Why is ‘Breakfast’ Important?
“Have you had breakfast today?” In a week, have you ever counted how many days you actually had breakfast or if you hardly had it at all? In an era where young people and most people live as if they have a rocket strapped to their backs, each morning is spent preparing to go to work or rushing to school, sometimes causing us to neglect having breakfast.
Why is breakfast important?
Mr. Sanga Damapong, an advisor to the Department of Health and an expert in nutrition from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, explained that every meal is important, but among all the meals we eat, the most crucial one is ‘breakfast’. After fasting all night, breakfast is vital because the body needs energy from the previous evening's meal to fuel the heart and circulate blood throughout the body. By the time we wake up, around 9-10 AM, we start to feel hungry. Therefore, we need to have breakfast to replenish the energy lost. Additionally, breakfast helps energize both the body and the brain, allowing our minds to function effectively throughout the day. Eating breakfast also helps prevent diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments.
Another significant reason people skip breakfast is the misconception that to lose weight, one must skip meals. In reality, those who skip breakfast are more likely to gain weight because not eating leads to increased hunger before lunch, causing the brain to release chemicals that make us eat more, leading to excessive snacking and larger lunches and dinners, ultimately resulting in weight gain due to excess energy intake. Moreover, those who skip breakfast can experience a 10% decrease in metabolism. Thus, skipping meals to lose weight is not the correct approach; instead, one should eat three balanced meals while controlling portion sizes.
If you skip breakfast for an extended period, it increases the risk of various diseases, including:
1. Obesity because skipping breakfast can lower blood sugar levels, leading to heavier meals later and increased cravings for sweets, while also reducing the metabolic rate.
2. Diabetes Skipping breakfast can lead to insulin resistance, but regularly eating breakfast can reduce this condition, which is a cause of diabetes, by 35-50%.
3. Alzheimer’s Disease Eating breakfast stimulates the brain and enhances memory. Conversely, skipping breakfast can leave the body feeling sluggish, forgetful, and unfocused, and if this becomes a habit, it may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Stroke and Heart Disease After waking up, our blood is more concentrated, which can lead to blockages in the blood vessels supplying the brain or heart. Research from the American Heart Association in 2003 found that regularly eating breakfast can reduce the risk of these diseases.
5. Acid Reflux This condition can be partly caused by poor eating habits, including irregular meal times. Some individuals skip breakfast and rely solely on caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, or energy drinks, which can stimulate excessive stomach acid production.
6. Gallstones Not eating for more than 14 hours can cause cholesterol to crystallize in the gallbladder. If this continues over time, it can lead to gallstones. Regularly eating breakfast helps the liver release bile, preventing cholesterol from crystallizing and reducing the risk of gallstones.
What should we eat for breakfast?
It is recommended to consume a meal that includes all five food groups and is diverse. Try to choose whole grains, add protein to your breakfast with milk, eggs, meat, or fish, and include foods high in calcium and fiber.
Breakfast is the most important meal we should eat. Therefore, having breakfast as a working adult will make us more energetic at work and keep our bodies healthy. For school-aged children, it will help them concentrate better in class and boost their immunity. So, breakfast should be a regular part of our routine. Let’s make it a habit to eat breakfast every day because it greatly benefits our health. If you don’t have time, try preparing breakfast the night before so you can enjoy it right after waking up.
Thank you for the information from www.thaihealth.or.th
