WHY BREAKFAST IS SO IMPORTANT
Breakfast can be the best meal of the day. There are numerous breakfast recipes online and lots of grocery aisles filled with cereals! Not all breakfasts are created equal and our idea of the perfect breakfast includes a mix of healthy whole grains, nuts and fruit. In fact, in a busy world many people just think of eating breakfast on Sundays as a fun family treat.
However, eating breakfast isn’t just important on Sundays. Numerous studies suggest that eating breakfast is critical to maintaining a person’s overall health. Despite this, many people do not take the time to eat breakfast as they should. As such, their health may suffer. Often, these people struggle with weight issues, as well as diabetes and heart challenges.
If you have gotten into the habit of skipping breakfast, you may want to reconsider how you spend your morning. Making time for breakfast each morning comes with plenty of advantages. As the following information suggests, your health and well-being may just improve dramatically once you start eating breakfast each day.
Weight Loss Is Easier
According to WebMD, some studies suggest that people who eat breakfast on the regular have an easier time managing their weight or are at least thinner than those who don’t. It is suggested that the reason being might be that many breakfast foods are filled with a good amount of fiber and protein.
These nutritional elements have been shown to keep a person’s appetite in check. As such, people who do eat breakfast tend to be less hungry throughout the day because foods filled with protein and fiber fill people up. These foods also make people feel full longer, allowing them to make it through until lunch without having a crash in their blood sugar. You can even use sugar substitutes for healthier breakfasts.
The belief that eating breakfast originally came when cereal companies Kellogg and Quaker funded studies to determine the importance of breakfast. These studies determined that breakfast was necessary in order to maintain weight control.
It has been suggested that breakfast may not be the only factor that determines how well a person maintains his or her weight. For example, a person’s lifestyle and his or her overall health may also play a role in how well he or she keeps weight off.
That being said, Sharon Collison, a dietitian and nutritionist at the University of Delaware, told TIME magazine that no studies have shown that eating breakfast makes a person gain weight. In other words, it can’t hurt to have a good breakfast.
Collison also suggests that people who do not eat enough calories in the early part of the day may battle hunger throughout the day. When that happens, it is harder for them to eat fewer calories. They may wind up eating more later on in the day and therefore, gain weight over time because of it.
Extra Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables to get the recommended daily amount. Eating breakfast provides them with another opportunity to add fresh fruits and vegetables to their diet.
For example, it’s simple enough to sprinkle a handful of berries or add some banana slices to a bowl of cereal or to top pancakes (or both) and waffles with seasonal fruits. Adding vegetables, like tomatoes, green peppers, olives, onions and broccoli, to an omelette is an excellent and tasty way to get in more vegetables. Those who lean toward veganism can create a tofu scramble and add lots of fresh vegetables to the scramble to create a healthy, flavorful breakfast.
Finally, people who regularly consume smoothies for breakfast give themselves an opportunity to add fresh spinach, plenty of frozen fruit and a nutritious nut milks to their diet. Smoothies additionally offer people an opportunity to get some nutrients in even when they are in a hurry in the morning and don’t have time for a sit-down meal.
Replenishing After the Fast
There is a reason that breakfast is called breakfast. Literally, people undergo at least a five- to eight-hour fast each night when they sleep. Eating breakfast breaks this fast.
According to the BBC, the body uses up a lot of calcium and protein, as well as vitamins and minerals throughout the night. Eating breakfast allows people to replenish these nutrients and to rebuild tissue loss that occurs as a result of this fast.
Additionally, the metabolism needs a bit of a jumpstart after waking up. Tissues respond better if people eat carbohydrates in the morning. This practice allows the body to respond to insulin. In this respect, breakfast is critical to keep these metabolic processes going smoothly. What’s more, it has been shown that the human body requires breakfast to keep its circadian rhythms functioning as they should as well.
Better Performance Throughout the Day
School age kids who eat breakfast have been shown to have better memory and attention spans if they eat breakfast, according to Rush University. This only stands to reason. It is difficult to think when hungry. Low blood sugar makes people tired and creates brain fog.
Some studies suggest that children who do not eat breakfast have problems with their attention and behavior. This can lead to academic and emotional problems. These kids also tend to score lower on math, and in the worst case scenario many of them actually wind up having to repeat a grade in school.
To combat this, many schools have begun to participate in morning breakfast programs. These include the United States Department of agriculture’s School Breakfast Program. Kids who eat at school are given a head start when it comes to having enough nutrition to fuel their learning activities throughout the day.
There is another advantage, though. Participating in a school-based breakfast program ensures that students get enough to eat. Many times, the students who participate in these programs don’t always have access to the nutrition they need. School-based meal programs provide these students with access to food and nutrition that they may not be getting from someplace else.
Why a Healthy Breakfast Is Important – Recap
Those who eat breakfast often have an easier time keeping extra weight off. Their mental agility tends to improve as well. This holds particularly true for young kids who have an opportunity to eat breakfast regularly. Studies show that these kids do better in subjects like math and better in school overall.
These kids also have better attention spans. For many of these kids, school-based meal programs provide them with the nutrition they need but may not get otherwise.
Finally, eating breakfast regularly ensures that the body is able to recover from its overnight fast. In other words, you fast each night when you sleep. Eating breakfast allows you to break the fast – that’s literally where the name comes from – and replenish the nutritional elements that you lost in the process.
Read more about eating healthier by reading Mu Mu Muesli’s other blog post!
