The Case For Not Skipping Breakfast
You have probably heard this phrase a million times before: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” While it is a true statement, we want to dig a little deeper into why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Before the pandemic, our lives were hectic. Between showing up early for work, dropping kids off at school, or catching that early-morning spin class, we either opted out for breakfast or went for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. Sometimes we grabbed it from the refrigerator, other times from the fast-food joint on our way to work.
Needless to say, after the pandemic, most of us are spending more time at home. With everything that has happened in 2020, health has become a top priority for all of us, and we all need to be more mindful of what we eat. So, let’s look at why breakfast is so important and how the right breakfast can make or break your day.
The first thing to pay attention to is how the failure to eat something at the start of the day can have surprisingly serious health consequences. A study conducted by Charles Spence at Oxford University documented a 27% increase in coronary heart disease amongst North American men who regularly failed to eat a meal at the start of the day. On the negative side, eating a high-fat breakfast too often has been demonstrated to increase the risk of atherosclerosis. According to the latest evidence, all adults should be aiming to consume around 15–25% of their daily energy intake at breakfast which would translate to about 300–500 calories for women and 375–625 for men.
Nutritionist Adelle Davis famously said: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
But breakfast is so much more than just a source of fuel for your body. What you consume in the morning affects your mental alertness as well. A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that drinking 1-2 cups of caffeinated coffee a day virtually cut the suicide rate in half. The study explains that moderate caffeine consumption has a mild anti-depressant effect and yields a pretty dramatic impact on both our health and mental well-being.
The health experts generally recommend that we eat a well-balanced breakfast which delivers its energy slowly throughout the morning. A study conducted simultaneously in a public schools in Philadelphia & Baltimore showed that students who often ate a well-balanced school-supplied breakfast had significantly higher math scores than those students eating sugary cereals for breakfast at home. Eating a healthy breakfast can also help regulate hunger and reduce the urge to snack throughout the day.
What Does a Healthy Breakfast Look Like?
University of Washington’s website The Whole U writes, “For the most nutritious breakfast, try to choose whole, unprocessed foods from each of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.” Breakfast doesn’t have to be large or complex. Start with something simple like a banana & peanut butter or a cup of yogurt with fresh fruit, or make a smoothie using lots of fresh fruits & vegetables. You can even add some ground seeds (flax or chia) for added fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.
In conclusion, there are many reasons why breakfast should be considered the most important meal of the day. What you eat for breakfast has been shown to affect our health, wellbeing, and cognitive performance profoundly. Whether you eat breakfast or not could significantly affect your health, mood, and decision-making abilities. For a more in-depth look at how different kinds of food affect your physical and mental wellbeing, check out the recipes of our blog. Each recipe breaks down the key ingredients and how they can benefit your physical and mental wellbeing.