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Are breakfast bars healthy? What about your favourite cereal? If not, what is an ideal breakfast during busy mornings? Find out.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As the popular saying goes – breakfast should be like a king; lunch should be like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Breakfast should be like a king regarding nutritional value, not in terms of quantity and variety.
Morning is the time when our body is in elimination mode; it is best to eat predigested foods. The digestive system is busy removing toxins from our body and needs energy to do that. So, from the time we get up till 11:00 am, sweet and juicy fruits are the best breakfast. Fruits are delicious and are loaded with essential nutrients. It prevents illness. Lots of people around me think that fruits have sugar. The natural sugar in fruits is different from the refined sugar that we find in packaged foods. Fruits alkalize our body. No disease can occur in an alkaline body.
What is the most common and easy breakfast lately? I did a survey amongst my friends and found out that cereal bars, energy bars and cereals like Corn Flakes, Fruit Loops, Rice Crispies, Weetabix etc. with milk or coffee is what most people are consuming every morning. Few of my friends even thought that these are healthy. My close friend admitted, “I thought that this is the trend and that’s what everyone is supposed eat for breakfast.” I was a little shocked when another friend happily admitted that her Weetabix doesn’t taste good, so she thinks it should be ‘healthy’.
One of my new clients from Japan said, “Fruit loops with milk is the only breakfast that my daughter eats happily in the morning before going to the school. It is easy, hassle free and convenient!” A close friend also said that they buy the healthier and non-sugary version. The new concept of oats in breakfast bars is considered healthy.
These fake foods are not healthy and nutritious at all.
I believe, it is the advisement industry that has cannily convinced us to consume sugar laden ‘high fiber biscuits’ and breakfast bars. They have successfully convinced us that these foods are healthy and full of nutrients. On the contrary, it is high in sugar, preservatives, saturated fats and are not easily digestible. All the calories from refined sugar are empty calories and don’t contain any nutrients that our cells need. Refined sugar from highly processed foods is an anti nutrient. It drains away nutrition from our cells. Our cells have great power to take care of themselves unless they are overwhelmed by poor diets.
Two years ago, I too used to eat the breakfast bars post workout. My son’s breakfast used to be cereal with milk. My husband also would have these breakfast bars in between meals. I considered this a regime healthy until I understood what real nutrition is.
Now, I don’t buy or consume these products at all. Only when we are on vacation, and the buffet of the hotel breakfast has an array of these cereals, does my son dig into the bowl of cold milk and Choco Pops. He relishes every bite and teases me by saying, “Mummy, this is the only place where I find my favourite cereals!”
What is a perfect breakfast?
According to Ayurveda, fruits are like gold in the morning and are considered the best breakfast option. So, I consume fresh fruits, dates and figs as the first meal of the day. Fruits should be eaten on an empty stomach. Fruits have special digestive requirements and should be eaten alone. They should not be mixed with any cereals or yogurt. After half an hour, if I am hungry, I eat traditional Ia ndian breakfast. If I am busy, then I eat another round of fruits or my favourite banana and coconut milk smoothie and soaked nuts followed by lunch.
Traditional breakfast that our grandparents used to eat are ideal after consuming fruits. For example, dosa and idlis, poha, eggs, roasted potatoes, miso soup and rice or foul and hummus are few options of nutritious breakfast. Soaked nuts, apricots, figs and dates are few nutritious add on.
Now, I know the recipe of quick breakfast. Replacing a banana or an apple with a cereal bar is far more nutritious.
Consuming “real” food will lead to more energy through out the day. We should make our children also aware of the food choices we are making. Let them not get fooled by the cartoons and colourful packaging. Small changes in the morning will make the healthier cell and healthier future for our children and us.
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Meenu believes in enjoying little things in life. Very social but at the same time could sit at home on a weekend and read a book instead! read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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