Breakfast sets the stage for your day, so you better cast the best food in the lead role. The right way to start the morning is with a meal that will keep you feeling just the right amount of full and give you the boost of energy you need to get through your morning spin class. And the best meal all hinges on one particular fiber.
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Fiber is a major player when it comes to staying slim. It aids in keeping insulin levels low, which in turn may help shrink fat cells. Dr. Charles Passler, the nutritionist behind the detox program Pure Change, says you should be choosing steel-cut oatmeal as your morning fiber of choice.
Thanks to it’s high fiber content, steel-cut oatmeal is chewy and takes longer to eat than other low-fiber foods. That means you eat it slowly enough to notice when your body feels full. The result: no mindless overeating.
Dr. Passler also says that fiber absorbs moisture, which can help you feel full longer because it occupies more room in your stomach and takes longer to digest. “Choosing steel-cut oats over instant gives you a better shot at controlling your appetite, and drinking plenty of water helps the fiber in the oats fill you up,” he says.
Keep the oatmeal healthy and tasty by topping it with a variety of fresh fruits. You could also mix it with a cup of quinoa for added fiber (it has 5g in each cup) and protein. Or try a spoonful of plain yogurt. The calcium in yogurt has been shown to slow down your body’s production of cortisol. An overabundance of this hormone is linked to increased belly fat.
