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The first thing you eat in the morning can have a huge impact on your health, well being, and energy levels that day — but instead of thinking in terms of an entire meal, consider the individual foods you’re eating.
You may wake up craving pancakes or waffles. By all means, don’t deny yourself breakfast foods that can keep you satisfied until your mid-morning snack. But if you incorporate this one food into your breakfast, it will increase the overall nutritional benefit of that one meal.
This is the one healthy food you should eat right after you wake up for a better day:
Grapefruit — Way More Than A Diet Food
It’s an unfortunate reality, but when a lot of people think of grapefruit, their first thoughts are that it's a diet food that can help you lose weight. But the benefits of eating one grapefruit every morning extend way beyond its fat-burning properties, though that’s part of their allure, as well.
Grapefruit is refreshing, chockfull of immune-boosting vitamin C, and boasts a sweet-tart flavor that actually complements a variety of breakfast foods, from simple avocado toast to more complex egg dishes like omelets. And its vitamin and mineral content is off-the-charts good for you.
Grapefruit Nutritional Benefits
Grapefruit is one of those amazing fruits that has both short-term and long-term health benefits. It has high amounts of vitamin C, which fights free radicals and protects your cells, as well as an abundance of fiber, potassium, choline, and the antioxidant lycopene (which is found in tomatoes), according to Medical News Today.
We’re often told to drink several liters of water a day — and that morning is the ideal time to re-hydrate after a night of fasting. Grapefruit is actually made up of 91 percent water, so it’s incredibly good for hydrating your body. With just 74 calories per cup, grapefruit won’t affect your weight loss or weight maintenance goals, and it has trace amounts of other important nutrients like vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and copper.
How Grapefruit Affects Your Health
You know about the laundry list of vitamins and minerals you’ll find in grapefruit, but what, exactly, can they do for your health? The answer is, well, a lot. Grapefruit boosts your metabolism to help you burn more fat. It can lower your risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, breasts, and esophagus, according to Medical Daily. And just the smell of citrusy grapefruit can lower your anxiety levels and provide you with a much-needed burst of energy in the morning (some people even use grapefruit oil in aromatherapy to feel more energetic and inspired).
And, of course, given its vitamin C richness, grapefruit helps keep the common cold and flu at bay.
"Grapefruit is abundant in vitamin C which help supports the immune system,” Registered dietitian Lauren Blake told Medical Daily. “Half of a grapefruit provides about 78 percent of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C."
Nature's Way Grapefruit Seed ($12.97)
Maybe you hate the taste of grapefruit. Or can’t find ways to incorporate it into your everyday breakfast. Whatever the case may be, taking a grapefruit seed supplement with your breakfast can help promote a healthy gastrointestinal tract and curb inflammation — which provides extra protection to defend yourself against illnesses and disease.
For more breakfast tips, check out 4 Breakfast Bars That Are Actually Good For You and The One Breakfast Food You Should Eat For Inflammation on SHEFinds.com.
Photos: Shutterstock
