4 Tips for Better Breakfasts | healthcasket.in

                                                                    

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Based on modern science (and the wisdom of mothers throughout the ages), breakfast is a very important meal. Research shows breaking an overnight fast with a balanced meal can make a major difference in overall health and well-being, especially for children and teens.

Eating a smart breakfast can help improve behavior and school performance, as well as foster a healthy weight. On the other hand, skipping breakfast is a no-brainer, quite literally. When children skip breakfast, their brains and bodies suffer all day long. Here’s how to get your kids started on the nutrition fast track to a high-energy, health-smart day.

Start With Some Powerful Protein

Protein, a missing component in many morning meals, helps children go strong and stay focused until lunch. Go lean with protein choices: a slice or two of Canadian bacon, an egg, a slice of deli meat or cheese, a container of low-fat yogurt or peanut butter on toast. Think outside of the breakfast box: microwave a quesadilla on a wheat tortilla with black beans or enjoy a tofu scramble with chopped vegetables and grated mozzarella cheese.

Add in Nutrient-Rich Whole Grains

A high-octane carbohydrate will help energize both kids’ bodies and brains. Whole grains provide an extra nutrition punch. They have more fiber and nutrients, plus they tend to digest more slowly for longer lasting energy.

Serve kids whole-grain cereals like oatmeal. Or try whole-grain breads, muffins, waffles, pancakes or rolls to help the family rise, shine and get ready for a busy day.

Get Fresh with Fruits (and Vegetables)

Breakfast is a perfect time to enjoy the produce children need for optimal health. Go with fresh fruit: bananas, kiwi, pears, apples, mangoes, melon, grapefruit or whatever’s in season. Canned options (pineapple or mandarin oranges) and frozen fruits (blueberries and strawberries) are great in yogurt parfaits. How about chopped vegetables in an omelet or a refreshing glass of vegetable juice?

Make It Routine

Need some easy ways to beat the breakfast rush hour? Here are three ways to help fit a breakfast bonanza into your family's morning routine.

• Get organized the night before. Make a breakfast plan as you clean up from dinner. Set the table with bowls and spoons for cereal. Get out a pan for pancakes or a blender for smoothies. Prepare muffin or waffle mix so it's all ready to cook in the morning.
• Keep breakfast simple. On busy days, get the family going with something as quick as a bowl of whole-grain cereal with a banana or a slice of leftover pizza with orange juice.
• Pack your breakfast to go. If there's no time to eat at home, plan a nutritious option to eat in the car or bus. Busy teens can grab a banana, a bag of trail mix and a carton of milk. Also, check out the breakfast options available at your children’s school.

