6 Healthy Morning Meals: The Science Behind Breakfast

cerealAh breakfast – my favourite meal! While there has been quite a bit of research on breakfast, it seems the science isn’t entirely clear on the overall health benefits of this first meal of the day.  Here’s a brief summary of the latest research into breakfast, and six of my favourite breakfast recipes.

Are There Benefits to Eating in the Morning?

 “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”   – Adelle Davis

There may be some science behind this saying. Research suggests that frontloading calories might help control blood sugar and promote weight loss. One theory is that our circadian rhythms, which influence biological processes and metabolism, make us better at metabolizing meals earlier in the day.  For example, this study found that eating the largest meal of the day before 3 PM was more effective for losing weight than eating it after 3 PM.

Blood sugar control. Eating breakfast might help you have better blood sugar control over the course of the day, with the most recent studies being conducted in people with Type 2 diabetes. These studies found that skipping breakfast lead to blood sugar spikes and impaired insulin response (controlling glucose and insulin has important effects on metabolism and health), and these negative impacts persisted throughout the day (1,2).

Weight control. A lot of the research into skipping breakfast has centered on weight gain. Although earlier observational studies suggested that skipping breakfast leads to weight gain and potential health problems, some investigators are questioning these claims.

Heart disease. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied breakfast habits in men: this large prospective study found that regular breakfast skippers had a 27% higher risk of heart disease. The authors speculate that skipping breakfast could promote heart disease through its influence on obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Cancer.  New preliminary research by investigators at UC San Diego (in a study I was involved with) suggests that increasing the nightly fasting interval reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence.  This doesn’t necessarily mean skipping breakfast, but delaying the morning meal is one way of to extend the time you’re not eating. Alternatively (or additionally) you could also skip any late-night snacking.

At this point, the jury is still out on whether breakfast is the most important meal of the day, at least in terms of weight control. New, more rigorous research like the Bath Breakfast Project will help clarify some important questions about breakfast and health.

Breakfast for Athletes

Although some research is questioning the importance of breakfast, what does this mean for athletes?

Dylan Wykes Olympic Marathon Mens 2012 (7776651022) CC
Dylan Wykes in London Olympic Marathon*

Fasted workouts. Some athletes incorporate fasted workouts into their training (i.e. training in the morning without eating breakfast) to burn more fat; the rationale is that low glycogen levels cause your body to burn more fat for energy. While this sounds compelling, there is not a lot of good research to back up this trend, and this recent study showed no difference in body composition between fasted and non-fasted workouts.

Canadian marathoners incorporated fasted workouts on some days as part of their nutrition periodization leading up to the London Olympics to teach their bodies to burn fat as fuel.  If you’re considering this strategy, keep in mind that there is no research to that shows improved performance using fasted workouts, and carefully consider when and how you implement these workouts (probably best during baseline training). Be aware that for questionable benefits, you won’t feel great, and some other workouts might suffer.

Can skipping breakfast hurt performance? Some research shows that skipping breakfast can affect athletic performance later in the day. Even if you eat a big lunch, the effects of skipping breakfast seem to carry over until evening and can hurt your athletic performance and training adaptations. This study found that athletes who ate breakfast completed 4.5% more work in an evening 30-minute bike time trial compared to when they didn’t eat breakfast.

5 Healthy Breakfasts

I am a big proponent of breakfast. If you choose the right foods, breakfast is an excellent opportunity to help you get the protein you need to repair and build muscle, and the nutrients your body needs for good health.

Here are some tips to make your breakfast a healthy one. If you’re stuck in a breakfast rut of eating the same foods day in day out, try one of the recipes below. Varying what you eat will help you get the wide array of nutrients.

