You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day…why is that?
All meals are equally important and no meal should ever be skipped; especially breakfast. There are many reasons why people tend to skip the first meal of their day; they believe it will help them lose weight, they don’t have enough time, or they just don’t feel hungry. Whatever the reason, the benefits of eating breakfast far outweigh skipping it.
Eating food soon after waking up helps kick-start our metabolism for the day. It provides energy needed for all of life's tasks: thinking, breathing, working, strength training, cardio, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, gardening, etc. After sleeping and fasting all night, we wake up in the morning, and our body requires refueling. If it is not getting energy from consuming food, our body starts to break down stored glycogen in our muscle, in order to supply us with the necessary energy needed to sustain our activity level. The end result is our metabolism slows down...which is never good.
People think skipping breakfast will help them lose weight; however, studies show this could be counterproductive. Those who skip eating breakfast, tend to graze on high calorie snacks between meals and eat more food than they normally would during meals. Eating breakfast keeps our blood sugar levels regulated which helps keep us satiated for longer periods.
There are several reasons why someone might not feel hungry in the morning. If one eats too late the night before, it could throw off his regular eating cycle so he doesn’t feel hungry until late morning. Another reason could be that someone skipped breakfast one day, and overrode her hunger sensation. She continued to do so everyday; which trained her body not to get hungry until later. Thus, her body went from expecting it every morning to waiting patiently for its first feeding at lunch.
Additional benefits of eating a healthy breakfast include having:
• Increased alertness
• Better concentration
• Improved productivity
A healthy breakfast should include a proportionally balanced amount of good carbs, fats, and protein. Unfortunately, having only coffee in the morning doesn't fulfill this. Choosing high calorie foods without any nutritional value, like doughnuts and pastries, lead to excess calories being stored as fat.
If you are short on time, prepare ahead. If you don’t have time, make a protein shake. Eating or drinking something healthy is much more beneficial than not eating anything or eating high calorie, processed foods.
Want to know good sources of carbs, fats, and protein for breakfast that meet your nutritional needs? Contact Dan @ (978) 807-8579, or visit seachangefitness.net to learn more.
Dan Kinsella is an Exercise Physiologist, with a degree in Sports Medicine. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), as well as a Certified Nutrition Specialist. To learn more about this article, or his personal training services, visit www.seachangefitness.net, or call (978) 807-8579, to schedule your FREE consultation!
All meals are equally important and no meal should ever be skipped; especially breakfast. There are many reasons why people tend to skip the first meal of their day; they believe it will help them lose weight, they don’t have enough time, or they just don’t feel hungry. Whatever the reason, the benefits of eating breakfast far outweigh skipping it.
Eating food soon after waking up helps kick-start our metabolism for the day. It provides energy needed for all of life's tasks: thinking, breathing, working, strength training, cardio, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, gardening, etc. After sleeping and fasting all night, we wake up in the morning, and our body requires refueling. If it is not getting energy from consuming food, our body starts to break down stored glycogen in our muscle, in order to supply us with the necessary energy needed to sustain our activity level. The end result is our metabolism slows down...which is never good.
People think skipping breakfast will help them lose weight; however, studies show this could be counterproductive. Those who skip eating breakfast, tend to graze on high calorie snacks between meals and eat more food than they normally would during meals. Eating breakfast keeps our blood sugar levels regulated which helps keep us satiated for longer periods.
There are several reasons why someone might not feel hungry in the morning. If one eats too late the night before, it could throw off his regular eating cycle so he doesn’t feel hungry until late morning. Another reason could be that someone skipped breakfast one day, and overrode her hunger sensation. She continued to do so everyday; which trained her body not to get hungry until later. Thus, her body went from expecting it every morning to waiting patiently for its first feeding at lunch.
Additional benefits of eating a healthy breakfast include having:
• Increased alertness
• Better concentration
• Improved productivity
A healthy breakfast should include a proportionally balanced amount of good carbs, fats, and protein. Unfortunately, having only coffee in the morning doesn't fulfill this. Choosing high calorie foods without any nutritional value, like doughnuts and pastries, lead to excess calories being stored as fat.
If you are short on time, prepare ahead. If you don’t have time, make a protein shake. Eating or drinking something healthy is much more beneficial than not eating anything or eating high calorie, processed foods.
Want to know good sources of carbs, fats, and protein for breakfast that meet your nutritional needs? Contact Dan @ (978) 807-8579, or visit seachangefitness.net to learn more.
Dan Kinsella is an Exercise Physiologist, with a degree in Sports Medicine. He's a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), as well as a Certified Nutrition Specialist. To learn more about this article, or his personal training services, visit www.seachangefitness.net, or call (978) 807-8579, to schedule your FREE consultation!
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