There are dozens of reasons why breakfast is not only beneficial but necessary but I will zero in on a few key reasons:
1) Your body needs fuel to run. Think of your body as a machine- lets say its a car. If you did not put gas in your car, what would happen? It wouldn’t run. Plain and simple. You need energy to move and function during the day; food- namely breakfast- is that fuel your body needs.
2) Eating breakfast helps with weight loss. Yes, eat more and you may lose more weight. When you wake up in the morning your body has not had any fuel for approximately 8 hours. As a result, your metabolism winds down to the lowest speed it can. During sleeping hours this is acceptable as you do not need to burn many calories to sleep. However, once you rise and start your day, your goal should be to raise your metabolism so that calories can be burned. If you do not put food INTO your body, there’s nothing to metabolize. Your body continues to operate in this “starvation mode” and your metabolism stays as slow as possible and burns a minimal amount of calories. Still not convinced? Think of it this way- would you go from 9am to 5pm without eating?? The answer is no (I hope!!). In the same way, you should not go from 10pm to 6 or 7am without eating.
3) Food gives you ENERGY to do the stuff you love. Breakfast may not be your favorite meal of the day. But if you want to make it until dinnertime, or later, you need lots of energy to get you there! Starting the day with breakfast will fill your body with the energy it will need to last all day. The folks I know who eat breakfast are almost always more energetic the whole day through than those who skip breakfast.
4) Get important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your body needs. A healthy breakfast including whole grains, fruit, veggies, and lean protein is paaaaaaacked with important nutrients your body needs to fight infection and stay healthy. Milk or yoghurt will give you a dose of calcium and vitamin D, citrus fruit is jam-packed with vitamin C, and blueberries are antioxidant rich! Whole grains can be found in cereal, oatmeal, and bread. Eggs are an excellent source of protein. Having a few of these items first thing in the morning means you’re already on your way to getting all the proper nutrients for the day!
Whether you LOVE eating breakfast like I do or you see it as one more time-consuming task in the morning, make sure you DO IT! Add it in to your “healthy habits” list and use it as a tool for being the BEST you can be.
Do you have any favorite breakfast recipes? If so, PLEASE share.