Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and yet millions of people each day still rush through their morning and don't take that all important few minutes each day to eat breakfast. Others consume vast amounts of food at their breakfast sitting and overload their body with calories and cholesterol before their day has even begun. This shouldn't be happening! We are an enlightened society, and we know which foods are good for us, and which ones aren't. Or do we?

That all American breakfast that mom fed pop for breakfast, and that we were taught as a child to be a healthy way to start the day, really isn't. Consuming a breakfast containing two eggs, two slices of bacon, and toast with butter we now know is a future heart attack just waiting for a place to happen. That breakfast is loaded with cholesterol, and fat, and it is a meal that is going to leave you feeling sludgey for the better part of the morning while your body works to digest it.

Now take in to consideration that your maximum daily intake for cholesterol should sit around 200 to 300 mg daily. When you consider that the average large egg contains 213 mg of cholesterol it is obvious that simply consuming one little egg on its own, takes you well into your alloted daily allowance for cholesterol. Now add in the cholesterol from the bacon, butter, and toast, and yikes, things are starting to look pretty scarey as you continue to add in the cholesterol counts from the other foods that you are going to eat that day. Yep, it adds up pretty fast!

It is time to take a second look at a tasty grain that has long been promoted as a healthy breakfast food. It's time to put Oatmeal, or porridge as it is more commonly known, back on the breakfast table. Oatmeal can be cooked in a variety of forms, combined with fruit for added health benefits, and even made into snacks for those "on the go" bright and early in the day. The soluble fiber in oatmeal binds with, and then disposes, bad cholesterol.

Oatmeal looks especially good for breakfast when you consider that it contains only around 190 calories a bowl and that is with milk included in that count. Not only is it a meal that will leave you feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to get on with your day but it is also high in dietary fiber. This means that when you consume Oatmeal on a regular basis that it will help keep your system running as regular as a well oiled clock and this is going to leave you with a lot more energy to play with elsewhere.

Note: Keep in mind that you shouldn't totally eliminate eggs from your diet just because they are high in cholesterol. Eggs are one of the best sources of total protein out there, and as such, are very good for your body. Just limit their intake and perhaps consume one every second day, or remove the yolk where the majority of the cholesterol is, and dine on the egg whites instead.

It only takes about ten minutes from start to finish so it won't take a big dent out of your morning.

Basic Hot Oatmeal Recipe:

Combine in a small pot one part oatmeal to two or three parts of water (depending how gooey you enjoy it).

Stir in 1/4 cup of raisens and a shake of cinnamon, or if you want to be a even a little more regular, pop in a half teaspoon of flax seed.

Stir constantly while you bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and continue to simmer until mixture is of a thick consistency, or about ten minutes.

Serve hot. Flavor with milk and brown sugar.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/

http://www.quakeroats.com/products/oatmeal/quick-oats.aspx#NutritionalInfo

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