by Wes Fessler |
5 Reasons why
Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day
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November 9 , 2010 |
It has long been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but is it really true…and if so, why is it so important to eat breakfast?
A lot of people skip breakfast, because they are in a hurry to get somewhere. Parents running late for work wave a hand with a sigh at the refrigerator, dismissing breakfast in order to get on the road. Children drag themselves out of bed with just enough time to check the mirror and head off to school. When it comes right down to it, people just don’t make time for breakfast.
Here are five good reasons to slow your family down in the morning to take a few minutes for nutrition.
ONE - Energy
The body needs energy for everything it does. One important source of this energy is glucose, a type of sugar that comes from food. Glucose supplies energy through the blood to the body’s cells. Most people have dinner before seven o’clock in the evening. Those who wake up at six o’clock in the morning have gone eleven hours without refueling their glucose. Skipping breakfast, and eating lunch at noon can turn that time into seventeen hours without a meal. Taking just a few minutes in the morning for breakfast can eliminate hours of hunger, while providing more energy for the day ahead.
TWO - Weight Maintenance
A lot of people believe that skipping breakfast will help them to maintain or lose weight, but study’s have shown just the opposite to be true. By going longer without eating the body experiences a greater demand for energy. The added time between meals causes an increased appetite, which can lead to overeating at lunch and dinner. By skipping breakfast, people actually create a greater risk of obesity. According to mayoclinic.com, “Eating breakfast reduces your hunger later in the day, making it easier to avoid overeating.” When it comes to weight, it is better to have a nutritious breakfast than to face later meals with a voracious appetite.
Similar results have also been found for children. As discussed on telegraph.co.uk, in a study conducted on 15,000 children through their first five years of development, it was concluded that, “children who eat breakfast each day are half as likely to be obese as those who skip it.” Both parents and children alike need a healthy breakfast to maintain healthy weight.
THREE - Concentration
If you’ve ever found it difficult to concentrate when you’ve skipped breakfast, there is evidence to support your wandering mind. A study conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition involving 379 children from ages 11 to 13 found that a, “Regular habit of eating breakfast, as opposed to irregular consumption or skipping breakfast altogether had beneficial influence on attention, concentration, memory, and school achievement.”
FOUR – Mood
Skipping breakfast can contribute to unfavorable moods. This is believed to be tied to a decrease in serotonin (a neurotransmitter that affects hunger, sleep cycles, and mood. The delivery of serotonin to the brain is largely controlled by the amount of available carbohydrates. When meals are skipped there are fewer carbohydrates, and thus there is a decreased supply of serotonin to the brain. As Tess Thompson from nativeremedies.com explains, “…a skipped meal can also result in a drop in serotonin levels and consequently affect your emotional wellness. A steady level of serotonin produces a positive mental state.” Eating breakfast can promote a steady level of serotonin, and thereby is conducive to better and more stable moods.
FIVE – Family Time
Breakfast is a largely overlooked opportunity for families to enjoy time together. It may not always be possible to get the entire family together for breakfast, but does offer potential for additional family time. It is a good feeling to know that your children have started the day off with a healthy meal. Having breakfast together is a way to be certain that your children have a meal, which they might otherwise have skipped.
It is always worth taking time for breakfast in the morning, and if you can get your family to do it with you…all the better. A nutritious morning meal can make every day happier and healthier. While many have questioned the legitimacy of the statement, it is difficult to deny that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Related Reading:
Making Fruits and Vegetables Fun to Eat: 10 ways to get kids to eat healthy.
Benefits of a Nap: Is it lazy to take a mid-day nap, or have other societies had it right all along? A nap may be just what the body needs.
Washing Fruits and Vegetables: A good start to preparing a healthy meal with fruits and vegetables begins with a good thorough wash.
References:
Why does eating breakfast help control weight? Accessed 11/9/2010
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119
Children who skip breakfast are twice as likely to be obese, Accessed 11/9/2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3209385/Children-who-skip-breakfast-twice
-as-likely-to-be-obese.html
Gajre NS, Fernandez S., Balakrishna N, Vacir S., Breakfast eating habit and its influence on attention-concentration, immediate memory and school achievement
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18948652
Thompson, Tess, What Foods Produce Serotonin and how, Accessed 11/9/2010
http://www.nativeremedies.com/articles/what-foods-produce-serotonin-and-
how.html
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