Beautiful breakfasts

Starting your day with a big, fatty breakfast, like bacon and fried eggs, can hurt more than your waistline. It initiates a harmful inflammatory process that leads to needless cellular stress and aging.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that within an hour of eating a fatty meal, participants experienced increases in inflammatory proteins associated with heart disease. Levels remained elevated for as long as three or four hours after the meal.

Inflammation is also associated with other degenerative diseases like arthritis and lupus.

Instead, choose breakfast from an array of anti-inflammatory foods, including whole grains, high-fibre cereals, raw nuts and seeds, fresh fruit, skim milk, and an egg-white omelet. Low-fat yogourt and fruit smoothies are another healthy alternative.