Breakfast is the most important meal for our metabolism because it follows the longest period of rest without intake of nutrition. This period of so-called rest is the time when our bodies get to work on maintenance and repairs and this actually burns considerable energy that then needs replacement.
Unfortunately, in today’s neglectful and rushed life style, many people forget about the importance of a good breakfast and fill up on junk food and snacks, when they can grab a moment. Not good enough!
According to one source of information “The beneficial effects of breakfast include physical performance, psychological health and cognitive ability. A morning meal can decrease hunger throughout the morning resulting in less snacking (and the obesity that goes with it).” Research results have also shown that: “breakfast consumption is associated with lower mortality and reduced susceptibility to physical illness. In one study, people who ate breakfast every day tended to have high energy and were relaxed rather than tense.
The study showed a link between poor breakfast habits and increased measures of stress and emotional distress.”
There is a proven association between the regular consumption of breakfast and higher intelligence scores in people from primary school age through to the elderly.
From a parent’s point of view, breakfast is probably the one meal of the day where they can be sure that their children have eaten wholesome food and, by feeding them well at breakfast, they are less likely to eat junk snacks through the morning, to satisfy hunger cravings.
Unfortunately, according to a Professor from a leading university “Research, and the supermarket shelves, show the ubiquity of over-processed breakfast foods. Breakfast food processing has fundamentally altered seven crucial nutritional characteristics of the ancestral diet: fibre content, glycemic load, fatty acid composition, macronutrient composition, micronutrient density, acid-base balance and, sodium-potassium ratio. Research has also shown that processing of cereals and bakery products may enhance their allergenic potential.”
“These foods are highly refined, low nutrient level cereals, and their associated high Glycemic Index (GI), salt and fat put unnecessary additional stress on the body and increase the risk of chronic disease such as obesity, diabetes and some forms of cancer.” The professor goes on to say: “Many processed cereals have very high sodium content, such as typical Corn Flakes with 780mg/100grams of food – about 70 times the level of oats. Sugar is also added in large amounts to many cereals; especially those aimed at the children’s market. Some of these cereals may contain up to 50 per cent sugar by weight. Despite the claims made by many breakfast food companies, there is little proof that any benefit is gained from eating their processed cereals.” “Starting the day with a breakfast of high sodium and high sugar overloads the body with adrenaline, resulting in ‘poor concentration, insomnia, fluctuating “highs” and “lows”, energy drops, food cravings, uneven weight, feeling of stress and inevitably, chronic life threatening illness.’…”
The more I study these subjects, the more I realise that we must, for the benefit of our children, feed our families better. Eating a wholesome, cooked breakfast is apparently best for us. What a surprise, our ancestors grew up on such a breakfast.
This article is intended to be informative and interactive. Readers are invited to participate, by writing to us with their thoughts or comments and to request topics of interest, relating to health issues.
Source: Sydney Wellbeing Centre