Why is it Important to Eat a Breakfast Meal?

How important is Breakfast?

Why is breakfast important?  Not everyone enjoys their breakfast meal.  There are many people who prefer not to eat breakfast at all, whereas others have a full-blown meal to start the day. But just how important is breakfast? Breakfast is very important and many negative consequences are attached to missing out breakfast from your daily routine. When you are planning to lose weight it is even more imperative to eat breakfast daily, and not skip breakfast on the false theory that not eating will allow you to lose weight. Skipping breakfast has proven to have a damaging effect on dietary accomplishments later in the day.

A healthy breakfast acts as our body’s fuel allowing our blood sugar to be replenished, acting as a source of energy. By omitting breakfast from your diet, you relinquish between 300-400 calories which equates to losing over a pound per 10 days. This all sounds well for those seeking to lose weight, but the body recognises that it is being deprived of its morning fuel and finds alternate ways to fuel itself. If the body has not been fuelled for 5-6 hours but is still physically active, then it slows down your metabolism in response. So by eating, you actually increase your metabolism, and by having a proper healthy breakfast your metabolism is kept high from the very beginning of the day.

Research has shown that on those days that breakfast is eaten, women have greater amounts of calcium and fiber — both of these nutrients are associated with successful weight loss campaigns. There has also been a link identified with breakfast and improved cognitive skills, leading to better grades in children and better moods.

Benefits of Breakfast

Evidence suggests that a healthy breakfast improves your physical and mental health status. Those who take breakfast regularly are more likely to achieve the following benefits of breakfast;

Recommended Breakfast Diet

Breakfast is important for all age groups, but particularly so in children and adolescents. Research from the American Dietetic Association indicates that children who eat breakfast are more likely to have better problem-solving skills, concentration, and hand-eye co-ordination. Breakfast has also been heavily linked with levels of alertness and willingness to learn and express a creative side.

So what does the recommended breakfast consist of? Here are a few recommendations to point you in the correct direction.