Mom always said, “You have to eat breakfast it is the most important meal of the day.” However what she didn't say is ... what you eat is just as important as when you eat.
If you are trying to lose weight or even trying to maintain a healthy body composition, skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do.
Our bodies are in a "fasting mode" when we sleep. There is a 45 minute window of time to fuel the body when you awake or it automatically goes into fat storage mode. Not only does is store fat but it burns your muscle as its energy source.
By skipping breakfast you are setting up your body for variety of health issues leading to obesity, poor body composition and physical problems like sarcopenia (low muscle mass + low muscle function,) diabetes, and hyperglycemia. In children we can correlate poor school performance and behavioral problems with skipping breakfast.
This brings us to the next subject. What is a healthy breakfast?
You may argue that a VooDoo donut covered in Fruit Loops will give you energy and it might for a short time but it will also raise your blood glucose levels.
Foods that are high in sugar give you what is called a high glycemic load. It is high in simple carbohydrates or refined sugars which may cause a burst of energy but result in fatigue, headaches and concentration problems. High glycemic index foods have also been linked to ADHD and obesity.
Some breakfast foods that are high in refined sugars are cereals that have more than six grams of added sugar per serving, products made from white flour like bagels and pastries, also soft drinks, energy drinks, and fruit-ades like fruit punch or lemonade.
The first step in avoiding foods with refined sugars is to read labels. Refined sugars often hide themselves. Beware of package labels with “ose” on them like (sucrose, fructose, dextrose and maltose,) or corn syrup, molasses, honey, sorbitol and corn sweetener.
What are good breakfast foods?
Low fat proteins such as eggs, nonfat cottage cheese or yogurt, and tofu. Grains like oatmeal along with fruits and vegetables are excellent choices. Even nuts like almonds or walnuts (make sure they are not roasted) add fiber and healthy fats to your meals. If you are a cereal person then the best choices are lower sugar high fiber cereals.
So take the breakfast challenge!
Try eating a healthy breakfast within a half of hour of waking for one full week. You will find yourself starting to gain an appetite in the morning. An appetite in the morning means your metabolism is waking up and starting to work.
Not only is your metabolism working, but your body will start using your fat stores instead of your muscle as a source of energy.
Note to oneself...darn mom was right again, how does she do that?
AT A GLANCE
Healthy breakfast recipies: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/breakfast_recipes_to_beat_weight_gain
ADHD dietary information:
Top Eight Best Tasting Healthy Cereals:
List of low, medium and high glycemic foods:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates-and-the-glycemic-load/
Obesity and skipping breakfast:
