Eight healthy breakfast dos and don'ts and morning sandwich recipe

How's this for a wake-up call: Research shows that eating breakfast may help you lose weight, perform better at work, and lower your risk of heart disease and obesity. Here are easy ways to start your day right.

Chatelaine

By Megan MacMillan

1. Slice and savour

To reap all the benefits of your favourite fruit, eat it immediately after cutting it up. Carving an apple or peeling a banana and saving half for later leaves the fruit exposed to the air, which can destroy some of its vitamins and antioxidants.

2. Designate breakfast your biggest meal of the day

Research suggests that those who eat more in the morning make healthier food choices and consume fewer calories throughout the day. In one study from Virginia Commonwealth University, participants who ate a 610-calorie breakfast rich in carbs and lean protein (including milk, whole-wheat bread, turkey, eggs and cheese) for eight weeks lost more than 21 percent of their body weight, compared to just 4.5 percent for the eaters who consumed a 290-calorie breakfast. The first group also reported less hunger and fewer cravings overall.

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