Last week, I told you I’d research and deliver authentic answers as to why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, I have done my homework. If you are interested in the result of my efforts, below are five reasons why breakfast is the most important meal of the day:
1. It’s Literally Breaking a Fast: Breakfast is what it is, breaking a fast. Most people leave a five to six-hour gap between the three main meals of the day. For some others, the break between meals is shortened by snacks. Interestingly, the period between supper and breakfast is the longest the body goes without food. So, your body’s tank is almost empty by the time you wake up. The ideal thing would be to treat your body as you would your car’s nearly empty fuel tank. But in our haste to get on with the day’s activities, most of us neglect to fill our body with the fuel it needs. This negligence affects not just our glucose and insulin levels but our body organs as well. This manifests in unsteady energy flow, poor moods and an increased chance of eating junk and overeating.
2. It Aids Weight Loss: I bet you’re familiar with the saying, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Well, I think this proverb can be a guide for weight loss if the meals are healthy. A nutritious breakfast consisting of whole grains and proteins, for instance, will curb one’s appetite. Moreover, research suggests that those who consume more calories at breakfast are more likely to shed weight than those who either skipped breakfast or ate less. That’s because high-calorie breakfast consumers have lower hunger pangs and sweet cravings during the day. What’s more, metabolism is more efficient in the mornings. Thus, high-calorie breakfast consumers can work those calories off.
3. It Boosts Brain Power: During my school days, I had issues with concentration each time I skipped breakfast. Well, it might interest you to know that research indicates that skipping breakfast can slow one’s mental alertness and affect one’s overall performance and productivity. You see, the brain gets its nutrients from the food you eat. If it’s starved, it won’t function the way it should. So, ensure that your family does not leave home without breakfast; it’ll boost their concentration, memory, alertness and productivity.
4. It Reduces your Risk for Illness: Oh yeah, buddy, you read right. Those who eat breakfast regularly have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. That’s because skipping breakfast increases one’s tendency of overcompensating later on in the day through the consumption of less nutritious meals; this can wreak havoc on one’s cholesterol, and insulin levels.
5. It Helps you Make Better Food Choices: More often than not, breakfast is consumed before hunger strikes. So, it fills you up and helps you to make better food choices. This is something that may be difficult for breakfast skippers to do as hunger pangs and the person no be mate. When it strikes, the possibility of grabbing whatever food is nearby without consideration of its salt or fat content is magnified.
I hope I’ve convinced you with these few points of mine that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Sources
Better Health
10 Tips for Health
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