Breakfast tips from Heather, MSc Nutrition

Today is the final day of Farmhouse Breakfast Week. I've really enjoyed taking part and hope you have enjoyed my recipes, I'll be posting another one for you later today. 

To mark the last day of Breakfast Week I asked one my closest friends, Heather, if she would share some of her breakfast tips and advice. Heather has just finished her Masters in nutrition and is waiting for her registration to say she is a trained nutritionist. Heather gladly obliged to share some advice on why breakfast is so important, and she has some great tips for you. 

Me and Heather on holiday in Tenerife last year :)

Why eat Breakfast?

You’ve all heard the saying ‘Breakfast, the most important meal of the day’, right? And yes, its true! Eating breakfast can set you up for the rest of the day; it boosts energy levels, improves your alertness and reduces tiredness. Skipping this important meal can mean you are less likely to concentrate, and you may become tired, restless and grumpy.

As stated by‘The British Dietetic Association’, extensive research has indicated that eating breakfast on a regular basis can also improve long term health. It can help to lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of developing diabetes by improving blood sugar levels and reduce the chance of developing heart disease,while the risk of becoming obese is significantly reduced.

New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight?

Then breakfast is essential! Those who skip breakfast are in fact, much more likely to struggle to lose weight. Following an overnight fast, your body’s metabolism is reduced. Eating breakfast is essential for re-boosting your metabolism level. The higher your metabolism  the greater the number of calories you burn and thus the more weight you lose! 

If breakfast is skipped, your body tends to go into starvation mode. Unsure of when energy and nutrients will next be supplied, the body begins to retain it's fat stores for use as energy.

Choosing Correctly!

Breakfast can be a great source of carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals, essential for a balanced diet. A number of breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, such as B12 and folic acid, which some people may find hard to get elsewhere in the diet. However, it is import to eat the right foods in order to achieve a healthy and balanced diet. 

Though made for ease, a number of manufactured products designed for breakfast,such as certain cereal bars and sweetened cereals, can contain nearly as much sugar and fat as a regular chocolate bar. Hardly the healthy alternative! 

It is best to try and stick to unrefined natural products, such as fresh fruit and wholegrain cereals. 

Ideas for a Healthy, Nutritious Breakfast

• Two poached eggs on a slice of wholegrain toast
• A bowl of porridge with semi-skimmed milk and freshlychopped fruit
• Granola with natural yogurt and mixed berries
• Vegetable omelette with a glass of fresh juice
• Banana on wholegrain toast with a glass ofsemi-skimmed or skimmed milk 

Tips and advice from Heather Nikoloff, MSc Nutrition. 

A big thanks to Heather for doing this for me. I love this girl to bits and she is my go to person and wealth of knowledge about heath, nutrition and fitness. I don't think I would know as much as I do about food as I do or have lost as much weight without her help. 

I thought I would share a few of my breakfast tips as well: 

• Be prepared, breakfast like lunch can be made the night before. Check out my Bircher muesli or banana bread, both are healthy portable breakfasts.
• Try get some protein in at breakfast, it can keep you fuller for longer. Some ideas are; eggs on wholegrain toast, make an omelette, no added sugar natural or Greek yogurt with berries, nuts or seeds on top of your oats. 
• Check the labels of cereals and breakfast products. Look at the sugar content. If sugar is listed as one of the first three ingredients it is probably best to put it back on the shelf. Try buy products that use honey, maple syrup, raw cane sugar or molasses as sweeteners. 
• Have fun. Mix up your breakfasts. What is Farmhouse Breakfast Week's moto? Shake up your wake up! Don't have the same thing for breakfast every morning. Have variety. 
• Make time to eat breakfast, even if it is a pot of granola and yogurt at your desk. 
• Enjoy what you eat in the morning. If you think something is "healthy" but it tastes like cardboard then don't eat it. There are plenty of delicious healthy breakfasts out there you just have to look or get in the kitchen and be creative. 

The face of Farmhouse Breakfast Week, Nadia Sawalha, also has some good breakfast tips: