Remember how mom always said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? She was right. A healthy breakfast is the key to staying healthy, being productive all day long, and controlling your weight. There is even a proven correlation between eating breakfast daily and higher daily nutrient intake, as well as a more balanced diet.
Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
While you sleep, your body continues to burn calories while repairing itself through rest. That sounds great, right? However, after 8 to 12 hours of sleep fasting, your body wakes up hungry for more fuel. Even though your glucose levels are low and you need energy for the day, sugary breakfast options are not the best choice. Your body can produce glucose, so you don’t need to eat as much. So while a cereal sold by cartoon characters is quick and convenient, it only gives the body more of what it already produces. Instead, you should break your fast with the essential nutrients your body can’t produce on its own, like fiber, protein, and healthy fats. After all, studies have shown that the brain functions best when it works on fats instead of sugar. Eating breakfast essentially reboots your body in the morning. So the infusion of the right kind of food can leave you with plenty of energy for the rest of the day.
Skip breakfast
Skipping breakfast can leave us looking for a mid-morning snack, and that’s the pitfall. On-the-go snacks often consist of highly processed foods that are high in refined carbohydrates. Muffins, donuts, candy bars, and typical vending machine burns burn like a newspaper in our bodies, releasing a flash of energy but ultimately leaving you exhausted and leaving you hungry for cravings caused by huge swings in your blood sugar levels. Researchers originally thought that these extra unhealthy calories were the reason behind all the health risks associated with skipping breakfast. However, new research shows that while this is a contributing factor, it doesn’t have nearly as much of an impact on health as the length of time your body is in an overnight fasting state.
The fasting state is stressful for your body. It disrupts your metabolism in significant ways and can be harmful if not done properly. Prolonged fasting leads to increases in diastolic and systolic blood pressure, blood concentrations of insulin, triglycerides and free fatty acids – all known risk factors for developing serious heart health problems. Researchers believe these effects are a contributing factor in the correlation between skipping breakfast and high blood pressure, obesity, an unhealthy range of blood fats and an increased risk of disease.
Fortunately, avoiding these risk factors is all too easy: just break your overnight fast with healthy foods! Bodies need regular food to maintain healthy levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol, hormones such as insulin and normal blood pressure. Eating breakfast restarts your metabolism just in time for the day’s activities. To really boost your metabolism, get some exercise first and then eat breakfast.
But what about skipping breakfast makes you overweight? Skipping breakfast means fewer calories consumed, and therefore a lean life, right? We know it’s hard to shake ingrained ideas that fewer calories equals less weight gain, but these assumptions aren’t scientifically accurate. If you’re just starting a weight-loss journey or even stuck in a weight-loss plateau, breakfast is an integral part of long-term success. Numerous studies prove that people who maintain a weight loss of 30 pounds or more for at least a year (and some as long as six years) eat breakfast almost every day and, of those success stories, almost 90 percent eat breakfast at least five days a week.
As a bonus, those who make it a habit to eat breakfast find it easier to plan workouts and exercise regularly. That means you’re much closer to your weight loss goals. Breakfast stimulates the body’s metabolism: the system that converts food into energy. And when the metabolism kicks in, the body starts burning calories. Eating a hearty, nutritious breakfast actually results in fewer calories consumed throughout the day, not only because your metabolism kicks in sooner, but also because a healthy breakfast keeps your mind off food, keeping you from feeling hungry in the morning and suppressing your appetite at lunch. This makes breakfast a crucial part of the lifestyle strategies needed to lose weight and keep it off.
But what about those mornings when you can’t concentrate or stay awake even after drinking three cups of coffee? And a granola bar? The simple answer is: coffee and granola are not a real breakfast. Breakfast should contain one-third to one-half of the body’s daily nutritional needs – that is calories as well as vitamins and minerals. Research has shown that eating a big breakfast improves concentration, memory and problem-solving ability. Schoolchildren who eat breakfast tend to score better on tests and do better in class. Luckily, it’s really easy to spice up your breakfast with nutrient-dense foods, instead of relying on sugar-filled lattes.
Breakfast rich in fiber
A breakfast of whole wheat bread and cereal is an easy way to inject important nutrients and fiber into your diet. Fruits, vegetables and dairy products are also great options. These high-fiber foods allow you to eat more while consuming fewer calories. Skip the traditional bacon and eggs or sausage and biscuits covered in gravy and instead opt for a whole-grain cereal with fruit or juice. If you’re craving an egg, eat an egg white omelette filled with vegetables.
Some people think breakfast is routine and boring; We I think those people are wrong. Just don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations to avoid getting stuck in a breakfast rut. A great way to add some variety and extra nutrients is to try specialty juices like Eden Foods’ Organic Tart Cherry Juice. You can avoid processed juice altogether by juicing your own fruits and vegetables, or by using some fruit-infused water.
Imagine walking into the aisle of the supermarket – you know the one – with cereal piles up to the ceiling, colorful cartoon animals and pirates exclaiming about the texture and sound of their respective products, and endless, endless choices. Considering all the possibilities and how easy it is to pour into a bowl, it’s no wonder why cereal is one of the most popular breakfast foods. It is important to know what exactly is in the breakfast cereal behind the beautiful packaging. Many contain sugar-coated grains with little nutritional value and a high calorie count. Instead, look for products like those on page 00. We’ve selected healthy whole grains that taste great without the added sugar. A high-fiber breakfast cereal, 3 to 5 grams per serving, is also optimal, but don’t overdo the fiber if you’re not used to it. Too much fiber can cause constipation, bloating, diarrhea and stomach upset.
For those who don’t have enough time to eat breakfast in the morning or who prefer to wait a while before eating, breakfast bars or fresh fruit are a better choice than a donut or pastry. Various soft granola bars and chewy granola bars go well with this. These bars make a great mid-morning snack or quick breakfast on the go. Try to find bars that are packed with natural ingredients and labels that contain a high amount of fiber and protein for an extra nutritional boost in the morning.
A healthy breakfast may seem like a lot of work. It must must be extensive to include all the necessary nutrients, right? Not necessarily: Eating a healthy breakfast is one of the simplest changes you can make to improve your life. It is easy to do, takes little time and offers benefits for the whole day and even for life.