy breakfast should be rich in carbohydrates with some protein. It can make a big difference to your quality of life. Kids taking regular breakfast are more attentive, perform better at school, more active in physical activities and have lower risk of becoming overweight. |
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| A proper first meal in the morning has significant impact on our mental state and mood. It provides people with vigour, and reduces the sense of hunger throughout the day. This results in less food intake in later meals and less impulsive snacks. |
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| A big breakfast rich in carbohydrates with some protein is effective in shedding extra pounds among the obese. Redistributing the daily food intake to a bigger portion at breakfast also helps in reducing weight gain among the middle-aged. |
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| To improve productivity among employees and reduce health insurance costs, companies should encourage their staff to kick off the day with a proper breakfast. |
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| This article would discuss the following areas: |
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| I. |
Research studies on taking a proper breakfast |
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| II. |
Eating Breakfast: A lost art of living in the modern society |
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: What to eat and what to avoid for breakfast |
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| III. |
School breakfast program |
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| IV. |
Corporate policy on foods and drinks offered to employees |
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| I. Research studies on taking a proper breakfast: |
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Research in Norway: Skipping breakfast significantly increased the risks of mental distress and poor academic performance among school children |
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Research in the US: Teens with regular breakfast were more active and slimmer with lower body mass index (BMI) |
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Research in the US: Breakfast choice affects school learning -- Kids taking whole grain breakfast performed better on tests than those eating sugary cereals. Those skipping breakfast performed the worst. |
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Research in the UK: Kids taking breakfast with a lower glycaemic load (i.e. less sudden increase in blood sugar) had better memory, longer attention span, and less frustrated by difficult tasks |
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Research in the US: A big breakfast rich in carbohydrates and protein worked better than a low-carb diet in achieving long-lasting weight reduction among the obese |
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Research in the UK: Redistribution of daily food intake to a bigger portion in breakfast was associated with less weight gain among the middle-aged |
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A carbohydrate-rich meal with some protein increases the release of serotonin (feel-good hormone) by the brain. Serotonin is made from tryptophan (an amino acid in proteins). |
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Too much protein in a meal would result in low serotonin levels, because tryptophan has to compete with many other amino acids to enter the brain. |
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Milk is a good source of protein for breakfast |
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| 1.1 |
Skipping breakfast significantly increases the risks of mental distress and poor academic performance |
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People skipping breakfast often feel tired, restless, or irritable. Their mood and energy level may drop significantly by mid-morning. After being without food for 8 to 12 hours overnight, if there is no replenishment of nutrients in the morning, the body is in distress both physically and mentally. |
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The Frederik Holst Hus University of Oslo in Norway had conducted a research on the common habit of skipping breakfast among school children. A total of 7,343 students in their 10th grade, aged 15-16 in 2000 and 2001, in Oslo of Norway participated in this study. Two four-page questionnaires were filled in during two school sessions. |
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It was found that: |
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Skipping breakfast was a common feature among the 10th grade students |
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All immigrant groups, except the Western countries group, were skipping breakfast more often than Norwegian students |
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Girls (27%) were skipping breakfast more often than boys (19%) |
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Those who skipped breakfast had significantly higher risks of mental distress and poor academic performance compared to those who took regular breakfast. The odds ratios for different groups were: |
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| Groups |
Odds ratio of mental distress for skipping breakfast |
Odds ratio of poor academic performance for skipping breakfast |
| Boys |
3 (range: 2.0 - 4.5) |
2.0 (range: 1.3 - 3.0) |
| Girls |
1.6 (range: 1.2 - 2.1) |
2.0 (range: 1.3 - 3.0) |
| Immigrants |
1.6 (range: 1.5 - 2.6) |
1.6 (range: 1.5 - 2.6) |
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The research report was published in the April 2007 issue of the journal Public Health Nutrition. (Related web page) |
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How foods affect our mood: through the hormone serotonin |
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Serotonin is an important hormone and neurotransmitter (for transmitting nervous signals) produced by our brain. Some of the functions of serotonin include regulating mood, appetite, sleep, memory and learning. It is produced from an amino acid called tryptophan, which is present in many protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, beans and milk. |
