{"id":473773,"date":"2026-06-12T13:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/473773\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T13:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T13:31:10","slug":"over-50-gabby-logans-quick-and-delicious-go-to-breakfast-is-the-best-recipe-for-healthy-ageing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/473773\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 50? Gabby Logan\u2019s \u2018quick and delicious\u2018 go-to breakfast is the best recipe for healthy ageing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You know it, I know it. Yet this knowledge somehow doesn\u2019t help at all. Breakfast remains the most skipped meal of the day, the most rushed when we do have it and \u2013 for many of us \u2013 the most processed of all our meals, too.<\/p>\n

Recently though, evidence has been building that breakfast is even more important than we\u2019ve previously though, especially as we age. Last year, a study published in the Journal Of Neurorestoratology<\/a> analysed data from 859 adults over the age of 60, giving each of them regular cognitive tests and looking for signs of neurodegeneration (loss of brain and nervous system function). Those who regularly skipped breakfast, they found, had lower cognitive scores, suggesting breakfast might protect against cognitive decline. <\/p>\n

Not all breakfasts are created equal, however. We are what we eat, not just when we eat. So what should we put on our plates in the morning? Gabby Logan may just have the answer. \u2018For me, five out of seven breakfasts involve a lot of Greek yogurt and nuts and seeds,\u2019 she tells GH. \u2018That\u2019s one consistent thing I do.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\"healthy<\/p>\n

Burcu Atalay Tankut\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Match Of The Day presenter is currently busy presenting the BBC\u2019s World Cup coverage and is also an ambassador for Menopace<\/a> \u2013 a range of supplements designed to provide extra support during the menopause. \u2018I\u2019m working really hard at the moment,\u2019 she says. \u2018But I feel good. My energy levels are still great and consistent, my sleep\u2019s good, too. All the metrics you want to feel good about seem to be good at the moment.\u2019<\/p>\n

Her breakfast can\u2019t take all the credit for this \u2013 her exercise<\/a> regime is also super sensible \u2013 but it is, quite literally, a good place to start, suggests Emily Leeming, dietician, scientist at King\u2019s College London and author of Fibre Power and Genius Gut. For a start: \u2018greek yogurt is a good source of protein,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

Protein<\/a>, of course, is essential to getting the animo acids your body needs to fix damaged cells and build new tissue, and Greek yogurt packs in more of it than natural yogurt. As we age, this becomes more vital still, to combat age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). That\u2019s why recommended intake rises from 0.75 g of protein per kg of bodyweight in adults, to about 1g to 1.2g per kg of bodyweight once you\u2019re 65 or over. <\/p>\n

Greek yogurt also provides a rich, easily absorbed source of calcium \u2013 the primary mineral that builds and maintains strong bones. This is especially helpful to women in mid and later life since your body\u2019s production of oestrogen slows as you enter the menopause. That\u2019s a problem because the hormone helps to regulate bone remodelling by keeping bone-resorbing cells (osteoclasts) in check, while promoting the activity of bone-building cells (osteoblasts). As a result, women can lose up to 10% of bone density<\/a> in the first five years. <\/p>\n

\"homemade<\/p>\n

Mizina\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Greek yogurt is also a live fermented good, Dr Leeming points out. In fact, much of the research highlighting the benefits of fermented foods have focused on yogurt: \u2018it\u2019s great for your heart health, blood sugar markers, and also your gut microbiome.\u2019<\/p>\n

Adding nuts and seeds adds in fibre<\/a>, a variety of micronutrients such as vitamin E, and healthy fats, she says: \u2018fibre is the preferred fuel for your gut microbes, helping them to grow and make molecules that support our health, like short-chain fatty acids.\u2019 Our microbiomes tend to become less diverse and more vulnerable as we age, especially as we go through the menopause \u2013 and this can have impacts that extend far beyond our digestive health: \u2018these molecules help keep your gut healthy, but also influence many other systems in the body, from your immune system to your brain,\u2019 says Leeming. \u2018Fibre also supports your heart health, balances your blood sugar levels and keeps food moving through your gut at a timely pace. It\u2019s these collective reasons that fibre is linked to lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer and early death.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"bowl<\/p>\n

dulezidar\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Finally: \u2018 Add some berries \u2013 packed with fibre and polyphenols,\u2019 she suggests. Last year, a study published in The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition<\/a> found that women who consumed the highest intakes of flavonoids \u2013 equivalent to three servings of berries a day or more \u2014 had a 15% lower risk of frailty, 12% lower risk of impaired physical function, and 12% lower risk of poor mental health at the end of the study period compared to those who consumed the least amount of flavonoids. <\/p>\n

So, grab a tub of Greek yogurt from the fridge, sprinkle over some seeds and nuts, and add a handful of berries. It\u2019s quick and delicious, will fill you up all morning and fuels your healthy ageing. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You know it, I know it. Yet this knowledge…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":473774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[2519,238985,2117,134,207184,2116,111,139,556,69,238984],"class_list":["post-473773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-a2a5dec3-efed-43b9-9c51-b29befa84488","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nutrition","tag-nz","tag-shorttitle-gabby-logans-easy-breakfast-for-healthy-ageing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=473773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/473774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=473773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=473773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=473773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}