Why You Shouldn’t Skip Breakfast (Video)

On a busy weekday morning, it might be tempting to skip breakfast. Here is why that is not a good idea.

Breakfast provides the body with the right nourishment after an overnight fast (that is where the name originates from!). When waking up, the body is depleted of nutrients. If left unfed, a person could experience brain-fog, tiredness and lack of energy. Hunger can set in, making a person to crave more high salt and high fat foods which can lead to weight gain.

Long term effects of skipping breakfast include:

• Cognitive function: breakfast provides the sugar (glucose) needed to fuel the brain. Skipping breakfast over the long term can reduce memory and concentration levels. Breakfast is so important that many schools have started breakfast programs to help ensure students get the fuel necessary to do well in class. It has been shown that students who ate a healthy breakfast before class performed better in class than students who did not.
• Long term chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes type 2 can develop over time.
• Obesity: skipping breakfast can cause people to become more hungry during the day, increasing craving for more salty and high fatty foods which can lead to weight gain.

It is recommended that breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking up as the body is low on nutrients, and needs the energy to get through the day. Eating foods that release energy slowly throughout the day can be the most beneficial. These foods will have the right amount of carbs, fiber and protein.

Examples of good breakfast foods include:

• Eggs
• Nuts and chia seeds
• Bananas
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa

Keep breakfast easy and simple. Try to avoid the breakfast sandwiches easily available at fast food chains. They may seem healthy, but this CBC segment will make you think otherwise. The CBC video can be found here.

1 http://www.kidseatsmart.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Benefits-of-Breakfast.pdf