Dr Ramón de Cangas, based in Asturias, Spain, shed light on the ideal breakfast for women aged 40
Chocolate probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when choosing what’s for breakfast. Yet, one nutrition expert claims it’s the perfect addition to a morning meal, among various other key components.
Dr Ramón de Cangas, based in Asturias, Spain, shed light on the ideal breakfast for women aged 40 and over in a recent conversation with Vanitatis El Confidencial. While he acknowledged that staples like cereal, fruit and dairy are all essential parts, it’s worth incorporating chocolate and even sardines too.
“I believe that the structure traditionally recommended by experts,” he said. “…which includes dairy, fruit (fresh whole seasonal fruit), and cereal (for example, wholemeal bread), is a good option as general advice alongside incorporating other foods like nuts, high-cocoa chocolate, eggs, and sardines.
“…Whole natural yoghurt (without sugar) with oat flakes, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, and walnuts.” Women over 40 are most likely to experience menopause – a stage defined by plummeting hormone production and stopped periods.
This transition can give rise to numerous uncomfortable symptoms, including hot flushes, sleeping difficulties, muscle aches and recurrent urinary tract infections. However, some evidence suggests that eating the ‘right foods’ can alleviate some of this.
For instance, in 2020, an academic review found that increased omega-3 consumption was related to improved health among women post-menopause. Omega-3 fatty acids, often referred to as ‘healthy fats’, are present in sardines, as well as fish, nuts, and other foods.
Meanwhile, another Harvard study claimed that postmenopausal women who eat chocolate in the morning may experience better blood glucose levels compared with those who consume it at other points in the day.
At the time, Professor Frank Sheer told the Harvard Gazette: “Our findings highlight that not only ‘what’ but also ‘when’ we eat can impact physiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of body weight.
“Our volunteers did not gain weight despite increasing caloric intake. Our results show that chocolate reduced ad libitum energy intake, consistent with the observed reduction in hunger, appetite and the desire for sweets shown in previous studies.”
Beyond this, Dan Buettner, a seasoned explorer of ‘Blue Zones’ also suggests it may be worth trying a Sardinian minestrone soup for breakfast, according to the Express. In a recent TikTok, he lauded its impressive fibre content, claiming that it’s consumed among the world’s longest living people.
“So, I’m going to talk about a Blue Zone breakfast – what should you eat if you want to live to 100?”, he said in 2021. “Take a cue from the world’s longest-lived men, everyday of their life in most Blue Zone villages they are eating a Sardinian minestrone, which I eat every single day.
“This is three beans and barley, you can buy those too it’s a whole protein, plus about 20 different varieties of fibre which your microbiome will love. And then, of course, make sure to top that breakfast off with some good black coffee. Biggest source of antioxidants in the American diet right here in coffee and, don’t forget, call your mother.”
