In the morning, you may find that you are playing a continual game of “catch up.” You’re rushing to the shower, rushing through traffic, rushing to work. You may feel as if you don’t have time for breakfast, let alone a nutritious breakfast. You may find that you’re just not hungry at that time of day, or you believe that you need to lose weight, so you skip breakfast altogether. What you may not realize is that, by eliminating breakfast from your morning routine, you’re jeopardizing your health—and your waistline.
There are a number of good reasons to eat breakfast, particularly if you are a dieter. To begin with, the very act of eating breakfast can speed up your metabolism, which is critical to weight loss. Think about it. You may eat dinner around 6 p.m. If you wait until lunch to eat again, as many as 18 hours might have passed. Breakfast is therefore critical to your overall health and well-being.
Another problem with skipping breakfast is that it tends to make you overeat at lunch. Studies have shown that the vast majority of successful dieters do eat breakfast. This may seem counter-intuitive, the idea that you must eat food in order to lose weight. But the research shows clearly that that in fact is the case. Breakfast can also aid your concentration. A number of studies demonstrate that breakfast improves one’s focus, helping him or her at work or at school.
The type of breakfast you eat depends upon the diet you are pursuing. You might choose a high fiber meal, such as cereal, or a high protein meal, such as scrambled eggs and ham. Your breakfast should contain plenty of vitamins and minerals to help your body remain healthy throughout the day.
Another interesting aspect about breakfast is that it is a proven mood elevator. This is quite important, since it is critical to remain positive when trying to lose weight. Anything that you can do to lift your spirits—provided that it does not cause you to pack on the pounds—should be considered beneficial. Also, breakfast sets the pattern for the day. If you make healthy decisions at breakfast, you’re more likely to make the right decisions regarding the other meals of the day.
One thing you should avoid at breakfast is eating something high in sugar, such as a sugary breakfast cereal. While such a meal can lift your energy level temporarily, after a few hours, your energy level will drop again. While it is always better to eat something than nothing, you should be careful in the food choices you make at breakfast.
Breakfast can enhance the efficiency of the body, making it easier for you to burn fat. This is true for both young and old, so make sure your children eat breakfast as well. A smoothly-running body is a healthy body and one that is more likely to become lean over time.
At first glance, there appears to be no downside to eating breakfast. However, it is important to issue a cautionary note. Some people use breakfast as an opportunity to binge. They figure that they can eat breakfast and then skip the rest of their meals. However, this is not a healthy approach. In order to work effectively, your body needs to eat regular meals. Some diets call for three meals a day; others rely on five or six smaller meals eaten more frequently. In any event, while breakfast may be your most important meal of the day it should not be your only meal of the day.
Eating breakfast is a habit. However, if you haven’t eaten breakfast in a while, it may be a difficult habit to get into. The key to starting a healthy habit is persistence. Try to eat something every morning, even if it’s only a little something. Make sure that you have time to actually sit at the table and eat, rather than trying to eat breakfast on the run. Scheduling time for breakfast means that you have made it a priority in your life. If you follow this formula, you should be in a better position to lose weight over the long term.