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People with insufficient serotonin produced by the brain may suffer from depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic, excess anger and even suicidal behaviour. (Note: The serotonin content in natural foods cannot pass the blood-brain barrier, therefore does not have impact on the brain.) |
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However, a meal heavily packed with protein is not a good choice, because the levels of both tryptophan and serotonin drop after eating such a meal. According to nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, a high-protein meal would flood the blood with both tryptophan and its competing amino acids, all fighting for entry into the brain. Only a small amount of tryptophan can get through, so the level of serotonin remains low. |
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A more healthy choice is to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal with some protein. The carbohydrates trigger the body to release insulin hormone. According to Somer, this facilitates the absorption of most amino acids in the blood into the body -- but not the brain. An exception is tryptophan, which remains in the bloodstream at high levels following a carbohydrate meal. Therefore, tryptophan can freely enter the brain and cause the serotonin level to rise. (Source) |
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People taking fibre-rich foods at breakfast are less likely to consume snacks and junk foods. Legumes are a good source of fibre, carbohydrates and protein for breakfast. |
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Simple sugars are known as "empty calories", low in other nutrients, and may lead to overweight if consumed in excess |
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| 1.2 |
Regular breakfast keeps you slim and more active |
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Body mass index (BMI) is a simple numeric measure of a person's "fatness" or "thinness". BMI is defined as the body weight divided by the square of body height (kg/m2). Lower BMI implies more slender body build. |
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| Category |
Range of Body Mass Index (BMI) |
| Underweight |
< 18.5 |
| Normal weight |
18.5 - 25 |
| Overweight |
25 - 30 |
| Obese |
> 30 |
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In a 5-year research conducted in the public schools in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota in the US, researchers studied the eating and exercise habits of 1,007 boys and 1,215 girls, with an average age of 15 at the start of the study. |
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The key findings included: |
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About half of the teenagers ate breakfast intermittently. Girls were more likely to skip breakfast consistently, and boys were more likely to take it every day. |
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Those who took regular breakfast consumed higher daily total calories, ate greater amounts of carbohydrates and fiber, got fewer calories from fat, and exercised more than those who skipped the meal |
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There was a direct relationship between eating breakfast and body mass index: the more often an adolescent had breakfast, the lower the BMI. This pattern persisted over the 5 year period. The relationship remained the same after accounting for factors including age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, smoking and concerns about diet and weight. |
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Average Body Mass Index (BMI) |
| Consistent breakfast eaters |
21.7 |
| Intermittent breakfast eaters |
22.5 |
| Those who never had breakfast |
23.4 |
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The research report was published in the March 2008 issue of the journal Pediatrics. (Related News: Mar 25, 2008; Full Report) |
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Influence of breakfast on other meals |
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Food consumption at breakfast does seem to influence activity and promote healthy eating throughout the day. Consumption of fiber-rich foods may improve blood glucose and insulin levels, making people feel satisfied and motivated to engage in physical activities. People become less likely to eat more later in the day, especially for snacks. Taking less food at dinner time, when the body metabolism slows down, reduces the build up of body fat. |
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For people who skip breakfast, they become much more hungry by noon time. Therefore they often overeat during lunch, taking a lot more proteins and starchy foods to satisfy their hunger than otherwise. This not only exacerbates the sleepiness in "post-lunch dip", but also facilitates fat accumulation from excessive food intake. |
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In another US research comparing almost 1,500 overweight and normal weight teenagers, the overweight teens were more likely to skip breakfast and take sugary snacks. These snacks often contain over 50% of calories from simple sugars, such as soft drinks, chocolate candy, fruit drinks. Simple sugars are known as "empty calories", low in other nutrients, and may lead to overweight if consumed in excess. The research report was published in the September 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. (Related web page) |
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Foods with a mixture of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates provide a more sustained energy source, hence better for concentration power and memory. (Photo: oat grains) |
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Although being only 2% of the total body weight, the brain uses roughly 20% of the body's energy at rest. Continuous supply of glucose is required for it to function properly. |
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| 1.3 |
Breakfast choice does affect academic performance. Whole grain breakfast results in better test scores than sugary cererals. Skipping breakfast is the worst. |
