*🍽 Breakfast! Foods to Reduce vs Foods Good for Your Health

1) Foods to reduce

 

◆ Bacon, ham, sausage... 'Group 1 Carcinogens'

 

Bacon, ham, sausages, and other processed meats are classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO). Consuming excessive processed meats can increase the risk of not only colon cancer but also stomach cancer. If you eat processed meats from the factory every day for breakfast, not just for a day or two, the likelihood of cancer cells developing in the stomach and colon mucosa increases.

 

White bread, jam, cereal, cheese sandwich... sugars, refined carbohydrates, saturated fats

 

Even though I know that whole grain bread is healthier than white bread, I still look for tasty white bread. I spread it with sugary jam. When sugar and refined carbohydrates enter the body all at once on an empty stomach, blood sugar levels spike. Items like butter, cream cheese bagels, and ham and cheese sandwiches contain a lot of saturated fats. They increase cholesterol and triglycerides, which are bad for blood vessel health. Many cereals claiming to be whole grain also contain high amounts of sugar and saturated fats. It is essential to check the ingredient list carefully.

 

◆ When having bread for breakfast at a cafe... Trans fats, saturated fats

 

The Korea Consumer Agency announced that an investigation of 20 bread products sold at 20 popular cafes in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province revealed that some products contained trans fats and saturated fats at levels up to three times the daily recommended limit. The products included croissants, donuts, and cakes. Excessive intake of trans fats and saturated fats can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and vascular diseases.

 

👍2) Healthy breakfast foods

 

◆ Lukewarm water, cabbage… good for metabolism and stomach health

 

There are still people who do not drink water immediately after waking up in the morning. It is important to supply lost fluids during sleep and to start with lukewarm water to boost metabolism. Next, it is good to eat cabbage, which is rich in Vitamin U that benefits the stomach mucosa. Dietary fiber is good for cleaning the intestines and also helps reduce cholesterol. If you wash and cut the vegetables the day before, they can be eaten directly from the table.

 

◆ Boiled eggs... animal protein that is comfortable to eat and quickly absorbed

 

Boiled eggs prepared the day before are also good food for breakfast. They provide easily absorbable animal protein. Rich in essential amino acids, they help maintain muscle mass. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the retina of the eyes. They are also rich in choline, which aids brain activity and helps maintain memory. Eggs do not contain vitamin C, but pairing them with fresh vegetables or cabbage easily compensates for this.

 

◆ Nuts, yogurt… Protein and calcium supplementation

 

Nuts such as walnuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fatty acids that are good for blood vessels and blood health. They help prevent hyperlipidemia (dyslipidemia) and reduce the risk of stroke (ischemic stroke or cerebral hemorrhage). For those who do not feel like drinking milk, yogurt is a good alternative. The protein content in yogurt is almost the same in quality and quantity as that in milk. Yogurt is gentle on the stomach and contains many probiotics, which help maintain intestinal health. Since it is made from milk, it is high in calcium, which is beneficial for bone health. Especially for middle-aged women, who lose estrogen (the female hormone) that protects bones and blood vessels, yogurt can be very helpful in preventing osteoporosis and vascular diseases.