Was your mother correct in saying that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”
The answer is “yes.” Actually, we have no definitive research that absolutely proves that breakfast is essential. But we have lots and lots of “circumstantial” evidence and observational studies that point to the benefits of eating a good breakfast, as well as to the dangers of skipping it. Virtually all health experts accept that eating breakfast is the best course of action. I would liken it to the theory of evolution – not proven without a doubt, but accepted as fact by the vast majority of scientists.
So, here are some points to consider about breakfast:
The word breakfast comes from breaking your (overnight) fast. If you think about it, it may be 10 or more hours between when you last eat at night and when you wake up in the morning. That is a long time without food – you probably couldn’t last that long while awake!
Estimates are that about 25% of us skip breakfast regularly; about 65% of us are overweight or obese.
Eating breakfast is listed as a key strategy for weight control by the members of the National Weight Control Registry, who have lost 30+ pounds and kept it off for at least a year.
Eating whole grains at breakfast is listed as one of the 6 healthy lifestyle habits that help prevent heart disease by the Physicians Health Study, a 24 year long study of 21, 410 male physicians.
You have to go beyond coffee and sugar for breakfast to be healthy. Whole grains, fruit, low fat dairy and other proteins are best. Eggs are good, bacon not so much.
Breakfast should account for about 25-30% of your total daily calories.
Skipping breakfast often leads to a pattern of overeating at other meals or snacks, which then causes surges of excess insulin, which leads to extra body fat.
Exercising before breakfast has not been proven to burn more body fat, but it does impair workout performance, can lead to binge eating later, and burns less fat 12 and 24 hours post-exercise.
Lack of hunger is not a reason to skip breakfast. Your body still needs the fuel even if it doesn’t seem to manifest that need. If you eat breakfast regularly, your body will adjust to that and become trained to be hungry upon waking – just as it can be trained not to display hunger even when it should.
So, kids, I think Mom was right. Eat a good breakfast and the whole day will seem better and be better – and so will you in the long run.
Tags: breakfast, healthy eating, healthy habits