I received this in an email from a new client of mine, and she said:
“Today was the first day I went to work after a proper breakfast (i.e. not nasi lemak). I was surprised with the effects - I didn’t feel hungry/sleepy but instead energized!”
Before I proceed - I need to ask - how many of you are breakfast skippers? If you said yes to that… then you need to start having your breakfast tomorrow without any further delay - cos you really don’t know what you’re missing out! Not only that, but if you’re someone struggling with managing your weight, it might please you to know that it has been PROVEN that regularly eating breakfast has a positive effect on weight loss and maintenance.
And for those of you who don’t quite fall under the category of ‘breakfast skippers’, but instead, your breakfast consists of a poor choice of food - for example, sugar-loaded cereals, or the typical Malaysian favourite - Nasi Lemak (which is high in fat and calories), and every other fried thing you’ll find at the Nasi Lemak stall or your favourite mamak/food stall - then I challenge you now, to make a change just for 2 weeks - try a healthier breakfast and tell me whether you actually feel a difference or not.
What is an example of a better/healthier breakfast?
I thought you’d never ask.
A typical breakfast for ME can be something like:
Some half-boiled eggs
A bowl of Whole Grain Oatmeal - cooked on the stove top with milk, chopped almonds, sprinkled with dried fruits
A cup of Coffee (black), or Green Tea
Here’s a day when I had a bowl whole-grain oatmeal, with chopped almonds, raisins and a dash of wheat germ on top - with a mug of chocolate flavoured protein shake.
For my clients who are still new to the idea of getting a healthier breakfast, I typically recommend something easier to prepare, such as:
Bowl of muesli with half glass milk
Some fruit (optional)
or
Half-boiled eggs
2 slices whole wheat bread
Glass of milk
or
Bowl of Instant oats with milk
Coffee/Green Tea
The above are just to give you an idea of what a healthier, better breakfast is like. It does not mean you have to eat exactly what is suggested above - 2 slices of bread, etc. Every individual is different - so please do not take the above examples as a hard rule.
What can you expect with a new and improved breakfast?
If you’re currently living an active lifestyle, or if you’re a regular gym-goer - you should expect to notice a difference in your energy levels throughout the day.
If you’re someone struggling with controlling your food intake/always feeling hungry when you shouldn’t be/feeling tired in the afternoons because you are forced to have a heavy lunch due to your poor breakfast - you’re going to find changes in your appetite levels, more energy to get through the day, and many other benefits that you just need to try out for yourself to understand what I’m talking about.
The saying really does hold true - Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince, and Dinner like a Pauper.
Read also:
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
While agree with your comments on what constitutes a healthy breakfast, not everyone has the luxury to prepare themselves a healthy meal early in the morning.
Most of us rush to work and dropping by at the local nasi lemak stall on the way to work is the only choice available.
Fruits are OK and readily available but the idea of having oatmeal and half boiled eggs does not bode well for the typical Malaysian stomach.
Could you suggest something more… err… delicious?
i’m one of the breakfast skipper since i was in school. the problem is i can’t eat anything or breakfast in the morning especially milk or i will shuttle to toilet like hell. i can only take warm plain water.
i tried to have a normal breakfast but i just can’t. my stomach just very active processing food and finally i need to go to toilet having my “private transaction”.
i can only have my breakfast after 12.00p.m when most people having their lunch and when people having their tea time in the evening, i will having my lunch time or maybe not because i just have my “breakfast”.
the worst case when i was in high school taking final paper in the morning and my mother goes like…”haiya…come on la have some breakfast, i already make u roti telur…” i refused but she forced me to eat. so i have a little bite with hot milo.
guess what happen? i start to feel something in my stomach and i spend almost 30 minutes in the scholl toilet and my teacher smell a rat…
during morning flight, i will never eat anything from the meal box. i just save it for another time…u know what i mean..
any explanation?
I did have the same problem as daouz_86 a few years back. Since I went to university, I found out that I gotta have something to eat in the morning so that I can maintain my focus and attention to the lecturer blah-blah-blahing in front of the hall. That’s when I tried to take my ‘breakfast’ 3 hours after I wake up. After a few weeks of getting used to it, I go from 3 hours to 2 hours after I wake up, then 1, then 1/2 hour after I get up from bed. The important thing is that try not to take up too much food at first so your body can adjust to the changes. The other thing to remember is to drink 1/2 to 1 glass of water right after you wake up. Don’t know if that helps or not though, >.<
My breakfast consists of either 3 half boiled eggs, or 4 hard-boiled egg whites at 8:30am. No milk for me since got not much money for extra milk. Eggs are cheaper and made me feel fuller for longer periods and are so much easy to make. I tried having a can of tuna early in the morning, but my wallet doesn’t allow that too often.
I’m glad that this post received your comments very promptly, and with each one of you having a genuine question. I will respond to each one tomorrow - gotta get to bed early as I’m working out with a client REALLY early tomorrow! So for now, try to perhaps stay off what’s oily for breakfast?
Talk soon.
DM, don’t mind if I share some information here ? :)
Aizan : I personally blend rolled oats with 2 bananas as my breakfast if I’m in rush. And sometimes I’ll add a scope of Whey protein into it.