MAKE YOUR HABITS HEALTHY THIS YEAR | healthcasket.in

first visit-www.healthcasket.in Are you guilty of skipping breakfast, ordering takeout, getting jitters from coffee overload and counting potato chips as part of a viable diet plan? It's time to kick those habits to the curb and start eating right for the New Year. Here's a guide to help you get started. Eat Breakfast There's no better way to start your morning - and the year - than with a healthy breakfast. "It provides your body with the fuel it needs to make energy to keep you focused and active throughout the day," says Jessica Crandall, RD, CDE, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson. Not only that, but if you are trying to lose weight, fueling your body regularly "will help you from possibly making unhealthy decisions later in the day based on hunger," adds Crandall. The key to a good breakfast is balance. Include lean protein, whole grains and fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. For example, oatmeal cooked with low-fat milk and sliced almonds and berries or crust-less quiche with mixed veggies, low-fat cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast. Cut Back on Caffeine Too much caffeine can interfere with sleep, can make you jittery and can cause you to lose energy later in the day, says Jim White, RD, ACSM-HFS, Academy Spokesperson. Keep your caffeine intake in check by limiting regular coffee to 3 cups or less a day. And watch what you put into it. Skip unwanted calories and sugar by drinking it as plain as possible. Need to wean off? White says to try three things: switch to half decaf or tea, drink plenty of water and eat small, frequent meals to keep up energy. Bring Lunch to Work How do you make bringing lunch to work easy? "Have your arsenal of food for the week. Have the right foods to put together," says White. "By stocking up the fridge, you're setting yourself up for success." White suggests preparing the week's lunches over the weekend — bake chicken, chop veggies, steam rice. Make sure your options include a combination of protein and carbohydrates. For example, whole grain bread with turkey, 1 cup of veggies and a piece of fruit. Or a salad with veggies and chicken, a piece of fruit and a 100 calorie cup of low-sodium soup. It doesn't have to be a full meal. "If you're crunched, get a snack," says White. Go for yogurt and fruit, crackers and low-fat cheese or hummus and baby carrots. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and veggies add color, flavor and texture, plus vitamins, minerals and fibers to your plate. Crandall recommends picking one fruit or veggie you've never tried each time you go to the grocery store. "It's a great way to discover new options," she says. Don't let winter stop you from enjoying produce either. It might be harder to find fresh options, but frozen and canned are great alternatives. Cook Dinner at Home Making meals at home doesn't have to zap the last bit of your time and energy. The trick is to plan ahead. "If the week is cramped for you, then prepping on the weekend is a great time saver," says Crandall. Choose options you can make in advance. For example, cook a batch of soup you can portion out for lunches or dinner during the week, or bake a whole chicken to slice for sandwiches, wraps and casseroles, suggests Crandall. Use shortcuts such as pre-cut or frozen veggies and keep staples on hand such as low-sodium broth, herbs and lemons for flavoring. A quick and easy idea is to turn leftover beef into stew with beans, no salt added diced tomatoes and pre-cut veggies.

30-Minute Workouts for Any Schedule| healthcasket.in

                                                                 

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Who isn't in a time crunch these days? Even with the best intentions it's easy to fall off the workout wagon after a hiccup in a weekly routine. Yet, the beneficial effects of exercise are undeniable and far outweigh any risk in most adults. Current recommendations suggest adults get at least 150 minutes of cardiorespiratory moderate-intensity exercise per week, with two to three days per week of resistance exercise also recommended.

It's best to spread your activity out during the week, as well as breaking it up into smaller chunks of time throughout the day. In fact, "research continues to emerge supporting the notion that small bouts of exercise accumulated throughout the day may provide many of the same benefits as one continuous bout of activity," says Jessica Matthews, MS, an exercise physiologist at the American Council on Exercise. So, if you can't seem to find 30 consecutive minutes in a day for your workout, you can still fit it in by splitting up the time.

So how do we put those recommendations into practice? "Making time for physical activity starts with changing our mindset and treating workouts just as you would any other important appointment or commitment," says Matthews. "To help make fitness a priority, block off time in your day planner and treat it just as you would any other obligation."

30-Minute Workouts

Hold 10-minute mini-workouts. Matthews suggests taking 10 minutes in the morning, afternoon and evening to do some form of activity. This can include 10 minutes of bodyweight exercises (push-ups, crunches, lunges, squats, etc.) in the morning, a 10-minute brisk walk during your lunch break at work and 10 minutes of yoga-inspired stretching in the evening.

Involve the family in daily fitness. Thirty minutes will fly by if you get the kids engaged in something that they, too, can enjoy. Grab the family and head out for a walk, game of tag or bike ride.

Clean with purpose. Don’t just sweep the floor, scrub the floor. Don’t just unload the dishwasher, dance with the dishes. Minutes add up fast when you move more during your clean-up time.

Look for opportunities to walk. Suggest work meetings on the go. "Walk and talk in lieu of sitting in an office," suggests Felicia Stoler, DCN, MS, RD, exercise physiologist. "I do that with clients when the weather is nice versus sitting in my office," she says. If your job has you hanging out in airports on a regular basis, make that work for you, too. "When traveling, I like to walk and check out the stores in the airport — not to buy, but to keep moving before hours of sitting," Stoler says.

Stoler also points out how quickly 30 minutes of activity accumulates when you seek out opportunities, such as taking the steps, parking far away and doing yard work.