Dr. Sujatha Chandra Sekaran S

The adage you are familiar with goes quite like, "all's well that ends well". However, when it comes to food and nutrition, the way you start your day is of considerable importance. Nutritionists, dieticians and doctors, in general, have repeatedly laid stress on the fact that breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. The reason behind such a prescription is simple; your body is provided with a light dinner sometime late in the evening. Dinner happens to be the last meal of the day. The digestive system is allowed to rest throughout the night until you wake up in the morning. Your digestive system therefore, breaks the fast with the first meal of the day and hence, the kind of food you intake in the morning is particularly vital in deciding the course of your overall digestive health.

Take a look at the following tips for a healthy start to your day:

1. Oats can be your saviour: Have you been running away from a bowlful of bland tasting oats? You should perhaps encourage yourself to think about the wide range of advantages brewed and cooked in there and thus have this food for breakfast. Oatmeal is a great source of energy. It is a low calorie food option and helps in countering the effects of bad cholesterol. Oatmeal is also sought after for its lignan content that further defends the human body against various types of cancer.
2. Try and have fresh fruits in combination with your first meal: Whatever you choose to have for breakfast must be complemented with fresh fruits. Fruits help in accelerating metabolic activity in your body providing you with energy received from the natural sugars present in a fruit. It is easier to digest fruits; grapefruits, lemons, oranges and berries should therefore be incorporated in your breakfast.
3. Early morning tete-a-tete with tea: A cup of tea in the morning can prove to be useful in more than a couple of ways. Tea for long has been known to improve a person's health and protect him or her from diseases. Drinking tea can prevent the development of bacteria or virus inside your mouth; it also facilitates better functioning of your brain cells.
4. Befriend eggs for their health benefits: Eggs for breakfast is the best way to balance your protein needs with your usual carbohydrate or fiber intake. Egg white supplies your body with calcium and are rich in antioxidants that defend your eyes against the harmful UV rays of the sun.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!