Eggs vs Cereal: The Battle for Breakfast of Champions

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What do you eat for breakfast every morning? Nothing but cereals?

Well, be rest assured, you’re not alone. Cold cereals are a very convenient and easy food. Proponents of cereals claim it has lots of health benefits. But the question is, “are they as healthy as claimed?”

Several studies have shown that an early breakfast improves satiety and helps you snack less during the day. But eating only carbs at breakfast might be detrimental to your health needs. You’re better off adding some protein and fat as well.

So, in this article, we’ll see which is a healthier alternative for breakfast: cereals or eggs?

What is cereal?

Breakfast cereal is produced from grains. Most cereals are fortified with minerals and vitamins. They’re usually eaten with yogurt, milk, nuts, or fruits (1).

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So, how are breakfast cereals made? Typically, they are made by:

1. Processing: The food manufacturer processes the grains into fine flour and cooks them.

2. Extrusion: Some breakfast cereals are produced via an extrusion process. During extrusion, the cereal is shaped with a machine that uses a high-temperature process.

3. Mixing: Grains are crushed into flour. The flour is mixed with ingredients such as water, cocoa, and sugar.

4. Drying: The processed cereal is dried

5. Shaping: The cereal is cut into shapes like stars, bells, rectangles, or loops.

Some breakfast cereals may be shredded, flaked, or even puffed before they’re dried.

So, what’s the problem with breakfast cereals?

Well, there’s nothing as terrific in the modern diet as added sugar. And there are loads of it in breakfast cereals.

You see, added sugar contributes to chronic Qdiseases, and the thing is — we’re simply eating plenty of it (2, 3, 4).

Most of the added foods come from heavily processed foods — and the foods with the highest amount of added sugars are breakfast cereals, followed by soft drinks.

If you check well, you’ll see that sugar is almost always the second or third ingredient in breakfast cereals.

When you eat cereals for breakfast, you’ll cause your insulin and blood sugar levels to spike. Shortly after, your blood sugar level crashes, causing your body to crave another snack or meal rich in carbs. This ultimately causes you to overeat all the time (5).

Eating a lot of sugar also increases your risk of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (6, 7, 8).

Most breakfast cereals are advertised with misleading health claims

Yes, a lot of breakfast cereals are advertised as being healthy. You’ll most likely see colorful ads with notes like “whole grain” and “low fat.” But a look at their listed ingredients shows refined sugar and grains as the very first ingredients.

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Here’s the thing — small amounts of grains do not in any way increase the health benefits of these cereals. These health claims only serve as an effective way to trick people into thinking that these food products are healthy.

Children are more at risk because breakfast cereals are often marketed to them.

Many cereal manufacturers target children. These food manufacturers use cartoons, action figures, and even bright colors to catch children's attention.

This explains why many children associate cereals with fun and entertainment.

Imagine if they made it illegal to use fictitious, cartoon characters to market processed foods.

It also alters the taste preferences of these kids. Many children would rather go for foods that have well-known cartoon characters on the packaging.

What’s more? Eating processed, sugary food increases the risk of childhood obesity and other diseases.

What you should do is add PROTEIN to your breakfast

Protein is a vital macronutrient. It reduces appetite and increases satiety.

Proteins affect the levels of several hormones, like ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and peptide YY, the fullness hormone (9, 10).

Eggs are an excellent source of extra protein. They are one of the most nutritious foods on earth. They also contain cholesterol which is needed for a healthy lifestyle. Read this to learn about why “bad” LDL is actually needed for your body to function optimally.

The nutrients packed in a single egg are enough to cause a single cell to develop into a full live chicken.

According to Nutrition Data, the nutrients contained in one boiled egg include:

· Folate — 5% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA)

· Vitamin A — 6% of the RDA

· Selenium — 22% RDA

· Phosphorus — 9% RDA

· Vitamin B12–9% RDA

· Vitamin B5–7% RDA

· Vitamin B2–15% RDA

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Eggs are also rich in vitamin E, K, D, and B6 and zinc and calcium.

