The Importance of Breakfast

Of the traditional three “regular” meals we tend to have each day, breakfast is still considered the most important, a fact which researchers have now proven.  Sadly however, it is also the meal most frequently missed with about 15 percent of teenagers and 30 percent of adults skipping breakfast.  A bad mistake and here’s why:

A Fantastic Start To The Day

We all know that breakfast is designed to “break the fast.” After 8 to 12 hours of sleep, your blood sugar (glucose) levels will be low and your brain and muscles will be running on empty.  Waking up and getting started is hard to do at the best of times but it’s even harder to keep going if you do not refuel. The body needs a proper meal to produce the energy necessary to get you revved up for the day.  

Insurance Policy

A balanced breakfast should provide a quarter or more of your daily needs for essential nutrients. When breakfast is skipped, the missing vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, calcium and fibre are not made up in subsequent meals and snacks. A regular healthy breakfast goes a long way to ensuring you meet your daily nutritional requirements and having a healthier and more energetic day.

Healthy Weight

As well as helping to regulate your appetite throughout the day, breakfast jump-starts your metabolism which naturally slows overnight.  Missing breakfast to reduce calorie intake is definitely not the answer for weight loss, you need to kick start and keep that metabolism going.  Also, breakfast skippers tend to eat more food at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to curb hunger or to give them false energy. Their diets tend to be higher in overall calories and fat than those who enjoy a morning meal.

Peak Performance

A wake-up meal can help your children perform better in school, at work or at play by keeping them more alert, improving their ability to concentrate and retain information. When it comes to children, breakfast helps them learn better. Kids who skip breakfast have trouble focusing and tend to be inattentive, restless and irritable by late morning. Those who eat breakfast have been found to have better test scores and lower rates of absenteeism.

Good Habits

Eating behaviours developed during childhood can last a lifetime. If you never had breakfast as a child, it is likely that you are one of the 30 percent of adults who still skip breakfast … and your children could be doing the same thing.

The incidence of childhood obesity is rising. The percentage of overweight children has tripled since the 1960s; a shocking 1-in-10 children under the age of 4 are now considered obese. Establishing good eating habits at an early age is crucial. Teaching kids to eat a healthy breakfast is one way to help reduce these concerning statistics.

To find out more about nutrition, Healthy Breakfasts or how we can help you, call The Bodyworks Health Clinic on 952 883 151 or visit: www.TheBodyworksClinic.com/