General Tips

  • Limit fruit juice. Fruit juice is popular in the morning, but it packs a huge dose of sugar with little fiber. Eating fruit is always a better option.
  • Supplement packaged breakfast cereals. Even the healthiest packaged cereals (whole grain, low sugar, high fiber) don’t offer much in terms of nutrition (they are mainly carbohydrates, and even whole grain cereals are highly processed). Supplement cereal meals with nuts, fruit, or plain yogurt for extra nutrients, healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
  • Don’t skimp on protein. Most people don’t consume enough protein in the morning, even though they are getting enough total protein by the end of the day.  New research shows that protein distribution throughout the day is important: your body needs about 20 to 30 grams of protein at a time for muscle repair and muscle building processes, and many people fall short of this at breakfast – but eat two to three times the amount they need at dinner (and more than 25 g protein at a time doesn’t build or repair more muscle). This distribution is especially important for athletes and older individuals who require more protein overall.  You can find out more about your protein needs in this article.
  • nutsAdd nuts and seeds. Use nut butters, or sprinkle nuts and seeds on your cereal. Nuts and seeds are full of healthy fats and important minerals.
  • High calcium for cyclists and other athletes at risk for stress fractures. Athletes lose calcium through sweat during exercise, which puts them at risk for bone loss, especially if their activity is non impact since it doesn’t benefit bones. A study in female cyclists found that eating a dairy-rich meal 90 minutes before riding can counter bone loss.  The pre-ride calcium-rich meal keeps blood calcium levels stable, so your body doesn’t borrow calcium from your bones to replace what’s lost in sweat.
READ  How Much Protein Do You Need?

Breakfast Ideas

Mixed Berry Yogurt with Almonds

BerryYogurt_RT (640x373)This is a fast and easy breakfast, snack, or dessert that is high in protein.   You can prepare this ahead of time so that breakfast is waiting for you when you open the fridge. For breakfast on the go, layer it in a small mason jar with a lid.

Simple Peanut Maple Granola (3 Ingredients!)

3-ingredients for granola (640x429)You won’t find a granola that’s easier to make than this one, and it’s a lot more healthful than store-bought granolas and most home-made varieties, which can be very high in calories and sugar. Most granolas are made with some type of oil, but this granola uses nut butter instead. This substitution delivers great flavors and really boosts the nutrition (you’ll get more fiber, protein, and minerals).

I like to add nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to this basic granola, and often lighten it up by mixing with a lighter/low sugar cereal (whole grain flakes are a good companion for the granola).  I usually don’t have a big bowl of this, but combine it with other foods –  it’s really good in this Mixed berry parfait with almonds.

Baked Mediterranean Frittata

baked frittata with textThis frittata is a great way to eat some veggies in the morning, and you’ll get some good quality protein from the eggs and cottage cheese.  It’s really good for any meal, so make it for supper, and enjoy the leftovers for breakfast (it’s delicious hot or cold).

This fritatta features spinach, a nutrition powerhouse  full of vitamins A and C, folic acid, fiber, magnesium, and carotenoids. Spinach is also rich in dietary nitrates, which can help athletic performance.

Traditional Swiss Oat Muesli

iStock_000019059980_ExtraSmallHere’s a simple and nutritious way to serve oats. This healthy muesli recipe is a variation of the traditional Swiss breakfast food developed around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital (the Bircher-Benner Clinic). This muesli is wonderful with the addition of unsweetened applesauce or grated fresh apples, or other seasonal fresh fruit. Mix up your favorite combination at night to have a hearty and nutritious breakfast on hand in the morning!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

smoothie cover higher textThis smoothie is quick to whip up in the morning. It combines strawberries, bananas, Greek yogurt, milk, and maple syrup to deliver a delicious drink that has over 20 grams of protein.  The strawberries are rich in vitamin C, fiber, folate, and potassium.  Berries also contain anthocyanin, a phytochemical that helps fight oxidative cell damage that can lead to chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Fabulous Fruit Tart in a Walnut Crust

fruit tart with wordsDessert for breakfast? You bet! This crust features two nutrition all-stars  – walnuts and oats; the filling is protein-rich Greek yogurt; and the topping, nature’s bounty of colourful fruits full of health-promoting compounds. Just one piece has a whopping 1,715 mg of potassium, a mineral many people don’t get enough of in their diet.

 

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* London 2012 Marathon photo By Surreal Name Given (Olympic marathon mens 2012  Uploaded by tm) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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This Week in Food, Health, and Fitness

This week, read about sugar obsessions, compounds in apples and green tomatoes that keep muscles strong, physicians prescribing exercise, pollutants and cyclists, preventing soccer injuries, canned tuna and mercury concerns, sports gels and stomach issues, strength training for endurance athletes, how your feet can help you sleep, and more.

sugarsHow much harm can sugar do?  This is a great article with an excellent perspective on sugar. While I encourage you to read the whole article, the  paragraph below stands out for its wisdom. It’s best to focus on an overall healthy diet: obsessing too much about specific foods or food components isn’t necessary for health and is a strategy that could backfire.

