WHEN was the last time you had your hearty breakfast? Was it yesterday, last week, two weeks ago or last month? Honestly, when was it? Or do you consider five pandesal and coffee as your breakfast.
Breakfast literally means “to break the fasting period of the prior night.” In Old English, the term was “morgenmete,” meaning “morning meal.” As such, breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night’s sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day’s work.
Breakfast foods vary widely from place to place, but often include a carbohydrate, such as grains or cereals, fruit and/or vegetables, a protein food such as eggs, meat or fish, and a beverage such as tea, coffee or fruit juice.
Coffee, tea, juice, breakfast cereals, pancakes, sausages, bacon, sweet breads, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, muffins, crumpets and toast with butter or margarine and/or jam or marmalade are common examples of breakfast foods, though a large range of preparations and ingredients are associated with breakfast globally.
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper,” so goes an age-old saying. The American Dietetic Association considers breakfast as the most important meal of the day. “Yet, is the meal that is most often neglected or skipped,” deplored the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals in the United States.
Forty years of breakfast-related studies show that jump-starting the day with breakfast benefits everyone—children, teens and adults. Among the findings of the studies include: getting a more nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals; improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom; more strength and endurance to engage in physical activity; and lower cholesterol levels.
But that’s going ahead of the story.
Eating breakfast means more energy. “Just like a car low on fuel, skipping meals causes the body to become sluggish,” explained Dr. Willie T. Ong, author of Stay Younger, Live Healthier. “On the other hand, eating breakfast increases one’s metabolism because the body is burning up the food. Our brain needs fuel, in the form of glucose from food, for it to function properly.”
“Eating breakfast is very important for the brain and the body first thing in the morning,” said Los Angeles registered dietitian Gail Frank, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “Breakfast skippers often feel tired, restless or irritable in the morning.”
Some people think that skipping breakfast can make them lose weight. Such is the contrary. Many studies, in both adults and children, have shown that breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than breakfast skippers.
“Breakfast is also very important for weight loss and weight management,” Frank said. “You ‘break the fast’ of not eating for the past eight to 12 hours. 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.”
In a survey from the National Weight Control Registry, 80 percent of dieters who lost 30 pounds or more ate breakfast regularly. It’s worth noting that most studies linking breakfast to weight control loss looked at a healthy breakfast containing protein and/or whole grains—not meals loaded with fat and calories.
Adding a little lean protein to your breakfast may be just the boost you need to help keep you feeling full until lunchtime. “Protein blunts your hunger the most, and is the most satiating,” Purdue University researcher Wayne Campbell was quoted by WebMD as saying.
And a traditional breakfast of eggs may be one of the best ways to get your morning protein. While eggs are not always associated with weight loss, they contain some of the highest-quality protein.
A study reported in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, substantiates eggs’ ability to satisfy hunger. “The study show that when people eat eggs at breakfast, they felt more satisfied and consumed fewer calories throughout the day, compared to those who ate a primarily carbohydrate meal,” explained researcher Nikhil Dhurandhar, associate professor of the Department of Infection and Obesity at the Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Unknowingly, eating breakfast can lower the “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol while raising the “good” HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. According to a study conducted at the University of Nottingham in England, skipping breakfast can lead to an increase in bad cholesterol due to bad food choices and habits. Conversely, a healthy breakfast rich in soluble fiber (found in oatmeal, citrus fruits, vegetables and strawberries) has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. And lowering cholesterol levels may prevent a heart attack.
Having a board examination soon or a weekly quiz at the school? Don’t skip the morning meal. “Another health benefit of eating breakfast is having an increased ability to use your brain, an excellent idea for those younger ones who need to pay attention at school,” wrotes Wendy Pan, a nutrition writer.
The International Food Information Council Foundation agrees. “Eating breakfast helps children to do better in school by improving memory, alertness, concentration, problem-solving ability, test scores, school attendance and mood,” it said.
Eating breakfast also avoids wide swings in your blood sugar from fasting then overeating. “Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its blood glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack,” the American Dietetic Association explained. “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 day.”
On the other hand, a study done by the University of Nottingham found that those who skipped breakfast were more resistant to insulin. Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing diabetes.
But most important, eating breakfast means longer life. Dr. Roger Henderson, the man behind 100 Ways to Live to 100, noted: “Researchers recently reported that people who reach the ripe old age of 100 tend to consume breakfast more regularly than those who skip the first meal of the day.”
This was what Dr. Michael Roizen, internist and author, said: “Non-breakfast eaters have a mortality rate that is 1.3 to 1.5 times per year higher than those who eat breakfast regularly.”
Your mother was right: Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it give you energy to start a new day, but breakfast is linked to many health benefits.