Week 5. You're Doing It!

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1 Reflection So how did it go last week? (Check off your answer!) I made the change as often as I said I would! I made the change most of the time! I made the change some of the time! I didn t make the change as much as I wanted to Yikes, I didn t make the change at all! You're Doing It! Congrats, you ve been making some serious healthy changes in your life for a MONTH now! Are you happy with the progress you ve made? Write down any changes in your mind, body, energy level, or attitude: Breakfast: it matters... This week we re going to focus on another one of the Seven Key Habits: Eat a Healthy Breakfast. If you re one of the many teens who skips breakfast or eats a half a bagel or donut while running out the door, we can t emphasize enough how revolutionary this change is! yum! What s so special about breakfast? We re so glad you asked. Seriously. We ve been dying to tell you. There are at least FIVE reasons why Breakfast is your superpower.

2 energy Dang, that girl's smart better grades weight control jumpstart on nutrients Week 5 Your body s been sleeping and fasting for hopefully 8-10 hours. Wake up, and it s ready to Break-the-Fast it s ready for some GOOD FOOD! Oddly, a lot of people don t feel super hungry in the morning and so they don t take breakfast seriously. But your body does. Skimp now, and trust us, you ll be slumping in your chair a couple of hours later. Battery s dead. Wonder why? Yes she is, and it s partly because she ate a healthy breakfast. Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast improves brain function, particularly memory and recall. And won t you be glad you ate that whole-grain-waffle topped with almond butter and banana slices for breakfast when your chemistry teacher pops a quiz at 8 a.m.? Yeah, it figures, right? If you have better memory and recall because you ate your eggs n ham, or your homemade oatmeal bar with a side of blueberries (we could go on ) for breakfast, it s no surprise that you d be doing pretty well in school. And less distracted (and embarrassed) by your grumbling tummy in class, too. Yup, students who eat a healthy breakfast perform better academically, period.vyeah, it figures, right? If you have better memory and recall because you ate your eggs n ham, or your homemade oatmeal bar with a side of blueberries (we could go on ) for breakfast, it s no surprise that you d be doing pretty well in school. And less distracted (and embarrassed) by your grumbling tummy in class, too. Yup, students who eat a healthy breakfast perform better academically, period. Some people mistakenly think that skipping a meal is always a good thing. Less calories, right? And besides, I m not that hungry in the morning anyway. Well listen up: The Opposite is True. Breakfast-skippers have a HARDER time managing their weight than those who eat a healthy breakfast regularly. Plus, healthy-breakfast-eaters make better food choices throughout the day. It kind of makes sense: who s going to have more control when they walk by the junk-food vending machine at 11 am? The girl who had nothing for breakfast, or the girl who had a bowl-full of maple oatmeal topped with nuts and berries? We ll let YOU be the judge. Soon you ll be learning about why it s so critical to eat 5-7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. If you skip breakfast or grab a donut, you re missing a key opportunity to get some of the daily nutrition your body needs. That can put a lot more pressure on the rest of the day, and in fact most people just can t make up the difference. People who don t eat a healthy breakfast usually don t get the vitamins and nutrients they need (remember, they re more tempted by junk food later, too, which doesn t help!).

3 So, what makes a breakfast healthy? (we re so glad you asked) A healthy breakfast has 3 parts: Protein (eggs, dairy, meat, beans, nuts) Quality Carbs (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) Some Healthy Fat (oil, butter, cheese, nuts) PROTEINS take longer to digest, help build muscle, stabilize mood, and give you a long-burning source of energy. Protein is what keeps you alert and energetic in period three. CARBS provide the quicker energy you need to jumpstart your day, wake up, and get moving. Whole-grain carbs and fruits are also full of fiber to keep you feeling full for a long time. FATS make everything taste good and keeps you feeling fuller longer. Quick Quiz Check off all of the breakfasts below that you think are healthy according to the criteria above (protein, quality carbs, a little fat): A donut A bowl of honey-nut Cheerios with milk An omelette w/ cheese, red peppers and broccoli A plain bagel with cream cheese A bowl of instant oatmeal and a banana A piece of whole-wheat toast with butter and jam A piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter A breakfast burrito A whole-grain waffle with nut butter and honey Pancakes with maple syrup Check your answers on the next page.

