Wake up, freshen up and dress up. Keys? Check! Wallet / purse? Check! Cellphone? Check! Time to go to the office. In the mad rush, whatever happened to breakfast? "Wait! Breakfast? Who eats breakfast?" Sounds like a familiar scenario? You are not the only one. Living life in the fast lane, we tend to forget the very basics of nutrition: that the body needs energy in the morning and that it is this morning meal that decides our diet for the rest of the day.
Why eat breakfast?
There is a reason humanity has a name for the first meal of the day. Our bodies are deprived of food while we sleep, which means we go without fuel for over 10-12 hours of the night. And since every morning is the start of an activity-filled day, we need to refuel to start off the day. The word breakfast itself is a compound of the words break and fast, implying we are ending a long period of fasting. So, without talking medical terms and without breaking our heads over the jargon derived from Greek and Latin, let us look into why breaking that fast is necessary.
Firstly, a timely morning meal provides the necessary nutrients that our bodies need in the first half of the day. Research shows that working people who eat regular breakfast feel more productive and efficient at the workplace as compared to people who skip out on the first meal of the day. Kids who eat an adequate breakfast every morning perform better at school and exhibit quicker learning abilities as compared to children who skip breakfast or do not eat right in the morning. Come to think of it, it makes sense. Going to work on an empty stomach isn't ideal, not to mention unhealthy. Motivation apart, where's the energy to work? And energy is necessary for everyone. While our desk jobs may not require a lot of physical activity, our brains need blood glucose to keep our bodies active. That is what breakfast gives us.
Secondly, we feel full after eating breakfast and hence, it's easier to avoid the temptation to indulge in heavy meals later in the day. A very heavy lunch makes us sleepy and a heavy dinner is not very healthy. In fact, people who exercise a lot or are into body-building follow an inverted pyramid diet routine where the breakfast is the heaviest meal of the day. Even for those of us who use more brains than muscles, a filling breakfast is necessary and it is advisable to avoid a heavy lunch or dinner.
More importantly, our bodies are used to digesting three meals a day. Digestion is a long process and most of the actions that comprise the process of digestion are involuntary. Since most of us have been eating meals thrice a day since childhood, our stomachs produce digestive juices at these programmed intervals. When the digestive juice, of which hydrochloric acid is a major component, does not find food to digest in the tummy, it then turns to the linings of the stomach. This is more than harmful to the lining of the stomach. Keeping the stomach empty will result in the walls of the food passage getting corroded, which in turn could lead to gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), ulcers and excessive production of gas. All this leaves us with an experience of discomfort and in the long run, causes severe health problems.
People who eat breakfast regularly are also less likely to develop type- II Diabetes and are less likely to become obese.
What to eat
Our bodies work on energy. And energy is most easily derived from glucose. Hence, a healthy breakfast should contain an adequate amount of starch and carbohydrates. These are broken down by our bodies into glucose, which is circulated in the blood throughout our bodies. That is why most breakfast food items such as bread, chappati, Idli, Dosa etc. are ones with high starch content. Avoid fatty or fried food items in the morning as they take longer to digest.
Most people also prefer a diet that is rich in protein. This is specially true for people who are physically active. The easiest source of protein is eggs. For vegetarians, adding grams and legumes to your meal can provide the necessary proteins. It is advisable to avoid eating the yolk of the egg if you wish to watch your weight since it contains greater amount of fat. A glass of fresh fruit juice, fruits or vegetables can provide the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals. Milk contains most nutrients that the body needs and is very beneficial. Adding a glass of milk to breakfast is advisable. You can choose low-fat or skimmed milk over whole milk since the latter contains higher levels of fat.
Avoid sugar coated cereals, fatty/ fried food items and street food. None of them have the necessary amount of nutrients that your body needs and all of them will do more harm than good.
Common Excuses for skipping Breakfast
(And why they are all lame)
- I am watching my weight: Skipping your morning meal for the sake of "dieting", to lose weight or to tone your body is being the opposite of intelligent. In fact, it works to the contrary. When we skip breakfast, we end up feeling hungry Eberto lunch and end up eating easy-to-get but unhealthy food such as chocolate and fast food. Also, since we are ravished by lunch time, we tend to overeat during lunch to cover up for the starvation. This will increase your weight, not decrease it. People who eat breakfast are less prone to becoming obese as compared to people who don't.
Eating breakfast is a habit that is deep-built into our systems. It is something that our bodies respond to without conscious effort. And skipping the morning meal to get to work a little earlier or to keep ourselves thin will only have a negative impact on our body. Start each new day with a good meal and it becomes easier to have a good day after that.
Best Regards
Prakash Nair
www.keralites.net          |
__._,_.___
KERALITES - A moderated eGroup exclusively for Keralites...
To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.
To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Homepage: www.keralites.net
To subscribe send a mail to Keralites-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Send your posts to Keralites@yahoogroups.com.
Send your suggestions to Keralites-owner@yahoogroups.com.
To unsubscribe send a mail to Keralites-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Homepage: www.keralites.net
.
__,_._,___
No comments:
Post a Comment