Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Pro Cheerleaders
As kids, we were told that breakfast is the most important meal. The rationale behind this is that breakfast kick-starts your hormonal conditions so that you are able to effectively burn fat, achieve a balance in blood sugar levels, and control your appetite for the entire day.
Since your goal is to attain fat loss by eating a healthy breakfast daily, you need to understand that your hormones have a bigger impact on your weight. Choosing the right meals in the morning, foods that are rich in protein and fiber and low in sugar/carbs, can maximize your body's fat-burning potential. When you eat protein and fiber-rich foods, you'll feel fuller longer and have more controlled insulin levels.
What constitutes a healthy high-protein, high-fiber, low sugar, and low-carb breakfast for professional cheerleaders? Below are some of my recommendations.
Whole Eggs
Aside from being relatively inexpensive, whole eggs are rich in protein. One large egg has 78 calories and 6 grams of protein. It provides you with all nine essential amino acids which include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. These essential amino acids have major benefits for your body:
- Keep you in a positive mood
- Improve your energy levels
- Dissolve visceral fat which leads to weight loss
- Promote healthy skin and nails
Protein Smoothie
Try this delicious and nutritious homemade Spinach, Kiwi, and Chia Seed smoothie. The addition of chia seeds is what makes this smoothie rich in protein. People who aim to build lean muscle and burn more fat include these super seeds in their meals. Spinach still contributes to your daily protein intake and is high in carotenoids - plant pigments that have antioxidant properties.
Health benefits of this protein smoothie include:
- Appetite control and weight loss
- Healthy digestion
- Protection against certain cancers
- Boost in exercise performance
Low Sugar Fruits
Fruits are still the best alternatives to candies and pastries for those who crave sweets. However, if you're aiming to cut back on sugar, you need to steer clear of sugary fruits like bananas, mangoes, and pineapples.
Go for these best low-sugar fruits instead:
- Avocados - Loaded with fiber and helps lower your cholesterol levels.
- Cranberries and raspberries - Good sources of vitamin C to boost your immune system and maintain skin elasticity.
- Kiwis - Kiwis help eliminate toxins from your digestive tract and promote cardiovascular health.
- Apples - One medium apple contains only 19 grams of sugar. Choose Granny Smith apples to lower your risk for obesity.
Greek Yogurt
Choose Greek yogurt over the regular variety since it contains more protein, less carbs and less sodium. It's also thick and creamy. To make your breakfast even more nutritious, add fresh berries for antioxidant benefits and almonds for more protein.
This low-fat breakfast has the following benefits:
- A good source of iodine to help boost your physical and mental performance
- Balances your blood sugar levels
- Controls your hunger
- Keeps you mentally sharp
Quinoa
This South American miracle food is jam-packed with protein and contains all essential amino acids. This explains why quinoa is considered as a complete protein food. For every cup of cooked quinoa, you get 8.1 grams of protein compared to cooked oatmeal that has only 5.6 grams of protein. Quinoa scores low on the glycemic index which means that it prevents blood sugar spikes.
Quinoa has these benefits:
- Reduces your sugar cravings
- Contains quercetin to reduce inflammation (common in muscle aches and sprain)
- Increases your fullness
- Prevents free radical damage responsible for the development of diseases
Beware Of Breakfast Cereals
When you're in a hurry during mornings, it can be tempting to go for a bowl of breakfast cereal. While cold cereals make a convenient choice, they are actually high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. Cereals also undergo extrusion, a process responsible for their fun shapes. Because extrusion involves high heat, protein denaturation happens and this changes the structure of amino acids. Cereals aren't only fattening, they're also toxic.
Final Thoughts
Professional cheerleading is physically and mentally demanding. Choose the right foods for breakfast that help you maintain a healthy weight, boost your energy levels, and keep you focused. Eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate meal for breakfast alters your hormones throughout the day. Your cravings reduce while your metabolism increases.
Over To You...
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