Why a Healthy Breakfast?

Why a Healthy Breakfast?

You know how mom used to always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, guess what? She was right! Mom knows best when it comes to realizing that breakfast is the fuel that keeps us running throughout the day.

Many people make the mistake of skipping breakfast in their daily diet. This may be due to any number of reasons: rushing off to work, jumping into household chores, getting caught up with child care or just plain poor eating habits. Breakfast is an important element in one's daily diet, whatever type of diet you may prefer. Starting your day with a good breakfast boosts your energy, increases your attention span, and heightens your sense of well-being. You'll be in better control of your emotions. A good breakfast is one that provides at least one third of the day's calories. Eating breakfast also aids in weight management.

 

Does skipping breakfast affect Me?

A skipped breakfast actually ruins our entire appetite and metabolic cycle resulting in obesity. In order to understand how, let us take a look at our meals times:  

Mostly, we wake up in the morning a little groggy, dying to catch perhaps 10 more minutes of sleep. Then we take a shower, change and rush of to work. At the workplace, we begin by the coffee or tea. This is followed by endless cups of tea along with biscuits and in many cases, a samosa at 12 noon. By lunchtime, our stomachs are filled with tea/coffee as a result we skip our lunch. Instead, we have sweet drinks like colas and some sandwich or more biscuits. Finally at 6 pm, we are   starving and ready to eat an elephant. As soon as we reach home, the little namkeen packets come out of the kitchen cupboard and we binge till we feel satisfied. Immediately after 2 hours, we dutifully also eat the dinner consisting of dal (pulses), curd, chicken, roti and rice.

Now, let's take a peek into the metabolic cycle:

At night, while we are asleep, the food is churned and digested in the stomach. Some of the undigested food (especially if you have eaten too much) stays in the stomach, while the remaining is sent to the liver as sugar where it is stored and converted to fat. In the morning, as we wake up, the heavy undigested food is still in the stomach which makes us groggy and tired. As we try to drink tea to stimulate ourselves, our appetite actually slows down and we do not feel hungry for lunch.  Plus, the hectic work pace also assists in avoiding food. This is the biggest mistake that we do because by this time the body is at the peak of its burning capacity and we are working on an empty stomach. In the evening when we finally reach home, we are tired and mentally stressed out and search for comfort foods. This is the second biggest mistake that we do because by this time our burning capacity has dropped down! All of this eventually results in weight gain and obesity.

 

What is the ideal breakfast for me?

Breakfast need varies in different constitution like:

• Vata Constitution: Your breakfast needs to be filling. You not only need a breakfast of poha/idli/bread but also a mid morning snack of whole wheat biscuit/oat biscuit/murmura. Sometimes, you can also have some hot oat porridge with some nuts and raisins or honey.
• Pitta Constitution: You need a filling breakfast of stuffed chapati OR besan (gram flour)/moong dal chila OR brown bread toasts with tea.
• Kapha Constitution: You need a light breakfast of fruits along with a light herbal tea.

 

Common excuses for not eating breakfast

• "No time?"How much time does it take to eat a bowl of cereal? Make toast and eat it on your way to work. Make your breakfast the night before. Making time for breakfast is making time to be healthy.

• "Not hungry?"To get started, don't eat anything after an early supper. Finish supper by 7:30 p.m.

• "Might gain weight?"Eating breakfast will actually help you reach and maintain your healthy weight. Your appetite will be satisfied longer. You'll be eating food when you can best burn the calories. You'll feel great. Eat breakfast.

• You "don't like eating breakfast?"It is in your best interest to eat breakfast. Take the step. Do the right thing. Eat breakfast.

Starting your day with breakfast sets you on the path to success that day. Breakfast helps avoid distraction, helps you avoid overeating, and enhances your attentiveness and performance. Most people can sustain themselves for a few hours on a breakfast of 250-350 calories. But skipping that small amount entirely could be the biggest mistake of your day!

Whatever your choice, eat something.

---Issued in Public Interest by NGO ASHA

[Source: LMHSPL]