There is a popular saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it is recommended by our physicians not to skip breakfast even if we skip lunch. Many people skip breakfast for several reasons: it could be that they are trying to lose weight; some are too busy during the morning rush, while some don’t even feel hungry. But why is breakfast so important? Well, let’s find out.
v Several studies have shown that eating breakfast helps to improve concentration and performance.
v It helps in weight management.
v It also helps to provide strength and endurance to engage in the daily physical activities.
v It has a way of keeping you in a happy mood- “a hungry man is an angry man” so true. Avoiding your morning meal especially when you are hungry but you are in a rush makes you grumpy. There may also be a feeling of fatigue and headache.
Dangers of Skipping Breakfast
Risk of Heart Disease
A study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) Journal Circulation- July 22, 2013 showed that men who skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of heart attack/ death from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) than those that do not. Skipping meals or not eating at the right time in general can cause adverse metabolic effects that are linked to heart diseases.
Weight Gain
“Skipping meals will help me lose weight”, really!!! But that may not be the case.
Skipping meals has been associated with an increased risk of Obesity- that is people who skip breakfast tend to overeat at lunch or subsequent meals consuming high calorie foods at one sitting.
Several studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are better able to resist high-calorie food intake later in the day thereby maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
The blood glucose level is normally maintained by a balance between the effects of two hormones- insulin and glucagon, on metabolism in the liver.
When people go to bed, the insulin level is flat and in the morning when you don’t take breakfast, the insulin level drops and when you have lunch it is likely to spike and then crash again. Overtime, the constant flux in insulin levels can cause the body to build up insulin resistance. Under this condition, the glucagon (hormone that raises blood sugar level) effect on the liver dominates. The insulin production is not being utilized effectively by the body cells leading to Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and even type 2 diabetes.
Finally! What you eat in the morning (breakfast) is important; so ensure you take the right meal that is rich in nutrients to keep you healthy…
