By guest blogger, Becky Ramsing, MPH, RD   

Breakfast eaters have all the fun, according to recent research.  People who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight and are more successful at losing and maintaining weight loss.  They have fewer cravings and choose healthier foods throughout the day.  In fact, at the end of the day, breakfast eaters get more fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Not only that, they are late for work less often and perform better at work and school, especially on those memory tasks!   

Breakfast is a great opportunity to start out the day right and get some of those food groups that we typically lack:  fruits, whole grains, and low fat dairy or milk.  However, breakfast can also start your day out wrong!  A deluxe breakfast from your local fast food restaurant can cost you more than half the calories you need for the day as well as your entire limit of fat and saturated fat!   Even a quick latte and muffin from the coffee shop will give you 650 calories, 25 grams of fat, and 8 teaspoons of sugar!   

What makes a great breakfast?  Start with good ingredients.   Choose a whole grain, such as high fiber cereal, oatmeal, or a whole wheat English muffin.  Then add some protein with peanut butter, an egg, fat free milk, yogurt, or lean sausage.   Top it off with fresh, frozen or even canned fruit.  Use healthy fats when cooking, such as canola or olive oil.  A balance of carbohydrates, lean proteins, and fat causes a more gradual release of energy over the entire morning, maintains your blood sugar levels and delays hunger until it’s time for lunch.
  
In a hurry?  Grab a peanut butter sandwich in the morning or microwave an egg and sandwich it in a whole wheat English muffin.  A bowl of cereal with a banana is quick and full of great nutrients.  Or what about last night’s leftover?  Keep healthy breakfast foods at the office for those times you miss breakfast at home.  Individual oatmeal packets or cereal boxes are great, but make sure they’re the low-sugar variety.  You can also keep yogurt and granola on hand to grab when you’ve missed breakfast at home.   And when you are on the road, choose a la carte with an egg or pancake and avoid the deluxe meal!  Egg McMuffins without the cheese, yogurt parfaits and oatmeal are good choices too.

Becky Ramsing, MPH, RD

Becky joined the University of Maryland Extension in September 2009 as a Nutrition, Health and Wellness Educator.  Prior to joining UME, she worked with the Howard County Health Department Bureau of Health Promotion, the HC Nutrition and Physical Activity Coalition and Howard County Head Start.

Through her work and volunteer efforts, she has been actively involved in promoting nutrition and physical activity throughout Howard County, including schools, work sites, and community settings.  Becky is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health.

Her experience also includes serving as an academic coordinator and instructor at the UM Medical School, public health researcher, and educator in community, academic and clinical settings.  Additionally, she spent several years working in East Africa teaching nutrition and working with children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

It’s that time of year again. After a typical holiday season that often includes too many parties with too much food, many will want to start that diet, get back to the gym and compensate for another year of good intentions gone awry. But most of the resolutions made on New Year’s Eve will be broken before the calendar turns to February.

People tend to want immediate results, and, if they mess up, they give up. It’s more important to focus on the health of your body than the look of your body. It’s really about making lifestyle changes that you can live with. Fad diets usually don’t work in the long run.

Resolutions can be a good thing, but here are some tips on how you can stick to them by setting reasonable goals and expectations you can actually meet:

1. Set reasonable goals and start out slowly.
2. Check with your doctor to be sure you’re healthy enough for exercise.
3. Check with a nutritionist to see what food changes are the best for your body.
4. Walk when you can, park further away from the mall and use the stairs instead of the elevator. Small changes can make a big difference.
5. March in place, weight train or use a good Pilates or Yoga tape at home. You don’t always need a gym.
6. Drink lots of water. A glass before meals can reduce hunger and make you eat less.
7. Don’t always deprive yourself, but eat smaller portions.
8. Know what’s in your food. Read labels, go for low sodium and avoid eating out too much – there are lots of hidden calories and fat in that “healthy” fast food salad!
9. Eat whole grains instead of refined pasta, bread and rice.
10. Fill up with high-fiber fruits and vegetables.

Plan on hitting the gym? Here are some weight-training tips:

• Learn proper exercise and weight-training techniques to avoid injury.
• Remember to breathe properly while exercising.
• Get the right ratio of cardio to weight-training exercise.
• Get the right ratio of power lifting (higher weights with fewer repetitions) to endurance lifting (lower weights with more repetitions).
• Vary your exercise routine. You don’t want to always work the same muscle groups.

As you start on your journey to better health, try using the buddy system. Having someone to motivate you, remind you of your goals and reinforce your successes can really help keep you on track.