Sebahu.com   [pron: say-baa-hoo]

Importance of Breakfast

Source (in part): American Dietetic Association with additions by Richard Boettner

The American Dietetic Association says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What exactly does that mean? Toast, bacon and eggs? Oatmeal with fresh fruit? Fruits smoothie with homemade yogurt? Cereal with milk? A glass of water with fresh lemon juice squeeze? It's a wide open statement, isn't it.

Despite the healthful benefits, breakfast may be the meal that is most often neglected or skipped. Eating breakfast not only aids in weight management, it fuels the body to help provide energy, better concentration and problem-solving ability throughout the day, according to the food and nutrition experts at the American Dietetic Association. The quesiton is, what type of food would be most beneficial or more precisely, what should we not eat.

Why breakfast?

Forty years of breakfast-related studies show that jump-starting the day with breakfast benefits everyone - children, teens and adults. Eating breakfast is very important for the brain and the body first thing in the morning. People skipping breakfast often feel tired, restless or irritable by mid-morning.

Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after 8 to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Glucose is essential for the brain and is the main energy source. Blood glucose also helps fuel the muscles needed for physical activity throughout the rest of the day.

Currently, it is advised that a person exercise between 20 and 45 minutes each day, far too little. If you look at our ancestors, before WWII, people moved more by walking much longer distances and more often, lifting things, cleaning the home by hand, shopping for food eveyday; sometimes twice a day, gardening, and so forth. Modern conviences have made us more lazy and less active. People before WWII were active for at least 4 or more hours each day. Europeans today walk on average 10 miles while the average person in the U.S. walks maybe 2 miles.

Breakfast can also be very important for weight loss and weight management. You break the fast of not eating for several hours-while you were asleep, unless you're a late night snacker. It helps curb your hunger and prevent binge eating later in the day. Breakfast is important to manage your weight and potentially lose weight by eating less calories throughout the day.

The American Dietetic Association suggests simple ideas to help add breakfast to your daily eating plan.

• Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and a cup of yogurt
• Whole-grain waffles topped with peanut butter, fruit or ricotta cheese
• A whole-wheat pita stuffed with sliced hard-cooked eggs
• Hot cereal topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves
• Peanut butter on a bagel with fresh fruit (banana or apple wedges) and low-fat milk
• Breakfast smoothie (milk, fruit and teaspoon of bran, whirled in a blender)
• Vegetable omelet with a bran muffin and orange juice

If your taste buds don't crave breakfast foods in the morning, try:

• Lean ham on a toasted English muffin and vegetable juice
• Cheese pizza and orange juice
• Grilled vegetables mixed with beans and cilantro topped with cheese
• Heated leftover rice with chopped apples, nuts and cinnamon and fruit juice

To help curb sugar high's and low's, eat more whole unprocessed foods without the preservatives, colors, flavors and whatever other chemicals added, like: whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds. Far too often people eat too many processed foods and the American Dietetic Association makes little distinction between things like white flour and whole grain flour or educate people to the need to eat less processed foods for a healthier diet.

Other examples for Breatfast:

• Miso with tofu and steamed vegetables and fresh green onions added
• Quinoa with a touch of cinnamon, dried or fresh fruit and nuts or seeds
• Brown rice with steamed vegetables and a bit of miso for flavor
• Oatmeal with Black Strap Molases and fresh fruit
• Homemade Yogurt with fresh fruit and a touch of raw honey
• Choice of fresh fruit and filtered water
• Homemade GORP [ Granola, Oats, Raisins, Peanuts ], which can also be a topping to yogurt

If you found the information helpful, please consider a donation. Thank You.

Home :: Support Us :: Practices :: Reviews :: Education :: Articles