Start the Day Out Right with a Healthy Breakfast We all have the problem of waking up in the morning and running late. So we think its not a big deal to just rush out the door and skip breakfast. I mean think about it your only a few You wake up late and are tempted to rush out the door without eating breakfast. After all, it’s only a few short hours until lunch. Don’t Skip it – its a meal that worth taking a few extra minutes in the morning to eat. There are many healthy benefits to starting your day with a breakfast full of protein and getting your fiber-rich carbs.

Fact: Eating a healthy Breakfast Reduces Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

One reason to set your alarm a little earlier to make time for breakfast and help reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes. It is a growing epidemic in the United States.  Eating breakfast is one way to lower your risk, according to a recent study presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting. When researchers from the University of Minnesota followed 5,000 men and women for 18 years, they found those who ate breakfast every day were 34% less likely to get this disease that takes its toll on every organ in the body.

Fact: People who stop and eat breakfast daily are less likely to become Obese

The same study showed that people who ate breakfast daily had a lower risk for obesity and were less likely to pack on belly fat. In fact, obesity rates were 43% lower in breakfast eaters compared to those who skipped and they were 40% less likely to gain significant amounts of belly fat. How can you explain these results? It could simply be that people who eat breakfast have healthier eating habits than those who don’t, but eating breakfast also helps with appetite control so you’re less likely to dip your hand into the candy jar at work when you have had a good breakfast.

Fact: Not All Breakfast Food is Created Equal

Eating a bagel made with white flour and cream cheese and jelly on top does not have the same benefits as a more balanced breakfast that contains protein and fiber. Skip the bagel, and try some of these “better for you” breakfast options instead:

• Eggland’s Best eggs or tofu scrambled with red peppers, mushrooms, spinach and feta cheese
• A bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with blueberries and flaxseed with a hard-broiled egg
• Cottage cheese and fresh berries and almonds
• A breakfast parfait made with plain yogurt, berries and nuts
• A smoothie made with yogurt, spinach, berries and a scoop of protein powder
• Keep some emergency breakfast foods on hand you can grab on those days where your alarm doesn’t go off or you ignored it and drifted back to sleep.

Long story short…. Just don’t head out the door without breakfast. Eating a healthy one will help you ward off diabetes while keeping you trimmer and more productive at work. What’s not to like about that? References: Medscape.com “Breakfast Decreases Type 2 Diabetes Risk” Public Health Nutrition: 4(6A), 1429±1431. Centers for Disease Control “Diabetes Public Health Resource”