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In a research conducted by the Tufts University in the US, 60 school kids were given traditional oatmeal made with milk for breakfast before taking some tests. A week later, they took sugary cereal (Cap'n Crunch) with milk and then were tested. In the third week, they skipped breakfast and took the tests. The key findings include: |
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The kids performed the worst when they skipped breakfast |
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The kids performed better when they took traditional oatmeal than sugary cereal |
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Both boys and girls showed enhanced spatial memory and better listening with oatmeal. Girls also showed improved short-term memory with oatmeal, but not for boys. |
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The mixture of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates in oatmeal may account for the differences in test performance. "Oatmeal may provide a slower and more sustained energy source and consequently result in cognitive enhancement compared to low-fiber, high-glycaemic, ready-to-eat cereal," concluded the research team. |
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According to Professor Holly A. Taylor at Tufts University, a co-author of the study, "Since the brain uses glucose, and the source of glucose is diet, having a sustained-release food for breakfast is going to have beneficial effects on memory and attention." The research report was published in the August 2005 issue of the journal Physiology and Behavior. (Related News: Sept 5, 2005) |
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How our brain works: |
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Our brain's energy requirements are met almost exclusively through aerobic glucose degradation (i.e. breaking down glucose with oxygen). Although being only 2% of the total body weight, the brain uses roughly 20% of the body's energy at rest. The brain's energy stores are extremely small. Without glucose replacement, the brain would be depleted of glucose in less than 10 minutes. (Source: Pg. 4) |
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Taking foods with low glycaemic index (e.g. whole-grains, eggs, banana) would help you overcome difficult tasks with more patience and better concentration |
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The glycaemic index of banana is around 52 (low), hence a good choice for breakfast |
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The complex fibres of fruits and vegetables contain a lot of nutrients important for health. Breakfast should contain fresh fruits or vegetables, not fruit juice or vegetable juice. |
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| 1.4 |
Kids taking breakfast with a lower glycaemic load (i.e. less sudden increase in blood sugar) have better memory, longer attention span, and less frustrated by difficult tasks |
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Glycaemic index (GI, or glycemic index) is a measure of how quickly the carbohydrates in foods are absorbed as glucose into the blood stream. Foods with high GI contain carbohydrates that are broken down rapidly during digestion, hence resulting in a rapid increase in blood glucose levels. |
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For most people, foods with a low glycaemic index have significant health benefits. Slower rates of digestion and absorption of the sugars and starches in low GI foods imply a lower insulin demand, better long-term blood glucose control and a reduction in blood lipids. Hence, there is lower risk of diabetes or clogged blood vessels. Low GI foods may also allow greater extraction of the nutrients of carbohydrate digestion by the liver and peripheral body cells. |
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| Category |
Range of GI |
Examples of Foods |
| Low GI |
55 or less |
Whole-grain unsweetened cereal, whole-grain bread, eggs, milk, most fruits and vegetables (except potatoes, watermelon), beans (e.g. boiled red kidney beans), legumes / pulses, sweet potato |
| Medium GI |
56 - 69 |
Wheat bread, wheat products in general, new potato, sweet corn, most white rice and brown rice, croissant, raisins, popcorn |
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70 - 99 |
Plain bagel, sweetened doughnuts, white bread, hash browns, baked white potato, sugar-rich breakfast cereals, corn flakes, French fries, chips, some white rice (eg. Jasmine rice), chocolate candy, pretzels, watermelon |
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100 |
Glucose (reference food) |
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Note: Factors affecting the glycaemic index of a particular food include other foods eaten at the same time, other non-carbohydrate components of a food (e.g. the amount of protein or fat), how the food was prepared, and your body’s reaction to the food. (Source) |
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In a research conducted by the University of Wales Swansea in the UK, researchers studied the impact of breakfasts with different glycaemic loads on the performance of 19 children aged 6 to 7 years. Over a period of 4 weeks, these kids ate one of three types of breakfast, which offered a similar amount of energy but differed in their glycaemic index. |
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Two to three hours after the breakfast, the children's time spent on tasks when working individually, memory in calling a series of objects, ability to sustain attention, and incidence of negative behaviour when playing a very difficult video game were recorded. |
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It was found that the children's performance was much better after taking a low glycaemic load breakfast, including: |
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More time was spent on tasks when working individually in class |
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Better performance on memory tests |
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Better ability to sustain attention |
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Fewer signs of frustration in playing a video game that was too difficult to allow success |
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The research report was published in the Nov 23, 2007 issue of the journal Physiology & Behavior. (Related web page) |
