THERE would be many who would agree, particularly those living north of Hadrian’s Wall in Britain, that a bowl of porridge a day is what gets you up and going, and keeps you going.
Well, a study done by scientists at Harvard University in the United States has confirmed that a small bowl, just 28 grammes, of oats porridge a day could prolong your life by five percent and reduce your risk of having a heart attack by nine percent (remember, I’m just reporting this).
The study covered the impact of whole grains on longevity, and suggested that it didn’t even have to be porridge, but that a bowl of brown rice a day might do just as well.
Of course, there will always be those who will disagree with such findings, including, I would imagine, the vast majority of the boys in the home where I spent some years.
Porridge was the order of the day, every day, but it was always maize porridge (mealie meal) and on particularly bad days it was maltabella.
Ironically, it’s taken upwards of 60 years for me to come enjoy a bowl of oats porridge.
And while we’re at breakfast, you might as well follow your life-preserving bowl of porridge with a three-egg omelette.
Another study, this time done in the Netherlands, suggest that those who habitually eat a three-egg omelette in the morning are actually nicer people who are more likely to give to charity during the day.
Scientifically, eggs are full of amino acids and provide every vitamin we need except Vitamin C.
One of those amino acids is tryptophan (Trp), which apparently plays a key role in the production of serotonin, the chemical that is believed to regulate our moods.
So, the Trp in your three-egg omelette is likely to put you in a good mood, thus making it more likely that you will give to charity.
Again, I must remind you that I am just the reporter.
Right, you’ve had your life-prolonging bowl of oats porridge and your three-egg omelette which is going to make you give things away, but you are probably going to have to work off some of your breakfast, and what better way to put you in a really good mood than going for a sauna.
I can remember years ago in Johannesburg we belonged to a local gym and what I particularly enjoyed was a quick sauna afterwards, followed by an ice cold shower, of course.
I must say that I felt like a million bucks after that.
Anyway, back to your post-breakfast sauna – trouble is, you may have to go to Finland for it. The Finns are now offering sauna tours, nine in one day, including a yoga sauna, a lunch sauna and a birch-slapping one.
They are all followed by dips in icy water and even a session in an igloo.
Saunas are known to be good for you, but nine in one day? Does that mean you’d feel like nine million bucks?
I have a feeling you’re going to have a great day. Cheers!
Source: The Week: The Best of the British and the Foreign Media.
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