Healthy breakfast foods - PART 2

Earlier this week I wrote about why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While I was doing research on this subject I ran into so many delicious foods for a healthy breakfast, I decided to divide my article into two parts. I don't want to just sum up all the foods, but also want to tell you about all the special qualities they have.

It's easy to eat stuff because other people tell you it's healthy, but in my experience it works best if you know WHY some foods work wel for your body and others just don't. Take a look at a few other amazing breakfast foods.

• Blueberries: Fresh or frozen, these tiny super fruits pack a lot of health benefits. Studies suggest that eating blueberries regularly can help improve everything from memory and motor skills to blood pressure. Moreover, blueberries can help you battle the bulge. First of all, blueberries are lower in calories than a lot of other fruits (they contain just 80 kcal per cup), but researchers also found that if obese animals  were given meals enriched with blueberries, they lost fat from their stomachs.

• Lemon: Start the day with a glass of warm water and the juice of half a lemon. My experience is, that when you start of the day right, it's easier to make the best choices the rest of the day. Lemons boost your immune system because they are full of vitamine C. They are also high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. And if you're having trouble pooping, warm water and lemon might be just the thing to help you go. Last but not least: drinking lemon water combats the bacteria that causes bad breath. Not bad, huh?
• Flax seed: Sprinkling ground flax seed into a smoothie or bowl of cereal will turn your breakfast into a gold mine of omega-3 fatty acids; just two tablespoons contains more than 100% of your recommended daily intake for those heart-healthy fats. Flax seed, which has a nutty flavor, is also rich in fiber and lignan, an antioxidant that's been shown to protect against breast cancer. You didn't expect all this from such a tiny seed, right?
• Green tea: Have you been wondering why everyone is so psyched about green tea? Now you can stop wondering and just start drinking it. This flavorful beverage offers many health benefits to anyone who drinks it regularly. Green tea contains a plant nutrient known as EGCG. This superb ingredient increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body (especially your belly fat). And if that's not enough, drinking green tea also keeps your energy stable by balancing blood sugar levels. EGCG improves insulin use in the body to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability, and cravings for unhealthy foods.

• Eggs: These little rascals have made quite a comeback in recent years. Once shunned for being high in dietary cholesterol (one yolk contains about 60% of your daily allotment), eggs are now embraced as a healthy source of protein and nutrients. Why the turnabout? Research has shown that the cholesterol in our food has less of an impact on blood cholesterol than previously thought. If you are not eating eggs regularly this is why you should:*One little egg is packed with several vitamins and minerals essential to your health.

Of course this is only a selection of the most delicious and healthy things you can eat for breakfast. What food do you prefer to start of the day fresh and focused?

Source: health.com, foodmatters.tv, besthealthmag.ca, huffingtonpost.com