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Another study conducted by the University of Northumbria in the UK on 64 children aged 6 - 11 years came up with similar results. The kids were given breakfast cereals with a high glycaemic index in the first day, and then took breakfast cereals with a low glycaemic index the following day. They performed a series of computerised tests of attention and memory, once prior to breakfast and three times following breakfast at hourly intervals. |
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The results indicated that children's performance declined throughout the morning after breakfast on measures of attention span and accuracy of secondary memory. Such performance decline was significantly reduced following the intake of low-glycaemic breakfast cereals relative to high-glycaemic cereals. (Related web page) |
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Dieting with very low intake of carbohydrates often does not work |
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A big breakfast rich in carbohydrates and protein is effective in sustainable weight reduction among the obese |
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| 1.5 |
A big breakfast rich in carbohydrates and protein works better than a low-carb diet in achieving long-lasting weight reduction among the obese |
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A lot of people resort to dieting in trimming weight. However, many studies have found that a very low carbohydrate diet often fails, because it exacerbates the craving for carbohydrates. It also signals the body to slow down metabolism to conserve energy in light of food shortage. As a result, after a short period of weight loss, there is often a quick return to obesity. |
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Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, a physician and endocrinologist in Hospital de Clinicas in Venezuela, have been successful in treating her obese patients with an alternative diet of "big breakfast" for more than 15 years. To lose weight and keep it off, eat a big breakfast rich in carbohydrates and protein, then follow a low-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet the rest of the day. |
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The "big breakfast" diet works because it controls appetite and satisfies cravings for sugars and starches. It's also healthier than popular low-carb diets because it allows people to eat more fruits and vegetables rich in fibres and minerals. |
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Being also a clinical professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond in the US, Dr. Jakubowicz collaborated with her colleagues in the university on a small scale 8-month study comparing the weight trimming results of a low carbohydrate diet with a "big breakfast" diet. The research design and results are summarized in the table below: |
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Low Carbohydrate Diet |
Big Breakfast Diet |
| Number of obese, inactive women in their 30s |
46 |
48 |
| Calories taken per day in the first 4 months* |
1,085 calories (Breakfast is the smallest meal with 290 calories, low in carbohydrates and protein.) |
1,240 calories (Breakfast is the biggest meal with 610 calories, high in carbohydrates and protein. Lunch has 395 calories and dinner has 235 calories.) |
| Weight loss after the first 4 months |
Losing 28 pounds on average |
Losing 23 pounds on average |
| Results after the next 4 months of maintenance period |
Regaining 18 pounds on average |
Continue to lose 16.5 pounds on average |
| Total weight loss for the 8-month period |
Around 4.5% of the original body weight |
More than 21% of the original body weight |
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(*Note: an average adult needs around 1,800 - 2,800 calories per day, depending on the body size and level of activities. If the intake of carbohydrates and other foods is too low, it may not provide the body with enough energy source and other nutrients. More info on calorie requirements for different age groups) |
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Those women who ate a big breakfast reported feeling less hungry all day, especially before lunch, and having fewer cravings for carbohydrates than women on the low-carb diet. Dr. Jakubowicz said, "I think this is the right way of eating, even if you are thin. I think it works for everybody and especially for obesity." |
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The research findings were reported in the annual meeting of The Endocrine Society in San Francisco of the US in June 2008. (Related News: WebMD; Reuters) |
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Note: Instead of taking a big breakfast, a better alternative is to take two small breakfast, one early in the morning, and another one in mid-morning. The advantage is that the body can absorb nutrients much better from a small meal than a big one. The second breakfast can be some handy foods such as a banana or an apple. The principle remains the same: take a larger portion of food in the morning. |
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Redistributing a bigger portion of food intake at breakfast can reduce the unwanted weight gain |
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| 1.6 |
Redistribution of daily food intake to a bigger portion at breakfast helps reduce weight gain among the middle aged |
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In a research conducted by the Addenbrooke's Hospital in the UK, researchers studied the association between the percentage of total daily energy intake at breakfast and weight change in middle-aged adults. A total of 6,764 men and women aged 40-75 years at baseline (1993-1997) completed a 7-day food diary at baseline. Their height and weight were measured at baseline and in the follow up period (1998-2000). |
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At baseline, the mean body mass index (BMI) was the lowest among the top 20% of people who consumed the highest percentage of daily energy at breakfast, despite higher daily total energy intake in this group. The mean BMI values were 26.0 in the top 20% and 26.3 in the lowest 20%. |
