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Healthy Breakfast Foods To Get Your Day Started Right

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We’ve all heard the saying that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” however, for many, getting a healthy breakfast can be a rarity. Getting a nutritious and well-balanced start to your day will set the standard for how you navigate the rest of your daily obligations, so why compromise on eating and feeling good? Here are some healthy and easy breakfast foods that will help get your day going on the right foot:

Eggs are perhaps one of the most popular and versatile breakfast options one could have. Studies have shown that eating eggs at the beginning of your day can help increase feelings of fullness, which will reduce the risk of unhealthy snacking and reduce your calorie intake before your next meal. Eggs are also a major source of protein, antioxidants to help muscle function, and choline; a nutrient known for improving heart and liver health. 

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Greek yogurt is an easy and delicious way to begin your day. It’s made by straining whey and other liquid produced from milk curds. This process creates a much creamier yogurt that’s heavily concentrated in protein, especially when compared to more standard yogurt options. Greek yogurt also helps aid your body’s natural digestion process for future meals throughout the day due to its high concentration of probiotics. 

Oatmeal is made from ground oats, which as many of us know is high in fiber. The specific fiber in oatmeal is called oat beta-glucan, and this specific strain has major health benefits such as reducing cholesterol. Oatmeal is also rich in antioxidants which can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall heart health. If you’re an individual who eats a gluten-free diet, oats in general are an amazing choice for getting daily nutrients without risk of upsetting your stomach. 

Chia seeds have risen in popularity greatly throughout the past few years as a breakfast option. Many opt to put them in their fruit smoothies or protein shakes, but they really can be used on almost anything. Chia seeds are known for their extremely high fiber concentration, which helps the body absorb water and boost metabolic activity. 

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Berries of any kind are jam packed with antioxidants, high in fiber, yet low in sugar. The specific antioxidant found in most berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) is called anthocyanin, which helps protect your heart health and reduce internal inflammation. Berries are also great for helping reduce one’s cholesterol levels when paired with the right foods. 

Nuts are a great source of magnesium, potassium, and monounsaturated fats, which basically means they’re amazing for your heart health. They’re also a great food/snack to eat if you’re trying to lose weight, as they’re filling, and high in calories but not enough that your body will absorb all the fat that comes with them. Topping Greek yogurt or oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts will not only give you a delicious boost to start your day, but will also provide you with a myriad of nutrients. 

If you like to start your day with a little caffeine boost, instead of reaching for the coffee right away consider making a glass of green tea. Green tea contains about half the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee, so keep that in mind if you really need that extra help in the morning to wake up. However, unlike coffee, green tea contains the antioxidant EGCG, which works to protect your brain, nervous system, and heart from potential damage. 

Healthy Life

Healthy Lifestyle Choices To Help You Live Your Best Life

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During a global pandemic, there’s an extreme focus on health and safety. Beyond just not wanting to be infected with Covid-19, many individuals are realizing that they need to be putting their general health at the forefront of their priorities so that they can continue to live out normal and healthy lives once this is all over. According to doctors, there are certain lifestyle choices we can be making everyday that will not only improve our bodies health, but extend the likelihood of living a long life.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. Many individuals who are trying to lose weight think that skipping breakfast can help speed up that process, when it’s actually the opposite. Being hungry in the morning can lead to snacking throughout the day and later into the night, which is bad for digestion. 

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Have a breakfast that’s high in things like fiber and vitamins but low in things like fat, sugar, and salt. Oatmeal, fresh fruit, or yogurt, are all great options to have in the morning. 

According to the NHS’s Eatwell Guide, a balanced diet in general is one of the most important things to maintaining a healthy life. The NHS specifically advises that you “eat the rainbow” everyday, referring to the “rainbow” of food groups. You want to make sure you’re eating starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice) as a third of your diet. High fiber and wholegrain options are the healthiest and will aid your stomach with digestion as well. 

Doctors also claim that eating starchy carbohydrates throughout the day helps stop you from snacking on unhealthy foods later in the day. Another third of your diet should be dedicated to fruit and vegetables; doctors recommend five servings a day. The remainder of your diet should consist of dairy products (depending on your dietary restrictions), meat, and fish. 