4 Answers A donut. NO, this is a processed carb (white flour) with lots of sugar and probably unhealthy fat. A bowl of honey-nut Cheerios with milk. NO, even though the Cheerios are whole grain, the honey-nut variety has a lot of added sugar. The milk does add protein and fat though. Do we want to add a healthier option? Healthier option - Regular cheerios or other healthy cereal topped with fresh fruit and a handful or almonds or walnuts or pair your cereal with a side of protein like a size of a boiled egg and string cheese? An egg omelette with cheese, red peppers and broccoli. YES! This breakfast has healthy protein, fat, and bonus: vegetables (quality carbs)! A plain bagel with cream cheese. NO, this is typically a processed carb (white flour) with some protein but mainly fat from the cheese. Healthier option: whole grain bagel or other bread topped with cheese or nut butter and a side of fruit A bowl of instant oatmeal and a banana. SORTA! Oats are whole grains, which is good, but instant oatmeal often has a lot of sugar. The banana is a great addition, though! What is missing from this meal? Protein and healthy fat. Healthier option: Regular whole oats works in the microwave and you can add cinnamon, vanilla extract and a dash of honey or maple syrup and mix in fresh or dried fruit and nuts A piece of whole-wheat toast with butter and jam. NO, this meal has a whole-grain carb and a little fat (the butter), but there s no protein. The jam is more sugar than fruit. See below A piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter. YES! This is better than the last toast option, because the nut butter provides healthy fat and protein. Top this with some fresh fruit and it becomes even more nutritious! You can also make cheese toast and have a side of fruit A breakfast burrito. YES! Assuming this has eggs in it, and most likely meat/vegetables/cheese, and you re definitely getting some healthy fat and protein. The wrap provides carbs make it whole-grain and it s an A+ option! A whole-grain waffle with nut butter and honey. YES! Carbs (whole grain waffle), check! Protein, healthy fat (nut butter), check! Honey: optional. Add some fresh fruit on top or on the side to make this an A+ option! Pancakes with maple syrup. NO, especially if these are your typical white-flour pancakes. There s probably some protein (egg, buttermilk or milk) in the pancakes, but not much else of nutritional value here. Now if these were whole-grain pancakes with a fried egg or turkey sausages on the side, it would be a healthy breakfast! Don t forget to check out more options on the meal plan with recipes in the appendix!

5 Write down 3 healthy breakfasts that you already enjoy or would like to try: What do you need to shop for to make these breakfasts? This week's plan Your fitsmi journey continues! You can either keep making the same changes you made last week, a fine choice, OR you can keep making that change and add another one. Again, we ask that you pick from this list of 7 Key Healthy Habits: 1. Eat a Healthy Breakfast 2. Get Enough Sleep 3. Drink Enough Water 4. Plan Your Treats 5. Write Down/Keep Track of What You Eat and Drink 6. Exercise for Minutes/Day 7. Eat 5-7 Servings of Fruit and/or Vegetables a Day I m going to keep making the same change(s) I made last week. I m going to keep making the same change(s) I made last week and add another one. My new change is:

6 How often are you going to do your change(s)? Remember, you are making a promise to yourself. You need to keep it! Feel free to make any adjustments from last week. How are you going to keep track of this Change? On your Change Machine On another tracker I m already using On a notebook/paper What do you need to DO to prepare for making this Change? What can you do ahead of time to make it easier? (ex, get your breakfast ready the night before - leave cereal and a banana on the counter or organize your smoothie ingredients before bed.) What might get in your way that you can work around? (Forgot to eat? Hide a stash of healthy breakfast bars in the car so you can grab and go in a pinch.) handouts: Healthy Breakfast Ideas and Recipes coach note Your Coach will ask you about what Change you ve picked at your meeting this week. Let her know how it s going, and what you notice as you make this change! Move Are you still getting minutes of activity a day? Remember, walking to school or doing situps during commercial breaks totally count!