“Many nutritionists believe it’s time to stop demonizing individual components of our diet—whether it’s fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, or even sugar. It’s time to acknowledge that the special diets that obsess us—whether they consist of fruit or eliminate fruit, rely on meat or banish it—don’t work.” (Michael Specter, The New Yorker)

Peeled ApplesCompounds in apples & green tomatoes keep older muscles strong. Don’t toss the apple peels! They are a good source of ursolic acid, a compound this study identified with slowing age-related muscle loss in mice.  The study also found that tomatidine, a compound found in green tomatoes, effective at increasing muscle mass and strength.  (Journal of Biological Chemistry, Sept 2015).

Excess weight at age 50 tied to earlier Alzheimer’s onset. Another good reason to control your weight. Excess weight is also linked to many types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions (New York Times, reporting on Molecular Psychiatry)

It’s my nervoussystem that’s lazy. Humans are pros at using the least energy possible for a particular physical task.  Researchers at Simon Fraser University conducted a study that confirms this, and shows that the nervous system performs this optimization in real time during a walking task. (New York Times, reporting on Current Biology, September 2015).

Quebec physicians to begin prescribing exercise. A terrific initiative spearheaded by health advocate, triathlete and XC skier Pierre Lavoie (The Globe and Mail)

Look for routes far from cars to limit pollutants
Look for routes far from cars to limit pollutants

Cycling the city – should you be concerned about air pollution?  People who exercise outdoors in big cities are exposed to variety of pollutants. So far, not many studies have explored this topic. A new study by researchers at Columbia University are investigating how pollution affects cyclists in New York City.  Volunteer cyclists commuting and exercising in the city are helping them look at many factors that influence pollution dose, including time of day, various routes, and exercise intensity.  They’re hoping their findings will help provide advice to reduce pollution exposure, such as best times of day to exercise, best cycling routes, and hopefully more policies to reduce pollutants. (Science Friday)

How to Prevent Soccer Injuries. Alan Shahtaji, a sports medicine physician who has worked with the US Women’s soccer team, has some good advice on warmup routines to prevent common soccer injuries (hamstring, ACL, achilles, and concussion).   (UC San Diego Health)

How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective to prevent cardiovascular disease.  Although statins are effective at reducing cholesterol levels, they have failed to substantially improve cardiovascular outcomes. This study looks at what they call the “deceptive approach”  statin advocates have used to show that statins decrease heart disease risk.  (Expert Review in Clinical Pharmacology).

Albacore tuna has way too much mercury for kids’ sandwiches.  Consider canned salmon instead, which has little mercury, and more healthy omega-3 fats. For more detailed information and mercury in tuna, Consumer Reports has a good article and video here (Beth Skwarecki, Lifehacker).

Gels may cause more stomach issues than sports drinks. This small study suggests that carb intake from gels is associated with increased gastrointestinal distress compared to liquid carbohydrates during a simulated long distance triathlon (60-min swim; 180-min bike; 60-min run). Total fluid and carb intake was matched in both gel and drink conditions. (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 2015 Aug)

Strength training makes endurance athletes faster. Two articles published this week highlight new research showing that strength training helps performance in endurance athletes.

  • Alex Hutchinson reports on a study presented at the Endurance Research Conference in Kent, England, that emphasized how running economy improves performance: even if your fitness remains the same – you can get faster if you’re more efficient.  Besides running a lot, Hutchinson cites research showing that one of the best ways to improve economy is with strength training, especially for older athletes. (Alex Hutchinson, Runner’s World)Master Runner Luciano_Acquarone_CC
  • Gretchen Reynolds reported on new research looking into changes in running form and muscle activation across age, which noted a large decrease in lower leg muscle strength that adversely affected running form.  Researchers recommend strengthening calf and ankle flexor muscles (the article links to some lower leg stretching drills and basic exercises – but I doubt these will do much for lower leg power loss). Consider full body strength exercises like the squat, lower body plyometric exercises (progress gradually),  or something as simple as a jump rope. (Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times, reporting on Medicine Science Sports and Exercise Aug 2015).