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Sugar and salt are the number one enemies of living a healthy lifestyle. Not only can they cause things like high blood pressure, weight gain, tooth decay, and more, but both substances also actively dehydrate your body. As we know, water is the most important substance, besides food, that we can put into our bodies to keep us alive. So when we’re eating foods that are high in sugar and salt, we’re depriving our body of those essential nutrients. 

Speaking of, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day. This summer has proven to be a hot and humid one, just being outside will dehydrate your body, so make sure you always have a reusable water bottle (for the environment) in your presence. There’s a lot of information out there about how much water you should be drinking a day, but most doctors agree that getting anywhere from 6-8 glasses a day is average and should be the minimum. 

Finally, try to get into any kind of exercise that’s fun for you. Now that we all have an indefinite amount of time at home, there’s no excuse to not take up yoga, running, or any other sort of exercise that can be done easily. Many individuals are intimidated the most about where to start when it comes to getting into exercising. Luckily, the internet exists, and is one of the largest resources for free exercise tips and training tricks from professionals. Simply go to Youtube, type in the type of exercise you want to get into followed by the term “for beginners,” there should be a whole slew of options for you to choose from!

McDonalds Golden Arches

McDonald’s Is Fighting The Chicken Sandwich Battle With Breakfast

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The fast food industry is one of the most lucrative and vast businesses in the World today. Companies such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and Popeyes, to name a few, are in constant competition with one another over which is the most superior, even though all are globally successful. 

One of the most recent fast food “battles” that has taken over the nation was between Popeyes and Chick-fil-A, and it involved an American staple; the chicken sandwich. Now, McDonald’s wants to throw its hat in the ring at the chance to prove that they might have the best chicken options. For a limited time, McDonald’s has announced that they are expanding their breakfast menus nationally to include Chicken McGriddles and McChicken Biscuit sandwiches; previously these options were only available in a few regional locations. 

McDonald’s is also currently in the trial phases of creating their very own crispy chicken sandwich, along with a deluxe version that would include lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, however, the sandwich is currently only available in Knoxville, Tennessee and Houston, Texas. 

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With chicken sandwiches being the token of fast food desire for so many this past year, McDonalds franchise workers began to worry that their very limited chicken menu items would set them back exponentially. Especially in comparison to establishments like Chick-fil-A, who are known for their premium chicken sandwiches. 

“Unfortunately, [customers] have to go to Chick-fil-A for the chicken sandwich they crave. We have great Chicken McNuggets and our McChicken is a very good product. But we do not compete in the premium chicken sandwich category, either grilled or crispy,” said the National Owners Association for McDonald’s.

Linda VanGosen, vice president of menu innovation at McDonald’s, recently stated in an interview that the increase in demand for more chicken-based menu items paralleled similar demands for an expansion on their popular breakfast menu. So in order to satisfy all customer desires, they combined both demands and decided to expand on the breakfast menu with the Chicken McGriddles and McChicken Biscuits. 

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She also mentioned that in the regional areas of the country where these items have already been implemented on the McDonald’s menu, customers have “enthusiastically welcomed” the newer chicken options that are now available nationally. 

The move to integrate more chicken into their breakfast menu may seem like a weird choice considering that they’re competing with two companies that are known for just a standard chicken sandwich, however, for McDonald’s it actually makes perfect sense. As previously stated by the board, McDonald’s can’t compete with the likes of Chick-Fil-A when it comes to a traditional chicken sandwich. However, when it comes to breakfast, McDonald’s is the company that is not to be competed with; in terms of other fast food establishments. 

McDonald’s is definitely the fast food leader of breakfast menus, so much so that in 2015 they started serving their breakfast items all day. So it makes sense that, as a company, they decided that if they wanted to contest with the likes of Popeye’s, they would need to play to their strengths; in this case, that would be breakfast. Other fast food establishments, such as Wendy’s, are following in the same footsteps in terms of breakfast, but the individuals working in corporate aren’t too concerned. 

“We’ve seen competitors … ramp up their activity during this year. Breakfast is an important segment for us to protect and grow. We’re used to fighting for our share, and we’ll carry on doing that,” former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said.