This is packed with 6g of protein, 77 calories, and 5g of fats. There are also vital trace nutrients in fats — and they’re great for your health.

Eggs are perfect. They contain a bit of every nutrient that your body requires.

Make sure you buy eggs that clearly stated they are pasture-raised. They’re the best kind. These eggs are loaded with healthy, omega-3 fats and are enriched with vitamins A and E (11).

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References

1. Whittaker, P., Tufaro, P. R., & Rader, J. I. (2001). Iron and folate in fortified cereals. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 20(3), 247–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2001.10719039

2. Te Morenga, L., Mallard, S., & Mann, J. (2012). Dietary sugars and body weight: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 346, e7492. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e7492

3. Basciano, H., Federico, L., & Adeli, K. (2005). Fructose, insulin resistance, and metabolic dyslipidemia. Nutrition & metabolism, 2(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-2-5

4. Johnson, R. K., Appel, L. J., Brands, M., Howard, B. V., Lefevre, M., Lustig, R. H., Sacks, F., Steffen, L. M., Wylie-Rosett, J., & American Heart Association Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism and the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention (2009). Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 120(11), 1011–1020. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192627

5. Roberts S. B. (2000). High-glycemic index foods, hunger, and obesity: is there a connection? Nutrition reviews, 58(6), 163–169. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2000.tb01855.x

6. Weeratunga, P., Jayasinghe, S., Perera, Y., Jayasena, G., & Jayasinghe, S. (2014). Per capita sugar consumption and prevalence of diabetes mellitus — global and regional associations. BMC public health, 14, 186. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-186

7. Stanhope, K. L., Schwarz, J. M., & Havel, P. J. (2013). Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies. Current opinion in lipidology, 24(3), 198–206. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0b013e3283613bca

8. Seely, S., & Horrobin, D. F. (1983). Diet and breast cancer: the possible connection with sugar consumption. Medical hypotheses, 11(3), 319–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-9877(83)90095-6

9. Paddon-Jones, D., Westman, E., Mattes, R. D., Wolfe, R. R., Astrup, A., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. (2008). Protein, weight management, and satiety. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 87(5), 1558S–1561S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/87.5.1558S

10. Blom, W. A., Lluch, A., Stafleu, A., Vinoy, S., Holst, J. J., Schaafsma, G., & Hendriks, H. F. (2006). Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 83(2), 211–220. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/83.2.211

11. Samman S, Kung F, Carter L, et al. (2009). Fatty acid composition of certified organic, conventional, and omega-3 eggs. Food Chemistry, 116(4), 911–914

5 Reasons Why Chia Seeds Are Good For You

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What Exactly Are Chia Seeds?

These taste-less, tiny things called “Chia seeds” come from a plant in the mint family (Salvia hispanica L.) cultivated in Central and South America. They were once a major food source for the Aztecs and Mayas back in their heyday. In fact, ‚ 'chia' is Mayan for 'strength.' 

They sport two different varieties—creamy white and grey-black—which can be used interchangeably. The weird brown-colored chia seeds are not fully mature. But don’t worry, they’ll reach puberty soon and change color.

The content in these little things is extravagant. They contain a high amount of fiber, protein, antioxidants and are literally packed full of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids. But unlike flax seeds, chia seeds don't get rancid as quickly. People with celiac disease need not fear as chia seeds are gluten-free. 

Can Chia Seeds Help With Fat Loss?

Chia seeds are also thought to help keep your waistline trim by sucking up 10‐12 times their weight, forming a gel in your stomach that can curb vicious simple carb cravings by making you feel full longer. They also slow the digestive process that breaks down carbs and converts them to sugar, which means fewer carbs feeding the fat cells around your midsection. Oh, and for you, vegans out there, don't you fret. These seeds can act as an egg-replacer with their gelatinous-like binding powers. Go ahead, try it, you green thumbs you.

What Does the Research Show Us?

In animal testing, rats who were fed chia seeds saw significant reductions in LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides, while blood levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol and omega‐3s increased. The mechanism for such effects is unknown, as EPA and DHA do not cut LDL cholesterol. 

