As the mercury dips, experts recommend a hearty cooked breakfast to fuel your body and keep you toasty.
With the chillier weather making your body work overtime to maintain its core temperature, it’s the perfect justification for indulging in a warm, satisfying meal first thing in the morning.
While many might opt for a full English breakfast, porridge stands out as a nutritional champion, packed with slow-releasing energy to sustain you throughout the day and kick-start your metabolism.
Not only does it warm your insides, but porridge also supports your heart and overall health in remarkable ways.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) champions a bowl of porridge as their “top choice for a heart-healthy breakfast.”
Talking about this simple two-ingredient breakfast they say that it could significantly enhance your day, even if it means rising a bit earlier in the dark mornings.
The reason porridge is so beneficial for your heart is due to its beta-glucan fibre, which aids in lowering LDL cholesterol, thus diminishing the risk of heart disease and bolstering heart health.
BHF experts explain: “Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance in your blood. It’s produced in the liver and it’s also in some of the foods we eat. Cholesterol is important to keep the cells in our bodies healthy,” reports the Daily Record.
“High cholesterol means that you have too much cholesterol in your blood. There are many things that can cause this. If you don’t take steps to lower high cholesterol, it can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.”
Even those without diagnosed high cholesterol can benefit from reducing LDL levels, improving cardiovascular outcomes and preventing complications such as chest pain and coronary artery disease. In essence, porridge is beneficial for everyone.
The British Heart Foundation experts continued: “Porridge is quick and easy to make and is a warm and filling start to the day. Porridge oats are whole grains, which provide fibre to help keep your digestive system healthy. They also contain soluble fibre (the kind found in pulses like beans, lentils and chickpeas), which can help to lower your cholesterol level, if you have 3g or more daily, as part of a healthy diet.”
A 40g serving of porridge oats contains 1.6g of beta-glucan, as well as fibre to keep you fuller for longer with no added sugar or salt.
It’s simple to prepare a warm delicious bowl of porridge using just oats and milk or water and for anyone who wants to make it sweeter, simply add a banana or some red fruit, to help you meet your five-a-day goal.