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During the follow up period, although all participants gained weight, those consuming higher percentage of daily energy at breakfast had relatively lower weight gain. This association was independent of other factors such as age, sex, smoking, total daily energy intake, macronutrient intake, social class, and physical activity. |
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The research report was published in the Dec 12, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. (Related web page) |
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Breakfast used to be a properly cooked meal. Let's give ourselves a nice treat with a cooked breakfast during holidays. |
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Highly refined grain products of noodles, pasta, white bread etc. lack the nutrients originally present in the bran of grains. |
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The bran of brown rice or red rice contains a lot of important nutrients. We need to eat less amount and yet become more healthy than with white rice. |
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Bifidobacteria (photo) convert a large variety of starches into lactic acid and acetic acid. It is the largest group of bacteria in the intestine of infants, and the 3rd or 4th largest group in adults. (Source) |
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Most E. coli bacteria (photo) in the intestine are harmless. They produce vitamin K, and prevent the growth of other harmful bacteria in the intestine. |
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But some virulent strains of E. coli may cause diarrhea and other serious illness in healthy people. |
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Foods such as wheat, oats and potatoes may produce a lot of intestinal gases. Do not eat too much at the same time. |
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| II. Eating Breakfast: A lost art of living in the modern society |
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| In the modern society, skipping breakfast is extremely common among young kids, teens and adults alike. Even for those who take breakfast daily, the amount may be too little to satisfy the requirements of our body. Moreover a lot of people are indulgent on tasty but unhealthy foods for breakfast, such as heavily sweetened cereals, chocolate bars, very salty meat (e.g. sausage, ham, bacon, luncheon meat), or fried foods (e.g. hash brown, chips). |
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| A lot of highly refined foods (e.g. white bread, pasta) lack the fibres and other essential nutrients originally present in the raw ingredients (e.g. whole grains) before processing. Common breakfast items such as margarine or bread spread contain harmful hydrogenated oil (also called trans fat), causing blockage of blood vessels and other health problems. |
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| The morning meal is critical in providing us with the energy for the day's hard work. For someone who has been to safari would know that many large animals in the wild get up early in the morning, between 5 to 6 am, to look for food. |
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| Previously, in the agricultural-based rural societies, breakfast used to be a properly cooked meal, taken before the farmers started the physically demanding agricultural work. Unfortunately, the art of living in taking a proper breakfast has been lost somehow in many modern cities. |
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| People nowadays stay up till late night, watching TV and movies, playing video games and doing all sorts of creative things to keep themselves busy. Morning is often started with sleepy eyes and a last-minute rush to school or to work. Many people act against their basic instincts for foods, ignoring their sense of hunger. Without a proper breakfast after fasting the whole night, their health, academic performance, work productivity and body shape are jeopardized. |
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| 2.1 |
Back to the basics: simply take fresh, unrefined foods for breakfast |
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It is time to treat ourselves in a more humane way, and nourish our body with a proper meal to kick off the day. Attention should also be paid on choosing the right kind of food for breakfast, such as brown rice or red rice (and porridge), whole grain cereal, traditional oatmeal, shredded wheat, eggs, lean meat, beans, milk, vegetables and fruit etc. |
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The fibres in natural foods give us a sense of fullness, preventing us from overeating. These fibres also contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, or other important nutrients required by our body. |
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However, a lot of originally fibre-rich and nutritious foods have been refined, simply for getting better mouth feel of "increased smoothness". This is not only a big waste of resources spent in food refining, but also not good for health in removing the fibrous content. Taking fresh fruits is much healthier than fruit juice. Brown rice or red rice is more nutritious than white rice. |
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In addition, we need to eat a larger quantity of refined foods in order to get the same sense of fullness. Hence people may easily overeat and become overweight. For example, you will eat a larger quantity of white rice in a meal than with brown rice. A larger quantity of food intake by each person would impose a much bigger burden on the global food supply, driving up food prices. Hence we ourselves are the ultimate victims of our indulgence on highly refined foods. |
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Caution 1: |
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If you take brown rice instead of white rice, you need to drastically reduce the quantity taken to one-quarter to one-third (or other amounts that your body can take comfortably). If you take the same quantity as white rice, you have definitely overeaten. You may encounter problems of indigestion, stomach-ache, flatulence (too much intestinal gas) etc. |