How your feet can help you sleep. Here’s an easy science-backed tip that might help you get to sleep from The Science of Us (NY Mag).

apple_MSIn Season: Apples

Sweet, crisp, versatile, and robust are attributes that make apples a favorite fruit.  The nutritional benefits of apples have been touted since medieval times, and the old English saying “Ate an apfel avore gwain to bed Makes the doctor beg his bread” is still popular, but better known as  “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”   Research is lending support for this expression, as recent studies are revealing that apples may help protect against a number of chronic conditions.

Find out more about the health benefits of apples, and some great recipe ideas (including a terrific Apple Walnut Cake that is mostly apples!) here.

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Cycling photo by Alanroseman (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

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This Week in Food, Health, and Fitness

This week, read about how the mind influences physical performance, how eating on the move may lead to overindulging, 5 foods to eat in September, a magic marketing word that makes foods seem healthier, how too little sleep quadruples your risk for colds, risks of heavy backpacks for kids, microwave myths, iron status and training at altitude, how young female athletes need a lot more food, and more.

The Mind’s Influence on Physical Performance

This week, the Toronto Star published an article on Canadian women rowers as they prepare for the 2015 World Rowing Championships in France. The article focused on how these athletes deal with the pain of intense exercise, and how these women believe that how their minds interpret pain can influence their physical performance.  It was obvious that these women not only train their bodies to perform at their best, but are aware of a growing area of research looking at the underpinnings of fatigue in endurance performance suggesting that the brain quits before the body reaches its true physical limits.

Much of the recent research is this area has been led by Samuele Marcora, professor of exercise physiology at the University of Kent.  His studies show that athletes who use  strategies that reduce the perception of effort (i.e., motivational self talk, imagery, music) perform better than athletes who don’t use such strategies. He also studies training techniques that athletes can use to improve their mind’s ability to tolerate intense efforts, and investigates how mental fatigue can adversely affect performance.

In this sports infographic, Yann LeMeur explains one of Marcora’s studies, showing that mental fatigue can impair running performance. This highlights that it’s important to find ways to reduce mental fatigue before competitions or high quality training sessions. Future areas of research may include using mental fatigue as training stimulus. (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Dec 9)

fatigue_YLMSportSci

More reading on the mind’s influence on fatigue . . .

More Links of Interest this Week

Are Women Better Tasters Than Men?  Women of reproductive-age have a higher level of sensitivity to smell and taste than men.  (NPR Health)

Fresh Swish Chard5 Foods That Taste Better in September Than They Will All Year.  September brings so many great foods! Time Health highlights these 5: Swiss chard, rutabaga, lettuce, turnip leaves, and leeks. (Time Magazine)

Eating on the Move May Lead to Later Overindulging. Researchers compared eating while watching TV, walking, or talking, and found that those who ate while walking were more likely to overindulge when presented with food later. Researchers speculate that this type of eating is distracted and may offer a justification to overeat.   (New York Times, reporting on Journal of Health Psychology, Aug 2015).

This is How One Word Magically Makes Food Healthier. Packaged foods are rife with marketing tricks, and many consumers fall for them. Fooducate reports on a study showing that consumers looking at cereal ingredients perceive the cereal with “fruit sugar” as healthier than the cereal with “sugar,” although the nutrient profiles of both cereals are the same. (Fooducate, reporting on Appetite, July,  2015)

Too Little Sleep May Quadruple Your Risk for Colds.  Sleep is important for a strong immune system, and a study published this week adds to the evidence. Researchers exposed individuals to a cold virus, and found that those who slept less than 6 hours/night were 4 times more likely to catch a cold than those who slept more than 7 hours/night. (Medscape, reporting on Sleep, Sept 2015).

