Scientific studies have shown the importance of having breakfast and including it in your daily diet. Nowadays, we can read online articles about the benefits or importance of breakfast and easily find information on social media and digital platforms. We constantly see different discoveries and data about nutrition; as well as influencers and online personalities leading this topic who may or may not be well informed. However, it’s important to keep in mind that, in these fast-passing days, researchers and professionals are the most accurate and trustworthy sources of information.
In nutrition, it is not uncommon to see a constant stream of studies that seem to contradict one another. A clear example is the importance of breakfast. We have been hearing for years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, we might hear it from our doctors and even relatives, and more commonly, we may have also heard that skipping breakfast causes weight gain.
However, recent studies that suggest the opposite are appearing, so why do we keep hearing so many things about this meal of the day? Is it wrong not to have breakfast? And should we start fasting instead of eating a well-cooked breakfast? Should we eat some specific nutrient instead of our regular oats or ham and eggs?
In this article, we will focus on the importance of breakfast and its benefits before leaving home, and discuss the points of view provided by different studies.
Because we understand the main key is habits, we have also prepared a few tips to improve your morning routine and start planning your schedule to reap the benefits of having this substantial meal.
“According to popular tradition, a person without breakfast (fasting) will not have enough energy to start morning tasks. This assertion has been tested in a series of experimental studies with the subject himself as a control. The studies showed that fasting had a negative effect on visual perception and work memory capacity.” [3]
At LIMARP®, we see patients every day who have spent years, or in many cases the greater part of their life, struggling with being overweight or obese. Entire families have sat in our offices to find the solution that has yet to work for them. While it is a fact that obesity is a disease caused by multiple factors, our team’s clinical experience and our patients’ own stories tell us, in no uncertain terms, that skipping breakfast is directly related to weight gain. That’s why we mainly focused on sharing information about the importance of breakfast.
We firmly believe that a person, either adult or child, might have a better performance at work or school when they’ve had breakfast. This meal is good for your brain and body because, as the first meal of the day, your body may absorb the vitamins and minerals that can help improve your bones’ health, heart, and digestion processes.
Having breakfast provides more than medical benefits; it’s also an excellent way to start a day because it boosts your mood and improves your metabolism.
Important Breakfast Habits
A person who does not eat breakfast because of habit or lack of time tends to consume a more significant amount of calories during the rest of the day. They also seem to have more cravings and often make poor food choices, eating them when their hunger is at its highest. When it comes to having breakfast without running late or having a well-prepared breakfast, we might consider the following:
- Preparing the menu for the week in advance or at least a night before.
- Setting the alarm 15 minutes earlier than normal.
- Wake up on time to cook different options before heading to work or school (fruit, eggs, sandwiches, bagels, oats, etc.).
Have breakfast between 30 and 60 minutes after waking up. If you exercise in the morning, eat something small like fruit or nuts before exercising and have breakfast afterward.
“Several large prospective studies support the association between breakfast consumption and lower risk of obesity and weight gain. Some intervention studies have challenged the importance of breakfast skipping in weight management and other scientific commentaries have cast a more critical view of the overall research approach to this area.” [1]
When thinking about skipping breakfast, a reasonable fasting period is certainly good for the body, as the naturally occurring fast happens when we sleep. But fasting for 14 or 15 hours keeps the body in reserve mode and makes our metabolism work slowly; that’s why we may feel unfocused, less concentrated, and even in a bad mood.
The Benefits of Eating Breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast improves your ability to concentrate at work or school and it enhances your performance. With a bit of planning and preparation, you can get your day off on the right foot by including a healthy meal. Make sure your breakfast includes fiber, some healthy fat, protein, and carbohydrates. An example might be a whole wheat quesadilla made with low-fat cheese and some turkey; white omelets with veggies and some beans, or a slice of whole-wheat bread with turkey slices, tomato, and avocado.
“Breakfast consumption has a short-term effect in improving selected learning skills, especially work memory. This effect is more evident in children with previous malnutrition and may not be detected in other children. School breakfast has a positive effect on the nutritional status of the children involved; this may show in weight and height gain in deprived populations (e.g. rural areas in developing countries).” [3]
Having a Healthy Breakfast
Here are more important breakfast tips:
- Organize your morning so that you can enjoy breakfast calmly, but if you must have it on the run, it is better to have it than to skip it.
- Plan your breakfasts in advance. For example, if you want to make a smoothie with protein or yogurt, place all ingredients in a container and keep it in the refrigerator so you can just quickly blend it in the morning.
- Avoid sugary cereals or pastries for breakfast. You should never start your day with dessert! It will only make you crash and eat more later in the day.
“Research shows that many of us believe that it’s the most important meal of the day, and there is plenty of science to support it. Still, more than half of us do not eat breakfast every day.” [2]
Remember that considering the importance of breakfast is a very healthy habit; it provides us with energy, helps us be more alert, and supports concentration in both children and adults. Bariatric patients quickly realize the important changes in their life by simply having their protein smoothie or an egg white omelet for breakfast. There are many studies that show that people who eat breakfast have a lower risk of suffering from obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. We recommend that you search for the options you like best and organize your schedule, your pantry, and your refrigerator so you can begin your day in the best possible way.
LIMARP® is an internationally recognized bariatric surgery center with a well-rounded medical and surgical team that’s led by Dr. Liza María Pompa González, whose experience, along with the state-of-the-art technology available at the clinic, ensures that every patient who comes through our door gets the best attention possible. We offer integral treatment plans that are created based on the patient’s profile and some of them may include bariatric surgery.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you want more information about the importance of breakfast or want to know more about healthy diets after bariatric surgery, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References:
- [1] “Breakfast in Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative”. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/5/559.
- [2] “Wake Up to the Of benefits breakfast!”. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns-hopkins-childrens-center/what-we-treat/specialties/nephrology/programs-centers/obesity-hypertension-clinic/_documents/eating-right-wake-up-benefits-breakfast2.pdf.
- [3] “Breakfast and dietary balance the enKid Study: Breakfast and performance”. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/breakfast-and-performance/B0CB5932575C5D0E6F300EE7A20237A8.
- [4] “Stay your Day Right”. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/take-charge-healthy-aging/newsfeed-post/start-your-day-right/.
- [5] “6 tips for better breakfasts”. https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/snack-and-meal-ideas/6-tips-for-better-breakfasts