Would you like Breakfast? Quickly, everyone... SAY YES!
It really is the most important meal of the day! Why? (You may be wondering...)
Simple: It starts your metabolism & sets the "pace" for your body's ability to burn calories and function throughout the day.
Ideally, in order to receive the OPTIMAL benefits of breakfast, you NEED to eat within 38minutes after waking up. Why 38mins? Just take it on good faith the number of studies done on the importance of breakfast have found this to be the average start-up time, for your body AND brain, to determine the level of arousal, and then set the level of activation of the metabolic system.
Not having breakfast means the metabolism slows down, and therefore the body slows down & the brain releases Ghrelin (*the hunger hormone) which in turn sends your body on a "block all functions until I'm fueled" rampage. <<side note: YALL KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!>>
When you HAVE breakfast, the metabolism is kickstarted, the body is fueled and fired up, calories are burning, brain cells are pinging at optimum levels, and everyone is happy until the next time food is available.
Not only is Breakfast responsible for movement & functional efficiency, but it's the start to the day's feeding schedule and caloric dispersion. Sadly, in an effort to "save calories" or starve off weight, some people believe skipping Breaky will give them an edge. Contrary to this belief, however, studies show that skipping breakfast is strongly linked to the development of obesity in children and adolescents according to the American Dietetic Association.
Or maybe its a Time thing... Sometimes your SNOOZE button is just oh-so-lovely, and you wake up late and think "Oh man, ok, I'm L.A.T.E! Well, I guess I don't need breakfast, I will make up the time & just eat at lunch, or grab a snack at the office. However, the truth is, by taking the extra 5minutes to have breakfast, you feed your brain and your body, and you'll be more efficient in just about everything you do between waking and that ever enticing lunch. Time invested in breakfast is much more valuable than the few extra minutes of sleep you might get by bypassing the morning meal. You 'break the fast' of the past 8-12 hours. It helps curb hunger and prevent binge eating later in the day. Breakfast, therefore, helps manage your weight and potentially lose weight by eating less calories throughout the day.
Some GREAT (*simple,tasty,quick) breakfast ideas >
- Whole-grain waffles topped w. peanut butter, fruit or ricotta cheese
- Whole-grain cereal topped w. fruit + a low-fat/no-fat yogurt cup
- A whole-wheat pita stuffed w. 1egg + 2eggwhites scrambled
- Hot Oatmeal w.cinnamon +1tsp of honey or jam &nut butter (*or berries & some chocolate chips!)
- Peanut butter on half a multi-grain bagel w. fresh fruit (banana or apple wedges)
- Breakfast smoothie (yogurt, fruit and a teaspoon of bran/wheatgerm/flax, whirled in a blender)
- Vegetable omelet with a bran muffin + 1cup of juice
Now, there are some instances where you get some additional leeway, in how long before waking you can eat. If you are purposely & purposefully doing "starved cardio" (*which needs to be done within the first 25-30minutes after rising) then you need to consume your breakfast calories 15-45mins after the workout. The only other instances where this guideline becomes a non-issue is for bloodwork/surgery.
OH! AND DONT FORGET ABOUT THE WATER!! 8-18oz within 40mins of waking!
Thanks Kat, for the suggestion to start at the BEGINNING!!
A Lil About Me!
- Mia
- ACE Certified Personal Trainer; NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist; CSEP Certified Personal Fitness & Lifestyle Advisor; MaddDogg Spinning Instructor; NCCP SwimCoach; NLSC Aquafit Instructor; Wellness & Weight-Loss Consultant.