Breakfast is widely considered to be the most important meal of the day – and with good reason. Our metabolism slows down overnight, and that’s why breakfast is essential to fire up our glucose levels after hours of fasting. It also supplies us with the energy to keep us going throughout the day, along with improving concentration and reducing the risk of overeating later on.
Unfortunately, most people today barely have time for breakfast. And if they do, more often than not, it is not as healthy as it ought to be.
A healthy breakfast includes fibre and protein, along with fruits, nuts and whole grains. It is low on sugar, fried foods and saturated fats. And for convenience sake, it must be easy to prepare.
Muesli ticks off all these requirements, and more. Here are a few benefits of incorporating muesli into your diet.
Healthy and nutritious
It is imperative that the body receives an adequate amount of all the nutrients for healthy living, only then does your immune system get stronger, thereby enabling your body to fight various germs and other diseases. Muesli is one of the most nutritious foods you can have. It contains a lot of minerals and antioxidants that are highly beneficial for your body.
Promotes digestion
Muesli is rich in whole grains and dietary fibre, or roughage. Fibre helps prevent digestive problems, such as constipation. Both whole grains and fibre can regulate your digestive tract.
Aids in weight loss
Fibre and whole grains don’t just promote smooth digestion. Fibre absorbs water and swells up as a consequence, which makes it occupy more space in the stomach. This feeling of satiety ensures that you don’t consume any unneeded calories for a while.
Raw oats also contain a large amount of resistant starch, which takes a long time to digest. This, along with the presence of Vitamin B and other nutrients, leads to your appetite being suppressed and your metabolism speeding up, causing you to burn more calories faster.
Oat consumption correlates to a lower weight in adults, so we can conclude that muesli fights the growing threat of obesity.
Good for your heart
The oat bran present in muesli contains a fibre known as beta-glucan, which reduces cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent, thereby reducing the chances of heart attacks.
The oats, nuts and seeds in muesli contain substances such as healthful lignans, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. Antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for those suffering from heart disease. Lignans are needed in the treatment of breast, prostate, colon and ovarian cancer.
Enhances performance
Muesli is perfect to battle the morning drowsiness. Its high food energy level boosts your concentration, while the high fibre content invigorates your body. Thus, it makes you more active and leaves you primed for exercise. Muesli is a great breakfast option for athletes.
So, there you have it! Muesli is, in many ways, a breakfast superfood. Not only is it ridiculously easy to prepare, and wonderfully tasty, but it has so many benefits that it just makes perfect sense to include it in your diet.
