It's a common practice to skip breakfast, due to time constraints or in an attempt to lose weight. Unfortunately, skipping breakfast can have a profound effect on your ability to concentrate, be productive and lose excess pounds. Even with an active life, you can plan ahead to make sure you have something nutritious to eat before you start your day. Having a healthy breakfast can help you lose weight, think better and be more productive throughout the day. Rather than choosing convenience foods that often contain large amounts of sugar and fat, focus on foods that provide natural energy, fiber and lean proteins.
Improved Nutrition
You've probably heard the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recommendations for five servings of fruits and vegetables daily but how often do you achieve this goal? According to Dietitian Julie Hess of The University of Wisconsin, you're more likely to meet your recommended five a day if you eat breakfast. Additionally, a healthy breakfast that includes a piece of fruit, whole grain cereal and a lean source of protein can fulfill your requirements for essential vitamins and minerals in a single meal. This is not to imply you should eat just one meal a day, since your requirements for calories should be divided throughout the day to provide continuous energy.
Better Weight Management
If you're trying to lose weight, one of the most important things you can do each day is to eat a healthy breakfast. Dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of MayoClinic.com explains that a healthy breakfast keeps you from feeling ravenous between meals, so you can stick to your diet. Eating breakfast also helps maintain more stable blood glucose levels. If allowed to drop by skipping a meal or by eating a meal of highly processed foods, low blood glucose can cause your body to become more efficient at storing calories as fat. A healthy breakfast sets the stage for the rest of your day and as a result, you're more likely to make healthy choices at any meal.
Increased Energy Levels
Eating a healthy breakfast provides both your body and brain with its initial surge of energy. Including lean protein foods such as yogurt, cottage cheese, egg whites or turkey bacon in your breakfast fare can not only provide energy but can improve your ability to concentrate. A 2005 study performed at Tufts University and published in "Physiology and Behavior" found that children who ate oatmeal for breakfast rather than high-sugar, low-nutrient cereals were able to concentrate better. Oatmeal provides dietary fiber as well as protein that is digested slowly, providing a continuous flow of energy.
Decreased Risk of Chronic Preventable Diseases
Many preventable health problems such as type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are caused by unhealthy eating habits. Relying on high sugar, high fat and highly processed foods also increases your risk of obesity that can lead to hypertension and high cholesterol. Having a healthy breakfast can reduce your risk of obesity as well as your risk of developing chronic diseases related to obesity and poor dietary habits.
References
- Arthritis Today: Benefits of Breakfast
- University of Wisconsin - Green Bay: The Benefits of Breakfast
- Mayo Clinic: Breakfast: Why Is It So Important to Weight Control?
- Help Guide: Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet & Sticking To It
- Tufts University: Effect of Breakfast Composition on Cognitive Processes in Elementary School Children
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