Why is breakfast important

This has to do with a previous breakfast recipe I posted from the other day.  A lot of people miss out on breakfast and it is literally the most important meal of the day.  Your food choices or lack there of will determine how you feel for that day and the next 24 hours.

It’s unbelievable when I sit down with clients and talk about lifestyles, being active etc how often food is neglected.  I’m not sure if it has to do with lack of planning or having food available but it blows me away how many people don’t eat breakfast or lack there of! When weight loss is a specific goal, cutting calories back is important but not missing meals in general, especially not breakfast!

Some clients I’ve consulted over the years were basically eating no breakfast, while having a big lunch and dinner.  First of all there is too much of a gap between dinner and lunch.  Approximately 15-18 hours give or take! Now exaggerating that’s almost a day without food.  Your body shuts down when it’s in starvation mode!

Secondly, when you eat too much in one sitting it’s too much for the body to take at once! It’s hard to break down that many calories in a sitting! That’s why eating smaller meals throughout the day can be advantageous to curb hunger and also encourage a high metabolism.

You see, our mother’s were right about breakfast being the most important meal of the day.  During our sleep we wake up with a 70% glycogen depletion.  That’s pretty significant when you hear that number I’m sure.  Think of your metabolism as a fire.  After a night’s rest you would have a small flame lit while the food is your “wood.”  You need some wood in the fire to get it going! Keep in mind you aren’t going throw in a bunch of big logs right away!

Some don’t eat breakfast because their appetite is lacking.  Well that’s ok, start off with some smaller servings off food.  Watch out for high glycemic type foods like cereals.  Eat protein with carbs which will help curb the blood sugar and insulin from spiking.  Poached eggs on sprouted grain bread is great! Yogurt with granola, and some fruit.  Don’t be scared to eat fats too as long as they are from a healthy source! If you like smoothies, try a cup of frozen fruit blended up with half a cup of plain organic yogurt!

Mix it up a bit! By eating breakfast you kickstart your metabolism for the day which will assist your body in burning more fat.  Eating foods that keep us fuller longer are better and look for items with great fibre!

By starting the day off right will help you have a better day.  Too many are rushed and going to drive thru’s and picking up a quick garbage breakfast.  Fake foods as I call them have minimal nutritional value, and although they will give you the calories, they don’t necessarily keep you satisfied too long.

If you struggle in this area I encourage you to plan things out a bit.  Personally I’ll always make my lunches the day before and I know what I will be eating for breakfast since I buy all of my groceries.  Same rules would apply when you have a family.  Certainly preparation can be an issue but please watch out for commercial cereals.  Most of them are composed of sugar with minimal nutritional value of any sort.  You have the power to buy the foods you do.  Make smart choices when you are at the grocery store.  Minimize the garbage you buy because it is not as accessible if you have it at home.  That’s one huge reason why I never buy crap food.

My choices are always healthy and if I cheat it’s going to be when I go out for a meal or when I don’t feel like cooking which is quite rare. Promise me that if you aren’t eating breakfast you start doing so immediately.  Your body will appreciate it and if it’s the right choices, will make you feel and work better!