A large percentage of people skip breakfast on a regular basis. The potential dangers include a more sluggish metabolism as the body shifts into starvation-response mode. And coupled with a tendency to become ravenous and binge later: weight gain. Cognitive abilities can also suffer: you may get headaches, feel fatigued and be less able to concentrate. Breakfast kicks your metabolism into gear and fuels your body and brain for the day. It helps you concentrate and perform well at your tasks. Breakfast can also help you maintain a healthy weight!
Yet plenty of people bypass breakfast and don’t seem to suffer. Many say they aren’t hungry. Some young adults claim that they feel nauseous eating first thing in the morning. And some even believe that by working out without fueling first, they will burn more fat. So what’s the truth? Is skipping breakfast harmful, or have the dangers been overhyped?
Breakfast fuels and nourishes. What many people fail to consider is that the body awakes in an energy-deprived state. Depending on when dinner or the last evening snack was consumed, a person may have gone 10“15 hours without food. Normally, the body gets energy from fat and carbohydrates. Glucose, or sugar from carbohydrates, is needed to metabolize fat and is the exclusive fuel source for the brain and red blood cells. The liver’s stored glycogen supplies the body with glucose throughout the night.
Breakfast not only provides readily available calories for morning activity; it is also integral to obtaining essential nutrients. Protein is needed for muscle building and repair, as well as for other functions, including maintenance of hormones and enzymes. One reason why the body doesn’t function optimally on one meal a day is that the body usually doesn’t absorb 100 percent of nutrients when they are consumed. So eating several meals can help the body use more of the nutrients it gets from food. Additionally, breakfast can help ensure an adequate day’s supply of fiber, as well as vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.
What counts as breakfast? Does a black coffee/tea with one teaspoon of sugar (15 calories) count? What about a 50-calorie apple? Is a doughnut okay? Is eating at 10:00 am as nourishing as eating at 7:00 am?
Breakfast means literally breaking the food fast that has occurred since the last evening meal. But how many calories are needed to qualify as “breakfast” and exactly when they are required are debatable questions. Some studies measure breakfast as an absolute calorie amount. Others quantify it by describing the percentage of breakfast calories compared to the total day’s intake.
Ideally, the morning meal should provide carbohydrates and fiber from fruits, vegetables and/or beans, as well as protein from low-fat milk or yogurt, eggs or plant sources such as nuts, beans and whole grains. As for a doughnut, Sunday-morning pancakes or pastries, - they may be acceptable on certain days such as vacation or cheat/treat days. But keeping a stash of easy breakfast backups, like health bars, nuts or even leftover dal and/or vegetables, can give you more nutritious choices so that you’re not just filling up on empty calories. Don’t be afraid to get creative: some cultures eat soups for breakfast, and others eat beans (on toast or in rotis). My favorite breakfast is a yogurt, banana, almonds and pomegranate smoothie. Aim for a breakfast that provides energy and nutrients and that helps you feel satiated.
Bottom line: Eat your breakfast and kick start your metabolism. You need the calories to help you start your day.
Some breakfast choices:
Poor breakfast choices: doughnut or pastry; croissant; pancakes; white bread; black coffee with cookies; sugary cereal with milk.
Better breakfast choices: whole grain muffin with extra fiber; breakfast/protein health bar; whole-grain pancakes, easy on the syrup; whole-grain bread; coffee with milk and sugar ; high-fiber cereal with added fruit and nuts plus milk or soymilk.
Best breakfast choices: oatmeal or other hot-cooked grain cereal with added fruit and nuts; high-fiber, whole-grain cereal with milk, almond milk or soymilk, topped with fruit and nuts; whole-grain pancakes topped with fresh fruit; whole-grain toast topped with avocado, peanut butter or hummus; fruit with yogurt and coffee with milk or soymilk; regular or egg-white omelet with added vegetables or beans; chapatis with grilled veggies.
- Nivedita Dempo is a fitness expert and the owner of Studio 101, Goa’s premier fitness centre
