Breakfast - Is It So Important?

Is breakfast THE most important meal of the day? Most people believe it is and this has certainly been promoted by health professionals, nutritionists, and popular culture for many decades. The answer is not that simple though!

Breakfast, as in the meal you eat when you wake up that is traditionally something like cereal, eggs and toast, or yogurt is not the most important meal of the day because it gets you going or because you need to have something when you wake up. “Breakfast” is important whether it is at 7am or 2pm because it is when you “break the fast” so to speak. In other words, it is the first thing you put into your body after many hours of not eating.

For those who enjoy having a meal when they wake up or who are hungry in the morning, that’s a great time to eat the first meal of the day, but for those who practice intermittent fasting or who are just too busy early in the morning, late morning or early afternoon can be a great time to eat breakfast as well.

So, it is not so important when you first eat for the day but WHAT you eat! Most of the American or western culture breakfast foods include cereals, bagels, pastries, flavored yogurt, pancakes, and waffles. If you are eating these things first, you are not only making yourself more sluggish throughout your day, but you are definitely harming your metabolic health and probably gaining weight.

These highly processed foods are loaded in sugar and preservatives and offer very little protein or fiber, so about two hours after eating them, you will find yourself hungry and wanting a snack. The snack you crave will likely be one that will give the same blood sugar spike as your highly processed breakfast did before. Over time, this is how people develop insulin resistance. The blood sugar spikes cause insulin to flood out and then the blood sugar drops, and you are left with another craving which then results in more insulin when indulged. If there is always insulin circulating in your system, your cells become less sensitive to it - and then you have insulin resistance, a pre-curser to type 2 diabetes and a marker for poor metabolic health! What you eat first matters!

Breakfasts like eggs with avocado or maybe some salsa on them, or plain Greek yogurt with some walnuts and berries are a great way to start the day. A good breakfast burrito with a gluten free wrap, eggs, cheese, maybe some beans and even some chicken can be very satisfying.

Protein in your breakfast will help you regulate blood sugar, can increase your metabolic rate, improve your cognitive function, and help you feel fuller longer. Healthy fats will also help you feel fuller longer and help with nutrient absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, inflammation reduction, overall brain health and provide a steady energy release. Fiber in your breakfast not only helps promote regular bowel movements and prevent constipation but it also helps you feel fuller longer, helps regulate blood sugar, can help regulate cholesterol levels, can nourish beneficial gut bacteria, and can reduce your risk of chronic disease. Mixing protein with healthy fats and fiber is the key to “breaking the fast” and a having a healthy first meal of the day!

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