Kick up your breakfast rhythm and reap these benefits!
You’ve probably heard the proverbial saying, “breakfast should be the most important meal of the day.” While this saying might be cliche, it is valid. Not only is it valid, but we can expand on it and say, “breakfast should be the most important and biggest meal of the day.” The meaning behind the term “breakfast” is breaking the fast from the night before. Your body is the most primed in the morning for a more bulky breakfast — as long as you balance it well.
Here are a couple tips and reasons why you should kick up your breakfast rhythm.
When you wake up, you haven’t eaten for about 8-12 hours. Without eating, your metabolism has slowed and needs a jumpstart. Seize the opportunity and enjoy a breakfast that will get your body started to more efficiently process the food you eat for the rest of the day. If you are not used to eating breakfast, it may take a few days to get used to. You also might find yourself hungrier mid-morning than you were when you skipped it.
Think about it this way: It’s a good thing. It means your body has revved up for the day and is digesting your food like a well-oiled machine. Do not be afraid of the extra calories you would be skipping out on if you removed breakfast from your daily schedule. Eating breakfast will help you burn the rest of the day’s food at a faster pace.
Breakfast also helps you maintain your weight. If you eat a well-balanced breakfast, you will not be starving or tempted to bite into more than you should chew. The hungrier you let yourself become, the harder it is for your brain to send you the “full” signal. You are more prone to overeating or eating salty or sweet indulgences than if you had eaten breakfast. Breakfast will help you look at a lunch menu with self-restraint and eat better throughout the day.
Just eating breakfast is not necessarily healthy. Try to minimize the sugar and maximize protein, complex carbs, and fat. If you like eggs, cook up two of those with a piece of whole grain toast and avocado. Or yogurt, granola, and fruit can set you up for the same sort of day. This breakfast will sustain you until mid-morning or even lunch. A donut or bowl of sugary cereal will only begin your day with a blood sugar spike, dropping you lower than you started and making you crave more sugar as the morning drags on.
Breakfast also can help you focus. Whether you are getting ready for school, work, or a day with the kids, you will notice breakfast’s helping hand sustain your concentration and patience throughout your day. Food is the body’s main source of energy. Our brains need it in order to work at full capacity. Without breakfast, your body will begin to feel lethargic and your brain will wander or fog much more quickly. If you want a leg up on the day, wake up a few minutes earlier to fit in a healthy breakfast. For extra points, add in some cooked spinach! The extra vitamin K, folate, and minerals can further improve your brain function.
You know the mood you get in when you are hungry. Eating breakfast will stabilize your mood, not only for the next few hours, but for the rest of the day. You will find your work more manageable and the people around you more tolerable if you give yourself a chance to eat a healthy breakfast. When you begin to feel hungry again, you won’t drop like a penny to the floor, but rather slowly fade into hunger. You will be able to pick yourself right back up with a nice snack or lunch to get you back on track. If you don’t want to eat breakfast for yourself, think about doing it for the people around you.