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Brown rice would take much longer to digest than white rice. The nutrients in the bran would help the body to absorb the carbohydrates inside much more efficiently. A longer time for digestion also allows more nutrients to be absorbed. Therefore you only need to eat a much smaller amount of brown rice, as compared to white rice. |
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Caution 2: |
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You cannot convert from taking white rice to brown rice overnight, otherwise you will encounter digestion problem. You need to make the transition by gradually increase the portion of brown rice until 100%. |
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Our gut (mainly the colon) contains billions of bacteria that help us break down certain foods before we can absorb the nutrients (Source). The types and quantities of different bacteria in each person's gut depend on his / her existing diet. For example, if you used to take a lot of fatty foods but little vegetables, you have a lot of gut bacteria good at breaking down fat, but not a lot of those for breaking down fibres. |
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Therefore you cannot change from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one overnight. You need to make the change in diet gradually, so that it allows time to increase the number of those "good bacteria" that can digest the healthy foods gradually. |
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Caution 3: |
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In making the transition from taking white rice to brown rice, you cannot eat until you feel full, otherwise you have already overeaten. Without the bran, the white rice would prompt you to eat more than necessary, in a way similar to refined sugar but to a lesser extent (refer to section 2.4.1). |
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But this situation is more serious in the case of mixed rice (partly brown and partly white). The white rice prompts you to eat more, but the brown rice already allows you to absorb a lot of nutrients. Therefore the risk of overeating is bigger with mixed rice than pure white rice. |
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Caution 4: |
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Some foods are not well-digested chemically by the small intestine. They are broken down mainly by bacteria in the colon of the large intestine. Intestinal gases may be produced by these bacteria as by-products. These gases are usually eliminated through belching or farting. Some gases are absorbed in the intestine, or used by other bacteria in the gut. |
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Foods that result in high levels of intestinal gases include wheat, oats, potatoes, and, to a lesser extent, corn (Source). Therefore do not take too much of these foods at the same time. Too much gases may result in intestinal discomfort. |
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Vegetables and fruits that also contain starches poorly digested by our body but well digested by bacteria include beans, lentils, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onions, carrots, bananas, apricots, and prunes. These foods also result in intestinal gases. |
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Avoid high fat, fast-food style breakfast. It would reduce the levels of good cholesterol, leading to clogged blood vessels and excessive fat accumulation. |
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| 2.2 |
Avoid fast-food style breakfast |
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Many common fast-food meals are harmful to health, including breakfast. They often contain high amounts of fat, salt, refined sugar, and other harmful seasonings such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). |
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A lot of fast-food chains use harmful hydrogenated oil for cooking due to its better mouth-feel and longer shelf-life. Most fast-food meats are deep-fried or pan-fried at high temperature, hence coated with carcinogenic substances called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) (More info). The levels of carcinogenic substances in repeatedly used frying oils are particularly high. |
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In a research conducted by the UC Davis Medical Center in the US, it was found that high fat, fast-food style breakfast would significantly decrease the blood levels of good cholesterol (i.e. high-density lipoprotein) two hours after consumption. It would also increase oxidative stress in metabolic syndrome, which would pave the way to clogged and hardened blood vessels. The report was published in the June 2008 issue of the journal Metabolism. (Related web page ) |
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To be responsible corporate citizens, all fast food restaurants should drastically revamp their menu to provide healthy food choices to customers. This is also the optimal strategy for sustainable and successful business in the long run. |
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Avoid dried fruits in baked bread or mixed with cereals. Take fresh fruits and vegetables instead. |
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The water content in fruit is important for its nutritional value. |
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A lot of nutrients are lost when the natural balance in fruits is upset, as in dried fruits. Photo: fresh mangosteen |
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Many dried fruits contain high levels of sulphur dioxide to kill bacteria and prevent browning. |
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| 2.3 |
Avoid dried fruits in bread or mixed with cereals |
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Water is the universal medium for all biological activity. The way that water is structured inside foods would affect the physical and chemical properties of their nutritious content, as well as how these substances are absorbed into our body in digestion. |
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Fruits contain the highest percentage of water among all foods, except banana or dates etc. All fruits contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals which are important to health. In their natural forms, these nutrients in fresh fruits are easily digested and absorbed by our body. |
