Just why is breakfast so important for health and fitness? Must of us have heard that breakfast is important, or THE MOST IMPORTANT meal of the day, but why? Here, we’ll look at the main reasons: energy, brain power, weight, and overall health – in short, a good breakfast keeps you fit and psyched!
Energy
Just think about it: your body went without food for a long time while you were sleeping. While you were comfortably sleeping you had been fasting, hence the meal’s name: break fast. Let’s say you eat dinner between 6 and 7 pm. And then you get up at 6 or 7 am – that’s a long time for your body to have gone without fuel (remember that food is first and foremost FUEL). To do anything you need energy, and you get energy only from food fuel. Eating breakfast puts some fuel in your tank so you have the energy to get out the door and start your day right. And to have the energy for your workouts!
Brain Power
It’s a new day and time to start your thinking engine! Although you had been sleeping, your brain was active and consuming fuel. That fuel tank could be getting close to empty, and a brain with an empty tank doesn’t work well, if at all. The good news is that traditional breakfast foods are packed with carbohydrates (think of oatmeal, cereal, toast, and fruit) which are essential for brain function. Fresh fruits and complex carbohydrates provide your brain glucose, which is the brain’s fuel. Give your brain that fuel, you will have a brain running on all cylinders which means clear thinking and brain power. If you want to be at your cognitive best, eat a healthy breakfast!
Weight
People who skip breakfast frequently become ravenously hungry mid-morning and end up “grabbing something quick” which frequently ends up being something with simple carbohydrates and lots of sugar (such as donuts, cinnamon roll, or other pastry). That “something quick” stops the hunger pangs but doesn’t do you any favors. After that, lunch is likely to follow a similar, less than healthy, option. Having a good healthy breakfast – especially complex carbohydrates and lean protein – will keep you satiated so you won’t have that mid-morning “I’m starving” feeling, and, likewise, by lunch you also won’t be “starving” and want to eat everything in sight. Lastly, if your breakfast is the biggest meal of the day, you will have the day to expend the energy that the meal gave you. If your biggest meal of the day is dinner, well, not so much.
General Health
A study in Circulation found that men who eat breakfast regularly appear to be at less risk for heart disease than men who skip the meal. Also, The American Journal of Nutrition published a report that women who skip breakfast are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women who eat breakfast regularly. Eat a good breakfast and help your body avoid those conditions.
Now What?
You might be thinking, “OK. I get it. I need to eat a good breakfast. But just what IS a good breakfast?” Our next blog will outline the basics of a good breakfast and provide some quick and easy ideas. So stay tuned!
Fit and Psyched (located at 1177 Clare Ave #2 West Palm Beach, FL) also offers nutrition planning, so call us at (561)223-1112 if you would like to set up a nutrition plan.
