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 Top 10 Reasons not to skip your breakfast
A new study shows that eating breakfast every single day is a
key behavior among people who average a 60-pound
weight loss and have kept it
off for six years. The study in the Journal of Obesity Research was an
ongoing look at successful maintainers of significant weight loss.
Nearly 80 per cent of them eat breakfast everyday as part of
their routine to stay
slender. Cereal was their
favorite choice. Nutritionists
suggest starting the day with whole grains such as oat meal or brown rice which
are low on the glycemic index. These satisfying foods do not cause a sudden rise
in blood glucose. Instead, they tend to hold off hunger for several hours
because they are absorbed slowly into the bloodstream.
Breakfast can make or break a diet, because breakfast helps set the tone for
the rest of the day. If you’re one of those people who thinks skipping breakfast
is a good way to lose weight, think again. Here are the top reasons why you
should definitely eat breakfast every day:
  Break the fast. What does “breakfast” mean? Your body
responds to not eating for hours and hours by “slowing down”; diminishing its
metabolic rate and burning fewer calories to conserve energy. By eating
breakfast, you wake up your metabolism and get your engine humming,
burning those calories you need to burn to lose weight.
 Eat more, weigh less. Researchers have repeatedly shown that people
who eat breakfast have a better chance of losing weight, and keeping it off.
When you skip meals, you’re so hungry by lunchtime you eat the entire cow! The
National Weight Control Registry shows that among those who’ve lost 30 or more
pounds and have kept it off more than a year, 90 percent report eating breakfast
most days of the week.
 Do better at work and school
Breakfast helps wake
you up. Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more alert and do better
on tests than people who skip breakfast. Eating breakfast helps “improve memory and
positively affects the tasks that require the retention of new information.
Conversely, a hungry child can be apathetic, disinterested, and irritable when
confronted with difficult tasks. Breakfast is the key.” No doubt adults need
breakfast as much as kids do.
  Breakfast is your chance to eat the foods you may not eat the rest
of the day. You can’t go wrong with a whole-grain cereal and berries
with nonfat milk -- here is your
fiber,
folic acid and calcium in one
easy-to-grab bowl.
 Skipping breakfast makes you grouchy. Studies show that
people who eat breakfast tend to be in better moods. Breakfast gets you started
on the right track for the day. If you start out with a healthy breakfast, then
you set the mood for lunch. You’re more likely to choose something reasonable
for lunch if you’ve paid some attention to your breakfast choices.
 Cancel the danish or sugared doughnut first thing in the morning;
they cause a blood sugar dip a couple of hours later. You’ll be desperate for
something to perk you up, and will be more likely to grab another high-sugar
refined carb for a quick sugar rush.
 Breakfast makes your machine run better. Get yourself on a schedule
with a healthy breakfast, and you’re ready to take on the world.
  Set a good example for your children. By skipping breakfast, your kids
will think it’s not important. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a big affair, but
don’t wimp out. Make it a habit, and your kids will be way ahead of the game,
too.
 Don’t eat dessert for breakfast. If you think a glazed doughnut or a
breakfast bar with 30 grams of sugar are breakfast items, then think again.
Doughnuts are fried lumps of sugared dough, and many breakfast bars should be
labeled “candy bars” instead.
 Watch out the labels. "Nutritious," doesn't necessarily always
mean healthy. Cereal manufacturers are experts in marketing, using words that
send a message of health. Unless you read the
labels, you eat at your own risk.
Kids' cereals can have more sugar than candy. Protect your kids from getting
hooked on these cereals; they'll get used to all the sugar, and will want only
pre-sweetened cereals.
Buy cereals that have minimal sugar such as regular Cheerios, not honey nut or
other sweetened versions; corn flakes, not frosted flakes; shredded wheat minis,
not frosted and sugared; and look into some of the newer, healthier cereals like
Kashi (the unsweetened kind). Then let your taste buds rule. Add your own sugar.
I guarantee what you or your kids add will be a fraction of what the cereal guys
add -- sometimes up to eight or nine equivalent teaspoons per one-cup serving.
 What you SHOULD be eating (and enjoying it, too):
-
 Eat cereals that are low in sugar. Cereal with milk is a great breakfast.
It really is a good all-around meal. Remember - low or no sugar is what you
want.
-
Eat eggs, they are good for breakfast. Eat eggs, but eat them in moderation, of course.
-
Try a new egg sandwich. You can put cheese
or ham on yours. Use your imagination, these are really fun to make. Be
creative.
-
Eat pancakes. Yes, they are great from time to time. Try to get yourself
one of those griddles that you don't need to add fat too. That way you’ll be
able to eat these pancakes more often. To cut down on calories (and that’s
what you want), instead of using butter and syrup, put fresh fruit on yours.
-
Eat old-fashioned toast. Toast is still a great thing to eat. Just make
sure you don't load it up with too much butter or similar things.
-
Eat oatmeal. Add some
milk if you want and a bit of sugar and you have a breakfast that will stick
to your ribs!
-
Drink juice when you have breakfast! Trust me, you don’t need coffee in
the morning; you can get morning energy by just drinking
juice. And you don't
have to worry about getting the shakes if you drink too much of this juice.
-
Fruit
salads can be great for breakfast. Just
throw your favorite fruits together and call it a meal! There you go. Enjoy it, and make sure you show your friends this
wonderful meal.
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