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However, dried fruits are junk foods. A healthy breakfast should contain some fresh fruits or vegetables, but not dried fruits used in baking bread or mixed with cereals. Let's take fresh grapes, but not raisins.The major reasons include : |
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After extraction of the water content, dried fruits became a dense mass of entangled fibres with abnormally high sugar concentration, as well as calories per gram. Hence, people with diabetes or overweight should avoid dried fruits. |
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Fresh fruits contain still living plant cells, with bio-chemically active nutrients. Dried fruits contain long-dead cells with deactivated nutrients, hence harmful to our body. |
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Some dried fruits have been added with refined sugar to mask the off-taste from the "dead cells", increasing the calorie content further. For example, it is common to add sweeteners to dried cranberries or other berries, because the dried berries are very tart. (Source) |
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The drying process of fruits often involves high temperature. A lot of original nutrients in fruits may have been deformed or lost during the drying process. For example, in dried apricots, all vitamin C has been lost, and the contents of vitamin A and Beta-carotene have been reduced to around 40% compared to fresh ones. (Source) |
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For those nutrients that still remain in the dried fruits, they cannot be easily absorbed by the body because their original molecular structures have been totally deformed. Nutrients in fresh fruits can be easily absorbed, but it's difficult for those in dried fruits. |
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Our intestine is not designed to digest such a dense mass of fibres as in dried fruits. Therefore dried fruits may worsen some existing intestinal or digestive problems. For e.g., people with coeliac (or celiac) disease should avoid dried fruits (Source 2). (Coeliac disease is a chronic digestive problem that affects the lining of the small intestine and blocks absorption of nutrients from food.) |
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Most dried fruits have been treated with sulphur dioxide (SO2) or sulphites (sulfites) to prevent them from turning brown and to inhibit bacterial growth. The sulphite solutions, used to treat items such as apples, can leach natural sugar, flavor, and other components from the fruits (Source). Moreover, people sensitive to sulphites may experience stomach-ache, asthma or other allergic reactions after taking dried fruits. (More info) |
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In a research conducted by the Weber State University in the US, researchers compared the absorption of phytochemical nutrients (called xanthones) from fresh mangosteen (a tropical fruit in Asia) versus dried ones. It was found that much higher amount of xanthones was absorbed from fresh mangosteen than dried ones . |
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Moreover, many other beneficial phytochemicals found in mangosteen would be lost in extraction or jeopardized when the natural balance of the fruit is manipulated. The research report was published in the June 2007 issue of the "Journal of Separation Science". (Related web page) |
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Note: Scientists have identified thousands of phytochemicals so far. The more commonly known phytochemicals include beta-carotene, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), folic acid (vitamin B9), and vitamin E. For example, a carrot contains more than 100 phytochemicals. (more info) |
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Avoid sweetened or artificially coloured cereal (high GI). Both refined sugar and artificial colourings are harmful to health. |
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Sweet corn is a healthy choice for breakfast, but not corn syrup added to cereals or fruit juice |
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Sweet potato has a low glycaemic index of 13 (Source). Despite being very sweet, its high fibre content prevents you from overeating. It's a good breakfast choice. |
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Apple can help reduce calorie intake, but not apple juice |
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| 2.4 |
Avoid unhealthy cereals |
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Many ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are not healthy choices. In order to make the cereals more crispy and crunchy, they have been baked, roasted, or processed with partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat). Baking or roasting carbohydrate-rich plant products, including breakfast cereals and bread, would result in cancer-causing substances called acrylamide. (More info) |
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Unhealthy ingredients such as dried fruits, chocolate chips (contain caffeine), artificial colourings, refined sugars etc. are often added to make the ready-to-eat cereals more tasty and enticing. Some cereals may contain preservatives and other artificial chemicals to improve their shelf-life. Therefore it is important to check the labels for ingredients carefully before purchase. |
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2.4.1 Many ready-to-eat cereals contain a lot of refined sugars to make you eat more |
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Refined sugars used in many ready-to-eat cereals include cane sugar, corn syrup, oat syrup, molasses, or even artificial sweeteners. After taking these sugary cereals, you may become full quickly due to their high fibre content. But even though you have eaten a lot, you may start feeling hungry again after a short while. |
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Try a little experiment yourself: compare how quickly you feel hungry again after taking a very full breakfast with traditional oatmeal and sweetened ready-to-eat cereals. You'll see the difference. |