Microwave Myths.  Do microwaves destroys nutrients or “denature” food in a harmful way? No. Monica Reinagel looks at the evidence behind this popular myth.  (NutritionOvereasy.com)

Backpack School 880033 640 PixabayIs your kid’s gigantic backpack a health risk?  Backpacks are getting bigger and heavier. Several recent studies (UCSD, UCSF ) suggest that the heavy loads contribute to back pain in children.  Experts recommend that a child’s backpack should be no more than 10-20% of the child’s body weight.   (Time)

Training at altitude requires adequate iron stores. If you are an athlete with low iron stores, this new study suggests that it’s important for you try to improve your iron status before training at high altitude, and consider iron supplementation when at altitude.  The study found that daily iron supplementation while training at altitude can help attenuate a reduction in iron stores.  Overall, athletes with low iron stores should take a look at their diet, and consider an iron supplement under the supervision of a physician, especially if training or racing at altitude. (PlosOne, August 2015).

Why one naturopath quit after watching her peers treat cancer patients.  Julia Beluz interviews Britt Hermes’s, a former naturopath, who became concerned with the lack of evidence-based practices in her profession (and potential dangers to public health), which she chronicles on her blog Confessions of a Naturopathic Doctor  (Julia Beluz, Vox.com).

Fresh Bread And Wheat On The WoodenLess processed fiber makes food healthier.  Even though grains processed in different ways might have the same nutritional content, an increasing amount of research shows that less processed grains have a nutritional advantage. For example, rolled oats and oat flour are both 100% whole grain and contain the same nutrients, but rolled oats are a bigger particle and take longer to digest, so they are better for blood sugar and insulin control (i.e., whole oats are better than Cheerios [powdered oats], even though both are whole grain).  A study published this week adds to the evidence that a grain’s particle size can influence health.  Researchers investigated the impact of porridge made from coarse wheat particles vs fine wheat particles, and found that coarse wheat particles resulted in much more favorable blood markers (lower blood glucose, lower insulin, and lower c-peptide).   (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

ShreddiesEven though 100% whole grains are healthier than their refined counterparts, the least processed option is probably healthier. Keep in mind that most breakfast cereals (even when 100% whole grain) are highly processed into a fine powder to make those square, flake, and circle shapes. This can be good for athletes to snack on during long exercise sessions when they need quickly available sugars that their body can use as fuel, but is probably not the best option at the breakfast table.

To Thrive, Many Young Female Athletes Need A Lot More Food. Many girls aren’t eating enough to meet the physical demands of their sport, predisposing them to many health problems. (NPR Health)

 Twfhf Aug28View Last Week in Food, Health, and Fitness here.

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This Week in Food, Health, and Fitness

This week, read about the dangers of overhydration, milk myths, how to stay fast as you age, iron deficiency, omega-3 supplements, preventing athletic injuries, foods that boost athletic performance, how to stay awake (without caffeine), and more.

Water Works . . .

A glass of water on a reflective surfaceThere were plenty of articles about water this week! A couple of articles in the New York Times looked at myths and new research related to water intake. It seems that for regular individuals and competitive athletes, water needs can be exaggerated.  Also published this week was a study suggesting that water can aid weight loss, and an article about water-filled foods being wasteful.

In No, You Do Not Have to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day  Aaron E. Carroll looks at the science behind  the common health claim that we all need 8 glasses of water a day. Although no science backs up this claim, and several studies have discounted it, it’s a saying that refuses to die. As Carroll explains, the amount of water you need depends on what you eat, where you live, your size, and how much activity you do. (Aaron E. Carrol, New York Times)

For athletes, the risk of too much water. Gretchen Reynolds looks at the consequences of overhydration in athletes, which can be severe and sometimes fatal. While dehydration during physical activity may increase fatigue, it is rarely if ever dangerous; overhydration (hyponatremia), on the other hand, can cause serious health problems.  Although previously associated with long endurance events (ironmans, marathons), hyponatremia is being reported in all kinds of sporting activities (sprint triathlons, Bikram yoga, and team sports – especially football). The article has good advice for coaches and athletes who train and compete in hot conditions. (Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times)

Water for weight loss. But if you’re trying to lose weight, you might consider drinking a large glass of water before each meal. In a 12-week randomized controlled trial published this week in the journal Obesity, researchers from the University of Birmingham showed that drinking 500 ml of water 1/2 hour before mealtime helped obese adults lose weight, compared to obese adults who did not “preload” with water. (Obesity, September 2015).

iceberg lettuce - an expensive way to drink water? Opt for darker greens, which have more nutrients.
an expensive way to drink water? Opt for darker greens, which have more nutrients.

