I am quite amazed at the number of people who say they don’t have time to eat a proper breakfast or just skip it altogether because they’re rushing to get out the door! They may grab a piece of fruit, a quick coffee or worse, a drive through Mc Muffin from Macca’s on the way to work and call it breakfast!
If you don’t eat first thing in the morning, that is, within 1 to 2 hours of waking, you may be more likely to snack on highly processed, energy-dense foods later on for a quick energy hit when hunger overtakes you.
Here are some of the Benefits of Eating Breakfast
- 1. Consuming the most kilojoules earlier in the day is associated with a lower BMI (body mass index) in people below age 60 and eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism so you burn more kilojoules during the day
A large study which collected data from 50,000 adults, published in The Journal of Nutrition July 2017 found four factors helped decrease BMI. These are:
- Eating one or two meals per day
- Fasting for eighteen hours
- Eating breakfast
- Making breakfast or lunch the largest meal of the day.
The lead researcher of the study, Hana Kahlevoa , advises ‘those watching their weight to make breakfast their biggest meal.’ The old saying,
‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’ is so true!
- 2. Reduced Inflammation in body
According to another small study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that skipping meals first thing in the morning could lead to a rise in inflammation in the body which has been shown to contribute to impaired metabolism and risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
- 3. Improves your energy levels by refuelling your glycogen stores which are depleted overnight.
- 4. Stabilises your blood sugar level
Maintaining a steady blood sugar level can help you lose or manage weight and reduce cravings that may lead to unhealthy food choices.
As your body is in a fast-like state when you’re asleep, eating within the first few hours of waking up, can help break that fast (hence the name ‘breakfast’) If you skip breakfast your blood sugar levels may drop too low and the body will send out hormones, releasing stored glucose into your bloodstream which then spikes your sugar levels, making it harder to regulate.
- 5 Lowers the rate of Heart Disease and improves heart health
- 6. Improves memory and concentration
Cognitive ability has been shown to improve with eating a nutrient-rich breakfast.
So try to take the extra time to eat breakfast, maybe setting the alarm 15 minutes earlier. Avoid sugary processed cereals from the supermarket aisle and opt for something simple like cut up fresh fruit topped with natural Greek Yoghurt and seeds and nuts, a slice of wholegrain toast topped with smashed avocado, some spinach leaves and/or poached/ boiled eggs. Or do as I do and make up your own healthy muesli every week and top with fresh berries, milk, natural yoghurt and Chia seeds.
I will discuss more breakfast ideas in another blog.