Does this sound familiar? The alarm didn’t go off, the kids couldn’t find their shoes, the dog needed feeding, and you were late for work. Exasperated, you cut corners, and one of those was to skip breakfast. Or maybe you skipped breakfast because you are trying to “save” calories (you have an important dinner date tonight)! Still yet, perhaps you never eat breakfast – you are just not a breakfast eater.
Research has proven that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Our mothers knew this, and we (as mothers) know this. We wouldn’t dare send our children off to school without some type of food in their tummies. So once we’re older, why do we think we don’t need it anymore?
Eating breakfast has both mental and physical health benefits, and can help manage your weight. According to doctors, skipping the first meal of the day actually increases the chance of becoming obese, developing diabetes, and even having a heart attack!
Furthermore, studies found that people who eat whole grain cereals every morning are among those most likely to see health benefits.
Breakfast health benefits:
• Breakfast is linked to a lower body mass.
• Breakfast is shown to reduce the risk of obesity and insulin resistance.
• Breakfast is one of the few proven strategies for maintaining long-term weight loss.
• Breakfast improves grades and behavior among school children.
• Breakfast eaters are less likely to be hungry during the rest of the day, therefore less likely to overeat.
• Breakfast helps reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Glucose (our natural sugar) levels drop dramatically during the night. Since glucose is energy for our body, we wake-up energy deficient. Eating breakfast replenishes this deficient glucose level.
Eating breakfast also leads to successful weight loss. People who eat breakfast consume two-thirds of the daily recommended allowance of calcium and magnesium, nutrients that jumpstart your metabolism. One study indicated that 78 percent of people who lost more than 30 pounds and kept the weight off claimed to eat breakfast seven days a week.
What should you eat?
• Think three types of foods: Grains, fruits and protein.
• Whole grains for energy and fiber
• Fruit for vitamin power
• Protein for energy
Avoid most breakfast bars. (Usually the first two ingredients are sugar and refined flour.) Foods containing protein add additional punch by keeping hunger satisfied longer. Dairy products (milk and yogurt) are excellent sources of protein. A turkey sandwich, with milk and fruit is actually an excellent breakfast.
Finding time:
• Is your morning already crammed to overflowing? Try preparing breakfast the night before. For example, cut some cheese and pour some OJ into a portable glass. Or mix skim milk with fruit in the blender bowl and store it in the fridge. The next morning, stick the bowl onto the blender; pop a piece of toast in the toaster, and in a few minutes, breakfast is ready! Take breakfast with you – spread peanut butter (protein) on a slice of whole-grain bread and grab some fruit.
• If you don’t take care of yourself, who will?
• A well-balanced diet is linked to overall good physical health. Though you might not have time to eat, or even feel like eating, do so anyway – especially if you are trying to lose weight!