And can there be too much water in foods? Some people thing so.

In her Washington Post column, Tamar Haspel called salad “overrated”  because it is so high in water, and relatively low in nutrients compared to other vegetables. The article does make several valuable points, but don’t go tossing your salad greens just yet. I tend to agree with nutrition Diva Monica Reinagle’s rebuttal to the article here.

Butter In Your Coffee and Other Cons: Stories From a Fitness Insider. Insight into the marketing behind questionable health and fitness trends. (Dick Talens, Lifehacker.com)

Preventing and managing athletic injuries. This is a great article on a key concept to preventing athletic injuries – balancing training load and your capacity to handle that load. Be patient, and increase mileage/intensity gradually to avoid injuries. (TheRunningPhysio)

milk_MSA milk myth busted. Though milk is not necessary for a healthy diet, there is a fair bit of pseudoscience surrounding claims that dairy is bad for us.  One such claim is that dairy is “pro-inflammatory.” A study just published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition investigated evidence for the dairy-inflammation link.  Researchers reviewed 52 clinical trials conducted in humans, and found that consumption of dairy products, particular fermented products, is associated with anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that dairy consumption potentially reduces chronic inflammation and could benefit health.  (Critical Reviews in Food Science, August 2015).

Ice baths, antioxidant supplements not always the best route to recovery.  Alex Hutchinson reports on 2 new studies showing that ice baths and antioxidant supplements blunt positive adaptations to some types of training. (Alex Hutchinson, Globe and Mail).

Cycling legeng Ned Overend
Ned Overend’s competitive longevity is impressive.

Age Is Irrelevant When It Comes to Fitness. Outside Magazine interview experts who tell you how to crush well into your 80s. High intensity workouts and strength training are part of the recipe.  (Outside Magazine).

You’ll find resources for optimal training, nutrition, general reading, and inspiration for master’s athletes here.

Bright screens keep kids awake on school nights. Young teens who take gadgets to bed could hurt their sleep. Light from tablets or phones makes it more difficult for this age group to fall asleep.  (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism).

What Every Trail Runner Should Know About Iron Deficiency. This is a good article that highlights risk factors and symptoms of being low in iron. It also provides tips on getting iron from a healthy diet. (Trail Runner Magazine)

Interested in learning more about the iron needs of athletes?
 Check out my resource here.

omega 3 supplements (640x430)No benefit of Omega-3 supplements for cognitive decline.  Although earlier research suggests that Omega-3 supplements can benefit brain health, a large long-term study shows no benefit for cognitive decline in older people. Researchers followed 4000 people over 5 years finds that omega-3 (fish oil) supplements don’t improve cognitive function. (JAMA, Aug 25, 2015).

Does Sound Affect the Way We Taste?  A growing body of research shows that the sounds around you affect how you perceive the flavours in your food.  (Science Friday)

Foods and Athletic Performance

Beetroot juice with spinach4 Foods that might boost athletic performance. While a growing body of evidence is showing that antioxidant supplements can actually harm adaptations to training (e.g., Vitamin E and Vitamin C), there doesn’t seem to be need to worry about antioxidant-rich foods. In fact, some research is suggesting that certain foods could have performance enhancing benefits; the foods include watermelon, beet juice, blackcurrants, and cherry juice.  This week, Anita Bean provides a nice overview of the research on these foods. (Anitabean.co.uk)

Can food make you a better runner?  This is an impressive display of information, with food sports nutrition advice.  (bbc.co.uk/iwonder)

How to stay awake (without caffeine)

ACS reactions provides some chemistry-backed tips — (including cat videos) to boost your productivity and stay awake without drinking coffee.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Closeup SmNew Recipe: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Wondering what to do with all that zucchini? Here’s a delicious way to incorporate it into a healthy baked good.  This loaf is moist and rich-tasting; sweet, but not too sweet – and equally fitting as a post-workout snack or a tasty dessert. A generous amount of zucchini subs in for some of the fat, making this loaf lower in calories than typical quick breads.

Read more weekly updates about food, health, and fitness here.

 

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