Why Breakfast is Good for You

Ok... If you are reading this is because you do want to hear the "why breakfast is good for you" sermon.

Well, you may have read it in the paper, or maybe you've heard it on the radio on your way to work. It's almost a cliche! Almost everybody knows that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".

If it's so good... how come many people skip breakfast?

People do. There are lots of excuses for not having breakfast, including (but not limited to):

Lack of time

not being a morning person

trying to lose weight

Not finding anything good for breakfast, and

having forgotten to have it

A while ago I used to skip breakfast too.

Later on I would have "whatever", and then a very heavy lunch (depending on how hungry I would be by lunch time).

But when I started paying attention to what I ate (and how and how much), I realised the damage I was causing to my body by skipping the most important meal of the day.

What happens to our bodies when we skip breakfast?

Understanding this question will help you realise "why breakfast is good for you", and hopefully, you'll reconsider making breakfast a must in your everyday life.

For starters, if you skip breakfast you're making it harder for your body to lose weight, and your energy levels will tend to be lower than those of a person who looks after herself.

Why?

Think about it. By the time breakfast is due, your body has not received any food for about 8 hours (a third of your day). Compare this with your "day" hours, when you have 3 (if not more) meals.

It is amazing how, if you are used to skipping breakfast, you condition yourself to feel "ok", but a close examination of your "fasting" mood would reveal that your levels of energy are low. What happens is that your body is rested at the end of a good sleep, but you still need the energy after you wake up.

Your body does not stop just because you go to sleep. It goes on breathing, digesting, pumping up blood everywhere in your body, and moving (amongst many other physiological processes).

It constantly needs fuel (ie food), and even if you're not hungry early in the morning, your body will still need the extra energy contained in a breakfast meal. It makes sense, doesn't it?

But breakfast is more than an energy source. Breakfast is good for you because it:

provides glucose to your brain, making you mentally efficient and alert. You get "the edge" by having breakie (Australian for "breakfast"); ;-) reduces your cholesterol levels (depending on what you eat for breakie, of course!);

gives you vital nutrients and vitamins;

makes you slimmer, by jump-starting your metabolism (how quickly your body burns energy), which is slow after relative inactivity at night. makes you "Mr or Ms Happy". An energized and balanced meal may alter your mode and make you feel better during the day.

What to have for breakfast?

The opposite of skipping breakfast is having the wrong things for breakfast (and possibly too much of it too!).

Every meal is capable of giving you energy. The question is "how long will that energy last for?". This is important to know because that will determine whether you still feel "charged up" till lunch time, or whether you're starving by 10 AM.

Avoid things like chocolate chip muffins and other high sugar meals. The energy levels are high (and they taste deliciuos, I know!) but short-lived, and the residual makes you bigger and heavier. So, these foods are a no-no.

Fresh fruits and cereals, are a healthier choice, but you have to be mindful of the sugar contained in cereals. Some of them can have enough sugar a whole family in one single serving!

But what if you're not "a breakfast person?"

There is no such a thing as a "breakfast person".

If you need to do something for your health, you do it, and you can condition yourself to make having breakfast part of your life and take pleasure on it.

But I've got a couple of tips that can help you in your transition to having breakfast:

Know "why" breakfast is important. Reading this article was a good start; ;-)

Buy fruits and cereal (but mind the amount of sugar that some cereals contain);

Check out my (ahem... )delicious low fat breakfast recipes and try some (you'll like them, I promise);

plan your meals. Planning ahead to have interesting and tasty meals for breakfast will help you enjoy it;

If you don't have the time to prepare breakie (you don't have 5 minutes for yourself!?), you may choose a good low fat fast food outlet and be good and have a low-fat-low-sugar-meal.

But whatever you do... do have breakfast!

... it's good for you! ;-)

Have a great day!

Jeff Rosales is "The Skinny Chef", the editor of http://www.Delicious-Low-Fat-Recipes.Com: a growing collection of delicious low fat recipes, weight loss and healthy eating articles, interviews and product reviews. Jeff's recipes are so delicious... you won't believe they're good for you!

---

If You Dont Track Your Diet? You Are Wasting Your Time

Frankly, I'm puzzled whenever I hear this from somebody who's... Read More

For All Walks of Life

Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.Walk,... Read More

Weight-loss Tip: Add Extra Calcium to a Low-Fat Diet

Got milk? New research suggests you should if you want... Read More

4 Tips for Fast Fat Loss Part I

Fat Loss Tip #1) Train With WeightsWorking out with weights... Read More

Winning at Post-Partum Weight Loss: Six Simple Strategies for New Moms ? Part 3

A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More

Weight Loss: Keeping Your Results Over the Summer

Having just returned from a week of basking on a... Read More

Abdominal Liposuction - When Diets Dont Work

Abdominal liposuction refers to liposuction, or lipoplasty, that is performed... Read More

The Answer to Combining Diet & Exercise for Maximum Weight Loss

Put simply, your resting metabolic rate is the minimum number... Read More

Natural Weight Loss: Add to Your Diet and Add Years to Your Life

As I was saying in my past articles, others have... Read More

You Cant Lose Weight if You Listen to Your Family and Friends

I bet you already know all the health benefits for... Read More

Body Wraps & Weight Loss

Body wraps can help tone and tighten the skin, improve... Read More

No One Ever Got Fat Eating Broccoli!

Diet tips for losing weight abound. Some are good, some... Read More

Loose 10 Pounds by Drinking Water?

Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot of... Read More

The First Tragedy in a Lifetime of Weightloss

I am approaching 70 years of age very quickly and... Read More

Put Down That Brownie! Just One Bite Can Knock You Off Plan

It is very important for low carb dieters to stick... Read More

Dieting? Upgrading Your Non-Conscious ? Part 1

Visualizing and Declarations are today's topics.Visualize what you want as... Read More

Exercise and Weight Loss for Life - The Magic Formula Doctors DONT Want You to Know!

In twenty years of consistant exercising, maintaining a low percentage... Read More

Daily Weight Loss Motivation

When you are faced with the daily challenge of trying... Read More

Diet Tips ? Common Sense Rules

We, as a society, are always trying to lose weight.... Read More

Ultimate Weight Loss: 7 Simple Ways to Eat Better

Make sure you check out the meaning of many common... Read More

Easy Steps To Weight Loss

It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan,... Read More

Diet Tips for Weight Loss: Free Diet Tips Which You Cant Afford to Miss!

Obesity is a disease that is not caused by a... Read More

Healing Food Addiction

Hannah was distressed that, with all the inner work she... Read More

How to End the Food Cravings with EFT

Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard... Read More

How You Can Chew to Lose Weight

There Is A Right Way to Chew!Chewing your food is... Read More

The 4 Secrets to Weight Loss Success the Diet Books Don?t Tell You

Weight loss plans come in all shapes and sizes. Some... Read More

Healthy Hydration

Water is an essential component of the human body and... Read More

Overweight - Control Your Eating Habits

Weighing more than is normal, necessary, or allowed, especially having... Read More

Have You Given Up on Weight Loss?

Have You Given Up on Weight Loss? by Greg Landry,... Read More

Quick Weight Loss or Quackery

Cellulite - Reduce The Appearance --------------------------------- Sallie Elizabeth has always... Read More

Weight Loss Diets with Negative Calorie Foods

Negative calorie foods are said to use more calories to... Read More

Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks to Maintaining Weight Loss

1. Become aware of what you are eating.Before I started... Read More

Gastric Bypass Patients Succeed Eating High Protein Diet

The first rule for successful weight loss and weight maintenance... Read More