Breaking the fast
image credit - Pinterest
Breakfast is the first meal of the day so surely it’s the most important one, right?
There probably isn’t a meal more neglected or skipped than breakfast. Breakfast skippers usually say they don’t have enough time to make something to eat in the morning; others don’t like to eat as soon as they wake up, as they simply don’t feel hungry. Some don’t eat breakfast due to fasting, which has become a popular trend in diet culture inspired by other cultures and religions.
I can relate to all this as I was previously guilty of being a breakfast skipper.
The word breakfast refers to ‘breaking the fast.’ From the time you’ve had your dinner the night before to the time you wake up in the morning, every hour after you don’t eat, you are depriving your body of the fuel it needs to function throughout the day. The glucose provided by breakfast foods such as cereals, oats, yoghurt, smoothies, and fresh fruit helps to fight fatigue, and fuel your brain and your body, thus having a noticeable effect on your energy levels.
The first meal of the day helps to kick-start your metabolism and keeps your appetite consistent throughout the rest of the day. This in turn can help to reduce bingeing episodes later on in the evening as hunger caused by restricting meals denies the body of necessary nutrients and an increase in thoughts about eating and food.
Brain health is incredibly important and skipping breakfast could have a negative impact on the brain’s cognitive function. Studies show that eating breakfast has a positive impact on memory, concentration, problem-solving ability and alertness explaining the reason why it is so essential children get a good breakfast in before they spend the whole day learning at school.
Being hungry can make you grumpy and irritable, the word hangry exists in the dictionary now for a reason.
When you are running on empty this affects your entire system and just like a car, your body can’t run without fuel.
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