FIT FOR DUTY TIPS

WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE A NEW PARTNERSHIP TO F&H CO. !  WE HAVE TEAMED UP WITH DR. KARLIE MOORE OF FIT FOR DUTY CONSULTING TO PROVIDE WEEKLY NUTRITIONAL TIPS THAT ARE SURE TO HELP US GET "FIT FOR DUTY" .  DR. KARLIE'S WELLNESS PROGRAM PROVIDES CLASSES NOT ONLY ON NUTRITION BUT EXERCISE, WEIGHT LOSS AND HEART/BACK HEALTH.  THESE CLASSES ARE FIREFIGHTER SPECIFIC AND BASED ON SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON FIREFIGHTERS.  TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. KARLIE, WHO HAPPENS TO BE MARRIED TO A FIREFIGHTER, AND FIT FOR DUTY CONSULTING CLICK HERE ! AND IF YOU OR YOUR DEPARTMENT SIGNS UP FOR THE WELLNESS PROGRAM, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW THAT FORK AND HOSE CO. REFERRED YOU! NOW ONTO THIS WEEK'S TIP......

WHAT FIREFIGHTERS SHOULD EAT FOR BREAKFAST

By: Dr. Karlie Moore

What you eat for breakfast is really important because it can set you up for success or failure for the rest of the day. I’ve shared in the past that a good weight loss strategy is to try and eat more of your calories in the beginning of the day and taper down throughout the rest of the day.

There are two benefits to this strategy.

First, it gives you more waking hours to burn off those calories, and more importantly, it keeps your hunger in check. If you do not eat filling foods in the morning, you’ll end up eating more throughout the day because you’re more hungry.

The perfect breakfast for firefighters

Firefighters especially need a breakfast that’s filling since you may not be able to eat lunch until 5pm. The most filling nutrients are fiber, fat and protein so it must include those (good fats of course). Fiber and healthy fats also ward off heart disease by lowering your cholesterol and reducing inflammation in your body.

A breakfast that meets all of these needs, and is super quick and easy to prepare, is oatmeal with fruit/berries, chopped nuts, milk (or a milk alternative), and some cinnamon. Here’s more:

It can be any kind of oatmeal – instant has just as much fiber as traditional oats. Steel cut oats have more fiber but take a long time to cook. The best kind of nut to add are chopped walnuts because they are the only kind that actually have omega-3 fats, the most heart healthy fat we can eat. Both the nuts and the milk add protein that makes it more filling. If you choose a milk alternative, know that those usually have less protein.

If you need to add some sugar or honey, I say go for it. You can choose a fruit or berry that’s sweet so you don’t have to add much. Berries like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries have the most fiber per volume, they also have a ton of antioxidants which fight off cancer.

Now for the secret ingredient: a spoonful of cinnamon. Research shows that cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, helping you avoid type II diabetes and making this breakfast even better at dominating your hunger and your eating habits for the rest of the day!

Posted on July 25, 2015 and filed under TIPS.