I know you've heard it before (Breakfast Rules), but one of the easiest and most effective ways for people to start to improve their health and lose weight is to eat breakfast. I'm not talking about a Special K bar on your way out the door, but something with a little more substance to get your day and metabolism started right. Ideally you'd have something with more protein like eggs, or even better some leftover steak and a handful of cashews. After all, who doesn't like steak for breakfast? There are several reasons why a protein-rich breakfast is a necessary part of any health or weight-loss plan; including increasing resting metabolic rate (faster fat-burning), decreased hunger throughout the day, and improvements in cognitive function (better thinking).
Move Over Wheaties
In my humble opinion, implementing a better breakfast in the youth of America would be a major tool in countering the obesity epidemic we are now facing. While every American, young or old can benefit, I'm most concerned about our obese youth, who, for the first time in 200 years, have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. One of the biggest contributors to childhood obesity is sugar-laden food and beverages, many of which are marketed as "healthy". Cereal companies have touted the health-promoting benefits of eating a "good" breakfast, however, current research suggests that while a "breakfast of champions" bowl of Wheaties may be better than nothing, a protein-rich breakfast far outweighs a carbohydrate dense bowl of anti-nutrients(Whole Grains Are Good For You?).
A study at the University of Missouri was conducted on overweight teen girls who regularly skip breakfast. The teens were divided into three groups for this study: One group continued to skip breakfast, the second group switched to a typical milk-and-cereal breakfast, and the third group was given a high-protein breakfast. In this case, a high-protein breakfast meant yogurt and protein-enriched waffles with syrup - not as good as steak and nuts, but still important.
The results of the study were important for two reasons:
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