Another randomized trial tested a beverage consisting of chia seeds, soy protein, oats, and nopal (cactus) versus placebo in 67 patients with Diabetes. After two months, those assigned to the tested beverage lost weight and improved triglyceride and blood-sugar levels. 

Other small trials showed reduced post-meal glucose levels and raised ALA and EPA levels. Some evidence suggests that consuming milled chia seeds, rather than the whole, allows much more ALA to reach the bloodstream. This results in a higher conversion to EPA.

Why Putting Butter In Your Coffee Is Healthy

Read Time: [8-9 minutes] 

Who doesn't love a nice hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning to not only jump-start their day but also their colon? What if you could "upgrade" it and make it into a fat-burning, brain-charging beverage?

Please, continue...

Here's a brief history lesson on coffee first:

Coffee cultivation began around the 15th century in southern Arabia. The Sufi shrines of Yemen are the earliest known place where coffee-drinking was an everyday thing¹.

Coffee from the Sufi shrines of  Mocha, Yemen

Coffee comes from the Arabic word "qua," which literally means "power, energy"².

Believe it or not, green coffee beans are one of the highest traded agricultural products in the world³.

Perhaps, Dr. Oz played a small role in that?

In order to "upgrade" your coffee you will need two things:

1. 100% grass-fed butter.

2. Organic, virgin coconut oil.

Bulletproof Coffee gets all the credit for this idea, but charging $40 for about a month's supply of their coffee⁴ is straight-up highway robbery. They also don't even include the research done on the ingredients listed in their products or even cite anything that correlates with the ridiculous claims they make.

Bulletproof Coffee

They even state that their Brain Octane Oil is "18x Stronger" than Coconut Oil. That's cool and all, but where are the lab tests done to prove this? Nowhere on their website does it state any of these bogus claims used to falsely advertise their products.

After a thorough search on their website, all I could find was an online sign-up to participate in their "research" at Stanford University, where they compare Bulletproof Coffee vs. regular coffee. Keep in mind that you have to first buy all the necessary supplies to participate. Don't you worry, though, the first 100 to sign-up get a free bag of their precious coffee?

I get to be apart of scientific research and get my caffeine fix?! Wow, what a great deal! 

Calm down and wait just a second. If you follow their sign-up link, you'll notice the page is not even dated. Who knows if they already reached their "first 100" participant count or not.

So, basically, what you're saying is it's just a cheap way to gather a bunch of emails? 

You can be the judge of that.

Okay, I get it. Bulletproof isn't foolproof and it's basically a huge marketing scheme. Where's the best place to buy these ingredients then?

I get my grass-fed butter at the local supermarket for $6 (Kerrygold) and my coconut oil in a gallon tub off amazon for $60. This will last for a while and save you tons of money per serving.

Kerrygold grass-fed butter

So, why grass-fed butter? Can't I just spray that butter mist that Fabio endorses on my coffee?

I can't believe it's not butter!

Remember, when cows eat grass instead of grains, they produce CLA. So, not only are you getting the fat-burning capabilities^5,6,7 from the CLA inside the butter, but you're also getting a darn good creamer too.

(Please remember, this is the naturally sourced CLA, NOT the highly processed, synthetically derived safflower oil that is manufactured by supplement companies.)

To be honest, a tablespoon each of grass-fed butter and coconut oil might be the best thing you will ever put in your coffee. Give it a shot tomorrow morn --

Wait a second! My teacher told me coconut oil is full of HORRIBLE saturated fats!!!! 

Calm yourself and listen carefully...

Yes, coconut oil comprises 95% saturated fats, but not all saturated fats are created equal. 

You see, it all depends on their carbon chain length. There are short, medium, and long-chain triglycerides. Each one of these is metabolized differently in the body.

The Fat Pyramid

Short-chains have less than 6 carbon's and are rapidly absorbed by the liver. They are extremely healthy for the body's gastrointestinal tract as they may cut the risk of certain types of colon cancers⁹.

