Skip breakfast this morning? If so, you’re not alone!
Over ½ the UK adult population skip breakfast on a daily basis. But how and when we fuel our body can make a really big difference to the rest of our day and most importantly, impact our energy levels and mood for the entire day.
After fasting overnight, breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel. That’s where the name originates, 'breaking the fast'. Without breakfast you are running on empty. Imagine trying to start your car with no fuel? You wouldn’t get very far!
To constitute as breakfast it must be eaten within 2 to 3 hours of waking. In skipping this meal of the day the body misses out on essential nutrients that are unlikely to be compensated for later in the day…..
Although fasting is becoming a popular way to lose weight, with the health benefits being widely studied and published of late, eating breakfast still remains for most people the best way to maintain a healthy waistline too, as research has shown that those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight and more likely to be within their ideal weight range compared with breakfast skippers who are more likely to reach for high sugar and high fat snacks mid-morning.
Just like any other organ in the body, the brain needs high energy fuel to work at its best. After fasting overnight, eating breakfast helps restore glucose levels linked to brain function and increases our memory, helps with concentration levels and can also make us feel happier as it improves mood and lowers stress levels.
Eating breakfast has also shown in recent studies to have long term health benefits including the prevention of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
So, breakfast really is an important meal of the day, especially if your wellness goals are to maintain a healthy balanced weight, maintain high energy levels and improve focus and concentration.
To really set you off on the right foot each morning try to eat foods that provide a combination of the following:
Complex carbohydrates……
Think of porridge, muesli, wholemeal sourdough bread, and low sugar fruits like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwi, and grapefruit.
Protein and healthy fats……
Like delicious poached eggs, nuts, avocado, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, full fat greek yoghurt, smoked salmon, quinoa (this makes a delicious higher protein alternative to oat porridge) and kefir fermented milk.
For recipe inspiration, check out these super easy and really delicious recipes that can even be made the night before, saving you more time on those early mornings.
High in protein, they will keep you feeling fuller for longer and help stabilise blood sugar levels that will give you sustained and balanced energy for a productive day at work and beyond!
Written by
Kate Cheer - Wellness Coach, Personal Trainer & Founder of MEvME
