Almost everyone treats breakfast as the least important meal of the day. It never gets the attention it deserves. Dinner, on the other hand, is the kind of meal that should always be light and healthy, but we end up overeating at the dinner table (great way to gain weight since the body does not burn the calories readily, after all, you will be going to bed soon). Furthermore, we wake up the next morning 'not feeling hungry' for breakfast. This is the single biggest mistake for anyone trying to lose weight. A meal that is grossly underrated, breakfast 'breaks your overnight fast' and is therefore the most important meal for the day. It allows you to begin the day with energy and vitality.
Isn't it an irony that a timely and nutritious breakfast is a rarity for most of us? You may be a busy corporate executive or a top-level athlete, the importance of breakfast remains the same for everyone. Let us analyze the role that breakfast plays in our life.
Here are the basic truths about that first meal of the day:
Skipping breakfast won't make you thinner.
Skipping this meal will usually cause you to eat more for lunch and / or dinner. If you start the day without a meal don't be surprised if you feel tired, lethargic and easily fatigued later in the day. It's almost like driving to work with no gas. The best strategy for keeping your weight in check and your energy level high is to fuel yourself evenly throughout the day. Eat a good breakfast, moderate lunch, and light dinner, (as well as small snacks in between, if you feel hungry). In particular, if you are about to have a hectic day, it becomes even more important to eat a good breakfast. If you starve your body by avoiding breakfast, it will begin to lose muscle (something you do not want) and retaining fat. The interesting thing is that muscle weighs more than fat, which means that dieting (skipping breakfast) may show up as weight loss on the scale. However, most dieters can become weaker although they may become smaller if they rely on dieting exclusively as a means to lose weight.
Breakfast enables you to function better.
Recent research results showed that children who skip breakfast are less able to concentrate in studies and in play. Their ability to perform complex tasks is impaired. The effects were similar in adults. As an experiment, change (improve) your breakfast habits for 2 days. You will then understand the impact that breakfast has on your day.
Cereals and fruits are still the best.
According to the National Cancer Institute of America, "diets high in fibre and low in fat, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals with low fat cheese or butter may reduce the risk of cancer." Daily fibre intake should be 20 to 30 grams. Insoluble fibre, the kind found in whole wheat bread and wheat-based bran cereals, helps lower the risk of colon cancer and speeds up digestion. Soluble fibre, found in oat bran and fruit, helps lower blood cholesterol, and may reduce the risk of coronary ailments.
Start your day with a piece of fruit, a glass of milk / coffee and some high fiber bread. You can enjoy your breakfast while driving!
So try these simple suggestions and kickstart your day with a healthy breakfast!
Breakfast Most Important Meal Of Day
Almost everyone wishes to stay healthy and live healthy. However living a healthy life requires major effort on your part. You will need to diet, you will need to exercise, and you will need to look out for yourself in order to be healthy. However, there is one thing that you can do that will contribute greatly to your health. That one thing is eating a healthy breakfast every day of your life, to start the day. It is essential for weight loss as well as for staying fit.
Most people unfortunately skip breakfast for sake of weight loss and sometimes to save time on their way to work. Actually, this is one of the worst things that you can do to your body. A research done by scientists indicated that when the body doesn't start with a healthy breakfast, the metabolic rate will drop down considerably and thus this will also cause a spike in your blood sugar levels. This will also cause you to eat bigger meals and unhealthy snacks during the day and because your metabolism has reduced itself in the morning, you will be able to burn less calories. Thus, you will not only gain weight, but your body will also be thrown in an imbalance when you don't eat breakfast.
However, eating breakfast will solve your problems greatly as your body will feel full and satisfied. Your metabolic rate will increase along with thermo genesis (the rate of energy burning by your body). Your blood sugar levels will balance out and you will not feel the craving for extra snacks and foods for 4-5 hours.
In any case, you should take care to eat a healthy breakfast. However, it will need to be balanced in order to be healthy. This means that a huge plate of scrambled eggs and lots of bacon is out of the picture. You should take care to eat things like fibers, proteins, and in general nutritious food. Here is a list of things that you can eat in order to make a health breakfast. In total, what you eat for breakfast should not be more than 2 or 3 servings
1. A bowl of cereal (whole grain).
2. A bowl of oatmeal.
3. An apple or an orange (or apple juice or orange juice).
4. Hardboiled egg (don't fry them for health and weight loss purposes).
5. Skimmed Milk.
6. Low fat cheese.
7. Brown bread - toasted (never eat white bread).
8. Walnuts, pecans and any nuts in general.
9. Any raw vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, peppers etc.
10. A low fat protein shake or a nutrition shake.
11. A cup of tea with no sugar.
As you can see, a healthy breakfast is comprised of healthy food. Eating a balanced breakfast will also help you in your quest for losing weight. It will restore the balance of your body, so that you will not feel the need to eat snacks or huge meals during the day. Moreover, you will also feel better during the day, compared to people who skip breakfast.
Both Nitin Chhoda & Gary Grewal are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
