Should We Eat Breakfast If We Want to Get in Shape?
We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but is it really? The truth is, many studies have associated eating breakfast with better health, memory, and concentration.
Some researchers even link it to a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, lower levels of LDL cholesterol, and being overweight.
Still, more research is needed to prove that eating breakfast causes all of these health benefits. One thing is certain, though, skipping breakfast can throw off our body’s rhythm of eating and fasting.
When we wake up, the blood glucose our brain and muscles need to work optimally is usually low. The morning meal helps replenish it. So, if we don’t give this fuel to our bodies, we’ll feel drained and more likely to overeat during the day.
What’s more, breakfast is an excellent chance to give our body some nutrients and vitamins from foods like fruits, grains, and dairy. Therefore, skipping breakfast means missing the chance to get all the nutrients our body needs.
For that reason, missing breakfast is a mistake millions of people make every day. Our body needs food long before lunchtime, and if we fail to provide it, we will probably eat some high-sugar, high-fat snacks later on.
However, the question many people ask is whether breakfast is good for our waistline.
Breakfast and Our Weight
Is breakfast good for our waistline? Well, some studies say yes, and others not really. According to researchers, people who never skip breakfast are thinner than those who miss it.
A possible explanation for that is the fiber and protein we get from breakfast that keeps us full during the day. However, it doesn’t mean that eating breakfast will help us fit into those old skinny jeans.
In fact, the BMJ Journal published a study that didn’t find evidence that having a morning meal is good for our waistline, or that missing breakfast has the opposite effect.
The truth is, skipping breakfast won’t help us cut calories. Research shows that many people who succeeded to cut pounds and keep them off enjoyed breakfast every day. Still, it’s important to pay attention to the time, type, and amount of food we eat.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that everyone responds to breakfast differently. What works for me may not work for you. What’s important is to choose our breakfast carefully and make sure it’s high in nutrients and low in unhealthy fats and refined sugars.
The perfect breakfast would include a source of healthy fats, protein, and fruit or vegetable.
For example, Greek yogurt with nuts and berries, an egg and avocado in a whole-wheat tortilla wrap, or a protein bar. Of course, it’s equally important to choose healthy foods for the other meals as well. That’s not only good for our weight but also our health and mood.
Although there’s not enough evidence that the morning meal will help us cut pounds and keep them off, we know that it’s definitely good for our health, especially if it’s a balanced breakfast.
