By Jessi McLennan
Published: April 13, 2013
This sounds like the catch phrase to yet another fad diet, promising the followers weight loss while they eat pizza, French fries and donuts.
Surely, this is too good to be true.
Not according to a University of Alabama study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The study found that when subjects were given a fat-rich breakfast compared to a carbohydrate-rich breakfast, they would burn more fat during the day.
It was almost like the fat-rich breakfast turned on an internal fat burning switch that boosted fat metabolism throughout the day.
Now, it must be said that subjects in this study were mice, but the researchers believe that the results could have important implications for human dietary recommendations.
Does this mean then that we get the green light to eat donuts, bacon, chocolate croissants and eggs benny at breakfast?
Well, not quite, researchers are now working on a follow-up study to determine if these findings impact heart function.
However, not all fats are created equal and, whereas diets high in saturated fats have been shown to have negative health effects, diets high in unsaturated fats have been shown to improve health and increase longevity.
So maybe you can have your fat-rich breakfast and eat it too.
Unlike saturated fat which comes mostly from animal sources (butter, whole dairy, meat and poultry), unsaturated fats are found in abundance in nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, soy beans, salmon, tuna and other fatty fish.
Adding some healthy fat to your morning meal will help to improve energy levels, as it slows down the absorption of sugar into the blood-stream, maintaining a more balanced blood sugar level.
Adding a little fat to your breakfast will keep you feeling full for longer, reducing the need to grab that mid-morning muffin.
So, add a little fat into your morning meal, but make sure you’re choosing heart healthy fats and pass on those donuts and chocolate croissants.
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Here’s a nutritious breakfast recipe that contains heart-friendly unsaturated fats, guaranteed to get you off to a good start in the morning.
Serve with some low fat plain yogurt and seasonal fruit.
Fruit and Nut Granola:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup pure apple juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp grapeseed oil or coconut oil
- ½ cup each of pumpkin and sunflower seeds
- 1 cup of raw almonds or pecans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup dried golden raisins (or other dried fruit, such as apricots)
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 300F.
- If using coconut oil, gently heat until it becomes a liquid.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, seeds, nuts and cinnamon.
- Mix in apple juice, maple syrup and oil. Mix well making sure all ingredients are well combined.
- Spread the granola onto a large baking sheet (the bigger the better, you don’t want to make the granola layer too thick or it won’t go crunchy).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until granola is golden brown. Stir granola 3-4 times during cooking to ensure even cooking.
- Once granola is cooked, stir through dried fruit and hemp seeds.Store in an air tight container.
Jessi McLennan is a registered Nutritional Therapist and owner of Origins Nutrition, a Squamish-based nutrition consulting company. You can contact her at jessi@originsnutritioninc.com
