It is a known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But do you know that a good breakfast can keep your heart healthy?<\/p>\n
A recent statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) adds heart health to the list of reasons of why it\u2019s a good idea to eat in the morning.<\/p>\n
How does breakfast help the heart?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 When you eat something in the morning, it jumpstarts your system and gets all the organs, including your heart, functioning at optimum.<\/p>\n \u2022 Skipping breakfast causes irregular eating patterns that in the long term causes weight gain, which in turn affects the heart.<\/p>\n \u2022 Eating breakfast lowers risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.<\/p>\n \u2022 Having breakfast gets the stomach juices flowing and your body works harder to digest the food which is good for the heart.<\/p>\n What kind of breakfast is healthy for you?<\/strong> \u2022 Fiber \u2013 It lowers cholesterol and is good for cardiovascular health. Foods rich in fiber include oats, beans, fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n \u2022 Lean protein \u2014 Dhals, eggs, lean meats.<\/p>\n \u2022 Fat \u2014 Oils and butter.<\/p>\n A breakfast made with a combination of the above helps your body get into high gear and gets the heart pumping. It gives you energy for the whole day.<\/p>\n Some breakfast choices that include the above would be:-<\/strong> People skip breakfast or have a poor breakfast because they don\u2019t have time to prepare it. If that is the case, break the meal into smaller, easy to make portions. This could include a helping of fruit, some dried fruits and nuts or a sandwich, all of which could be easily carried with you. A smoothie is another easy choice.<\/p>\n
\nA healthy breakfast plan should include a balance of these:-<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Cooked oats with vegetables.
\n\u2022 Idlis or dosas with sambhar and a small amount of ghee on top.
\n\u2022 Omelette with vegetables and brown bread on the side.
\n\u2022 Muesli with yoghurt and fruits.
\n\u2022 Brown bread sandwich with vegetables, lean meats and cheese.
\n\u2022 Upuma or poha with sambhar, and chutney.<\/p>\n