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The effect of added sugars in cereals have a lot of harmful effects to the body, in ways similar to the added sugars in regular or diet soft drinks (more info). After consumption, the body's insulin and digestion hormones suddenly shoot up to abnormally high levels due to the added sugars. |
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But, the body would soon realize that that are not sufficient "actual content" normally associated with such sweetness for digestion. Therefore, the brain will increase the release of hormones signalling hunger and more food required. |
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In the long term, this would upset the balance of insulin, and pave the way to diabetes and other health problems. Effectively, adding refined sugars to cereals is converting an originally very healthy food into a harmful one. It is much healthier to eat whole-grain cereals that require cooking, e.g. traditional oat meal, than most ready-to-eat cereals. Alternatively, simply take brown rice, congee or steamed sweet potato for breakfast. |
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(Note: The super-high craving of people for chocolate is partly due to the large amount of added sugars, in addition to the addictive content of caffeine / theobromine. Once you start eating chocolate, the more you want to eat.) |
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2.4.2 Why very sweet foods in nature are still very healthy |
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Foods in nature that are very sweet usually contain a lot of fibres and complex carbohydrates, e.g. banana, apple, sweet potato and sweet corn. These carbohydrates are only broken down slowly. Therefore, the blood sugar levels only increases slowly and moderately. There isn't any panic secretion of insulin or other hormones responsible for digestion and regulating appetite. And you simply cannot take too much of them because you'll get full very soon. |
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The glycaemic index of banana (52), apple (38), sweet potato (13), and sweet corn (56) are all relatively low, hence good choices for breakfast. Although the calorie content of an apple is low, the carbohydrates are broken down slowly, therefore you feel full for a longer period of time. Your appetite hormones are tuned so that you have less urge to look for food. |
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In a research conducted by the Pennsylvania State University in the US, 59 normal-weight men and women took breakfast and lunch in the laboratory for five weeks. When people ate half an apple (peeled and cut, about 125 calories) 15 minutes before lunch, they consumed on average 187 fewer calories at the meals than when they didn't have the apple, or when they had an a similar caloric amount of apple sauce, apple juice with added fiber or apple juice without fiber. |
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This shows an apple a day keeps the calories at bay. The research results were presented in Oct 2007 at a meeting of the Obesity Society, an organization of weight-control scientists and professionals in the US. (Related News: Oct 24, 2007) |
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Breaking the negative feedback loop of skipping breakfast may help address the problem of poverty |
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| III. School breakfast program |
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| Skipping breakfast is particularly prevalent among the lower income families and underprivileged groups. The related negative consequences on health, academic performance and work productivity lead to a negative feedback loop, reinforcing poverty among the poor. |
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| To break this vicious cycle, schools and government authorities should consider the following measures: |
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In the general education class, educate all students the importance of taking a proper breakfast everyday |
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Communicate to all parents the importance of taking breakfast, so that they would play a role model at home, and arrange healthy breakfast for their kids. |
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Provide school breakfast program to children. For schools in low-income districts, governments may consider subsidizing the program. In the long run, it will pay off with lower health care costs, fewer school dropouts and higher employment rate among the underprivileged groups. |
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Replace unhealthy foods (such as chocolate candies, soft drinks, chips) in school vending machines with other healthy alternatives (such as milk, shredded wheat, unsweetened cereals). |
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Offer healthy fresh foods in the school cafeteria for breakfast, such as steamed whole eggs, whole-grain cereal, fresh milk, beans, vegetables, and fruits etc. |
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| The school breakfast program in the US funded by the federal government has successfully resulted in higher achievement test scores, lower tardiness rates, lower absenteeism, fewer disciplinary problems, and fewer health problems at school. (Source) (More info on the program) |
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Let's greet the morning with a nice breakfast |
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| IV. Corporate policy on foods and drinks offered to employees |
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| To ensure that their staff are working in optimal physical and mental conditions, companies should emphasize to them the importance of taking a proper breakfast before going to work. Regular staff breakfast gatherings may be held, for both team-building and developing the habit of taking breakfast among employees. |
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| In addition, soft drinks or coffee commonly found in many companies' pantries should be replaced. Companies should offer healthy alternatives of milk, whole-grain cereals, instant oatmeal, fresh fruits etc. to their employees instead. This would result in more productive, healthier and happier staff, as well as lower health insurance costs for the company, hence a win-win situation. |
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