A good source of this type of fat is the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. This fatty acid is found in the dietary fiber in plant foods such as chia seeds and flaxseeds. The fiber from these sources ferment in the large intestine and produce several products, one being butyrate. 

Recent studies have shown butyrate to reduce the chance of colon cancer by nourishing the mucosa in the colon and promoting cell apoptosis^10, also known as programmed cell death. Apoptosis can also occur from consuming CLA¹¹. 

This is a critical bodily process that needs to be properly regulated. Too much, and you have atrophy or wasting away of tissue. Too little, and you have uncontrolled cell proliferation or growth, which can lead to cancer.

Well, that's some great info on short-chain fats! I'm sure the long-chain are even better because they're longer, right?

I'm sorry, my friend, but they are the complete opposite in terms of the word "healthy."

Long-chain triglycerides have 16 or more carbons and are metabolized differently than short-chains.

An example of a long-chain would be America's favorite rapeseed oil, better known as canola oil. The "can" part stands for Canada, and "ola" means oil¹².

Hey, that's what my mom cooks with!

Yes, it is often cooked with since it was deemed a "healthy" alternative to butter years ago as it has unsaturated fats, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. The process from which canola oil is made literally destroys all the healthy omega-3's and leaves you with a nice big bottle of processed oil with a ton of omega-6 long-chain fatty acids. 

So, what happens if you eat a diet that's full of these omega-6 fatty acids?

When you eat a diet with a greater ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, you can literally shift your body's physiological state in the tissues toward the cause of many chronic diseases we see today. These include prothrombotic, proinflammatory, and proconstrictive¹³. An excess of omega-6's from canola oil and other highly processed vegetable oils can actually interfere with the tremendous health benefits of omega-3's because they compete for the same enzymatic pathways. Believe it or not, the average ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the Western diet is about 16:1¹⁴.

For your body to metabolize these long-chain fats, it needs bile salts. Once they are digested, they are then absorbed into the lymphatic system and packaged into chylomicrons transporting these fatty acids to yummy adipose tissue for storage. This is where "burning off fat" comes from, but who wants to add fat to their body only to burn it off later? Why not just directly burn it as soon as you consume it?

Medium chains do this and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. They are then shipped to the liver to be metabolized for energy via Beta-Oxidation. They are not stored in those delicious love handles because they are readily used to make energy.

Coconut oil is full of these Medium-chain Triglycerides or MCTs. Same with avocados, but don't go brewing up a guacamole espresso anytime soon. The taste is no Bueno.

The benefits of consuming MCTs are absolutely endless. From fat loss^15,16 to helping with diabetes¹⁷, MCTs are a must to consume every day in your diet. 

MCT's are naturally found in coconut oil

In one of the fat loss studies^15, a university hospital in Sweden performed a double-blind study where they took 66 obese women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more and divided them into three separate groups. 

All the groups were placed on an isoenergetic (578.5 kcal) very low-calorie diet (VLCD), combined with either MCTs, LCTs, or low-fat and high-carbohydrate regimen. The diet was monitored over 4 weeks. The participant's body composition was measured with a DEXA scan, and their appetite/satiety was recorded daily. 

As you might have guessed, the MCT group showed a greater decrease in body weight, especially during the first 2 weeks. Hunger feelings were also less intense while satiety (feeling of fullness) was increased.

Wow, so these medium chain fats are the best then?

That's right. Besides the kind help with weight loss, MCTs have been shown in recent research to help treat Alzheimer's^18,19 and help with memory support^20, so make sure to tell gramps that. Don't worry; he will get better and better at remembering to take his coconut oil as time goes on.

Lastly, coconut oil has lauric and caprylic acid. These acids have antiviral and anti-fungal properties. Lauric acid is present in breast milk, but I believe you stopped doing that years ago, I hope.

With over 100 million Americans drinking coffee and 65% of them adding cream and sugar to their cup^21, why not try this healthy alternative and substitute it with coconut oil and grass-fed butter? It'll help promote weight loss, give your brain a memory boost, and an excellent way to get your healthy fats for the day!

I truly wonder what the obesity rates would look like in America if adopted at all Starbucks...