By Emily Wei, Lifestyle Columnist
If you’re reading this in the morning, then good morning! If you’re reading this at any other point of the day, hopefully it’s useful to you when you wake up tomorrow morning! Breakfast is infamously known as “the most important meal of the day”, but what exactly makes it so crucial and what constitutes a satisfying breakfast?
Starting off with a bit of science, breakfast launches your metabolic processes into action. Eating breakfast means you are receiving fuel and this reassures your body that it can burn incoming calories rather than go into conservation mode. Breakfast also helps reduce hunger later in the day which can lead to better dietary choices rather than those unhealthy cravings you might get when you’re hungry in the afternoon/evening. Also, while you’re sleeping overnight, the glucose (sugar) in your body is broken down into energy so, by the time you wake up in the morning, your body needs breakfast to replenish itself. Without this replenishment, your brain won’t be receiving the energy it needs to perform the cognitive tasks you use for work such as concentration, attention, and memory. Furthermore, hormones such as; ghrelin and glucagon (hunger), and leptin and insulin (satiety/ fullness) are regulated by breakfast consumption and help maintain a good feeding routine throughout the day! After considering all these aspects of breakfast, it’s not surprising to hear that regular breakfast intake is correlated with a lower risk of many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
You’re definitely not going to receive the same benefits mentioned above with a bag of chips, so what exactly constitutes a “good” breakfast? It’s important to try and incorporate carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fibre into your meal when you can. Carbohydrates such as oatmeal, bread, and fruits help replenish the depleted glucose I mentioned earlier! Proteins help with muscle repair and keep you energised throughout the day.
Our body produces most of the vitamins we need by itself, but sometimes it needs some outside help from us which is why ingesting healthy fats are important!
We don’t produce fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A (eyesight), D (bone strengthening), E (immune system), and K (blood clotting), so we need to get it from our diet (avocadoes, nuts, olive oil, salmon, etc). Lastly, fibres help digestion and a feeling of satiety/fullness. Some fibre-rich foods include bran muffins, legumes, fruits, and grains! Of course, it’s extremely difficult for most of us to find the time in the morning to have all these essential foods into our breakfast before work or school, but something is better than nothing! If you can, try prepping your breakfast the night before. My personal favourites right now are overnight oats (oats, yogurt, honey, chia seeds, and almond milk) and rice cakes or naan with apples and peanut butter! A few other quick breakfast ideas include; a smoothie, breakfast burrito, eggs on toast, or yogurt parfait. Also, once in a while, try swapping out your morning coffee for an alternative. Coffee is in no way bad for you if you are drinking it in moderation, but it’s nice to give your body a reset once in a while. Try having some tea (my favourite is matcha) for some added minerals or a nice cup of water/juice (just remember to keep yourself hydrated)!
It’s hard to be healthy when you’re in a rush but just a few extra steps can give your body the energy it needs to power through your day
