2023-08-27 12:31:35
Choosing what you will eat for breakfast may have consequences for the rest of your day and your overall health, including the risk of serious diseases, which is why doctors recommend many foods that contribute to improving heart health, and they can also help reduce the risk of cancer.
For Cleveland Clinic oncologist Sunil Kamath, healthy eating means following the principles of the Mediterranean diet, including an emphasis on lean sources of protein, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts and olive oil.today“.
Kamath also advises limiting the amount of highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and red meat.
“Starting the day right helps prevent cancer,” says Elizabeth Komin, a medical oncologist who treats breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
What oncologists eat for breakfast: Oatmeal with fruits, nuts, and seeds
For Jennifer McQuaid, associate professor and physician at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, she starts most mornings with oatmeal, “then I like to add flaxseeds or pumpkin or whatever other nuts and seeds I have on hand, as well as a small amount of dried fruit.” “.
“I try to get lots of good fibre, as well as healthy fats with some seeds, and then good phytonutrients from dried fruit,” she explains.
Oatmeal is one of Kamath’s breakfast favorites, and he often adds strawberries and almonds, which provide extra flavour, as well as healthy fats that aren’t too high in protein to “keep me full until lunch.”
Whole grain bread with peanut butter and fruit
Cancer epidemiologist Elisabeth Platz, a professor at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, says she eats roughly the same breakfast every day, which is two thin slices of whole-grain toast with peanut butter.
She also spreads a thin layer of butter between her toast and peanut butter, and eats a variety of seasonal fruits that her husband brings from the market.
Platz is keen to avoid large spikes in blood sugar in the morning, because high blood sugar is linked to prediabetes and future cancer risks.
She explains that although peanut butter contains a lot of fat, it slowly increases blood sugar, noting that she sometimes eats oatmeal in the morning, with some fresh berries.
“protein bar”
With Kamath sometimes busy in the morning and a busy schedule of patient appointments with no snack breaks, he turns to coated protein bars, which “deliver a lot of calories quickly”.
But he has specific requirements for this quick, cookie-like meal: “I usually look for things with at least 12g of protein, ideally 20g.”
Yogurt with seeds and berries
McQuaid’s breakfast sometimes includes unsweetened yogurt and she adds some seeds, dried fruit or fresh berries to it, providing “great protein in the morning”.
Eggs with vegetables
McQuaid sometimes eats eggs for breakfast, but mixes them with some high-fiber stir-fried vegetables like spinach, kale, onions and garlic.
coffee
Studies point to the benefits of moderate coffee consumption, the concomitant reduced risk of cancer, as well as stimulating the brain in the morning.
And while Cumin adds almond milk to her coffee, she prefers green tea because of its antioxidant properties.
What doctors avoid at breakfast
Kamath eschews what he sees in the traditional American breakfast, which is very high in processed red meats like bacon, advising to focus on lean sources of protein.
Platz also steers clear of traditional carbohydrate-rich breakfast foods, such as pancakes topped with honey or sweetened syrup, to avoid spikes in blood sugar.
Breakfast pastries also fall into this category, Komin says. “They may look delicious in the moment, but you feel hungry moments later. They have no nutritional value.”
Komin acknowledges that trying to change your eating habits at once can be daunting, and therefore she advises starting on a small scale, such as replacing orange juice with a glass of water in the morning, or walking for 10 minutes during the day, adding that over time, small changes such as These become “big wins.”
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