When I have my own sweet time to prepare breakfast, i’ll eat something similar with DM and what he suggested. It varies from time to time, makan benda sama lama-lama pun takut ma kan? :P
daouz_86 : Going to toilet for personal transaction after breakfast is quite normal from my experience, unless you are saying diarrhoea, maybe should check the food you take. Let’s see what DM has to advice you :)
Aizan: Years ago when I used to work my hectic IT job and had to be in the office early, I sometimes used to wake up earlier, as early as 6am - just so I had the time to prepare some breakfast. Sometimes, I would pre-pack my snacks/meals the night before, and kept them in the refrigerator - I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you thought your breakfast was important enough, you WILL be able to make time for it. What’s an extra 20 mins if it would mean a healthier waistline and an extra productive day? ;)
But I’m also going to be a bit realistic here and accept your excuse, because after all, ‘lack of time’ is the No.1 excuse I get from people who don’t find the time to exercise or eat healthy. So for a start, perhaps you could try something that really doesn’t take up much time - like some breakfast cereal - try to avoid the sugar loaded ones like Frosties, etc. There are so many out there, and there are many decent ones too. All that is required is your patience to pour in some milk, and sit down quietly for 5 to 10 minutes to enjoy it! If that doesn’t appeal to you.. hmm.. then I must ask you - what do you like to eat?
daouz_86 - maybe you’re lactose intolerant? Some people can have really sensitive stomachs. Anyway, if this persists - I’d suggest you get the opinion of a physician (doctor) because what you are experiencing is not normal.
viperx - that’s more eggs that usual for most people. I’m guessing it’s due to your strength training routine at the gym - right?
Yea, I guess so. I always think that my protein intake is not enough since i don’t see much progress in my lean body mass. If I may ask, what’s the most economical way to have a healthy breakfast? I’m currently away from home on a work trip. Would want a professional opinion on this. I did ask Mr. Liaw Teck Leong about this matter, and adviced me to have steamed chicken, eggs and canned tunas throughout the day. He did told me he doesn’t have much idea on this matter as well. A little bit of advice for all of us poor people? >.< Thanks.
viperx - oatmeal is cheap if you ask me. All you need is a big tin of oatmeal (I think it costs less than RM10), and milk. And some nuts/raisins if you’d like to spice it up a little. That’s a good start already. Or - try muesli, and milk. It can’t get any easier.
I can’t think of anything cheaper than that - perhaps 2 half-boiled eggs with 2 slices of wholemeal bread + 1 glass milk is also cheap, but requires some prep time for the eggs.
Steamed chicken/eggs/canned tunas - well, thats the bodybuilder approach - and that takes a lot of time to prepare, and also the fact that its not gonna be very pleasant or cheap eating all of these.
maybe i just have breakfast early but i really have to stay away from milk…i can’t have milk in the morning. ..no matter what flavor it is…
daouz_86 - how about soy milk?
Hi DM
Taking your advice and eating cereals for breakfast (luckily the company stocks cereals and milk for employees so it’s free) and I must say I feel less sluggish compared to when I was downing mi goreng or nasi lemak in the morning.
=)
Aizan: :O Your company does what?? That’s unbelievable! What cereals are these?
Also - any part-time vacancies there? I’d do a lot for free milk.
Aiyoh, my company’s very small fry. No need to look for part time jobs here. Very boring.
The cereals are just kellog’s cornflakes + hazelnuts, which I find OK because it’s not the ones laden with sugar like honey stars or cocoa puffs. Can’t stand anything too sweet. I get a bit hyper!
DM: i’m not a bodybuilder. I just take in advices from people from around the world. Some tell me to take protein as my main source of calories so that i grow lean muscle and not fat. >.< want to have a fit body with real working muscle and not just for show. I’m trying muesli now, though it’s not that yummy, maybe due to the fact that it’s the brand First Choice (malaysia brand i guess). Let me finish the box of muesli then i’ll try out oatmeal. How do you make the oatmeal? just add milk into the instant oatmeal? or hot water into oatmeal and eat them with a glass of milk?
Aizan: omg! free milk and cereals. Please tell me where you work at so i can go and get myself employed there. ^^
Hey DM! :)
For breakfast I usually have my oats (instant - just add hot water) and add brown sugar and wheatgerm, which I find already superbly tasty. If I have ’stock’ in the company fridge, I’ll dig out my grapes or raisins from the fridge and drop them in. Chopped walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds do well too.
Other times when I’m in a rush, it’s a quick bowl of cornflakes and skimmed milk with grapes, raisins, cranberries (it goes on). It’s quicker coz I don’t have to stand around mixing it unlike the hot oats, and I don’t really have to use a lot of time to wash the cereal bowl. Oats, when dried up, tends to be a nuisance to wash off.
Other than that, I also have muesli packs with me.
I recently bought BSN’s Lean Dessert in which I mix a heaping scoop with my skimmed milk. BSN’s drinks’ taste are one of the best I find, and they do not clump up in cold liquid.
Cheers all! Do NOT skip breakfast.
viperx: I’m not a bodybuilder too - I’m just a fitness enthusiast, and I strive to have an awesome physique, that’s all.
I don’t know about the ‘First Choice’ brand - but I particularly like the taste and the nutritional profile of the Dorset Cereals (they come in dark boxes with a see-thru window), but they are a bit pricey - between RM13 to 15 per box. As for oatmeal, I prefer not to use instant oatmeal as I believe that most of the goodness has been lost due to the processing. I use whole grain oatmeal (they’re more chunkier, and the oat grain hasn’t been cut) - but the downside is that you need to cook it on a stovetop, just for about 5 to 10 mins. I cook it with milk + water, and throw in nuts, raisins, etc.
suN! Where have you been all this while? Welcome back!! I agree with you on the taste of BSN’s supps. :)
Dorset Cereals are awesome! but they’re so pricey.. here in Sg, it’s about 14SGD.. :S grrr…
I have been here.. n there… n everywhere! :) hahaha… hope all is well
Oh i think First Choice is just Cold Storage’s in-house brand. like how Tesco has their own stuff, Carrefour as well. :)
real men eat nasi lemak everyday.
hahaha just wanted to put that in here since everyone is talking about eating muesli, bananas, oats.
bring them frosties! :)
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