How did you do last week in paying attention to your health mindset?  Did you “listen to your body?”  Did you learn anything about your patterns, what your body likes and doesn't like, how’s your energy level at various times of the day, or how are you doing with your goal of being healthy and fit?  It’s another one of our many journeys in learning to be the best we can be and each of us is unique. 

In learning to “listen to our bodies,” we have to have more information about how our body works.  This week’s question is:  Are you a breakfast eater regularly, occasionally, or never?  If you answered occasionally or never, why is that?  The usual responses I have heard are things like: I don’t like breakfast food, I don’t have time, I’m not hungry when I wake up, or I’m trying to lose weight so I usually skip breakfast.  Do any of those resonant with you and maybe more than one?

Why is it then that we hear, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day?”  Breakfast is “Break the Fast.”  After you have a good night’s sleep, your blood sugar or glucose level is low.  Our bodies need to have something in them within the first hour we awake.  Skipping breakfast allows the body to think it’s still sleeping therefore burning minimal calories. “When we skip meals, especially breakfast, we actually make controlling our weight even more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high calorie snacks,” according to WebMD. Other challenges our body faces without this nutritional fuel in the morning often means feeling hungrier later in the morning.  That then leads to overeating, low physical energy, and a more difficult time concentrating.

The National Weight Control Registry tracks individuals who have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for over a year.  The most successful losers start with breakfast.  There was also a study at Vanderbilt University that found women who ate breakfast were better able to stick to their eating plan and lost more weight than those who skipped breakfast and cheated on their diets. 

So what are the benefits of eating breakfast?   First, let me clarify…grabbing a cup of coffee and a pastry does not constitute eating breakfast – sorry.  Breakfast needs to be balanced and good quality which includes at least 4-5 grams of fiber and around 5 gms. of protein.  The goal is to have less fat and more carbs.  Even if it’s an apple with a piece of cheese, you’re still better off than nothing.  According to an article on fitday.com, three reasons to eat breakfast were listed:

1.     Breakfast “revs up” your metabolism.  Eating tells your brain you’re going to need to start working the digestive process.  Metabolism now increases, and you’ll be burning more calories throughout the morning.  Breakfast fuels both your body and your brain throughout the day.

2.    It keeps you from binging.  Skipping breakfast may save calories for the time being, however, “it sets you up for failure throughout the rest of the day.”  At lunch, you’ll be more likely to choose high fat calories to satisfy food cravings.

3.    Eating a good breakfast keeps you in a good mood.  Your body won’t think it’s starving, you’ll have plenty of energy, you’ll accomplish more, and you’ll be more optimistic.

  

4.    Breakfast regulates blood sugar levels, has a higher increase in vitamins and minerals, and may lower cholesterol levels.

As I stated earlier, there are many excuses why breakfast is not a part of the morning routine. Despite all the facts proving the benefits of a good breakfast, many of you will fall back on your excuses…I’m in a hurry and don’t have time, I don’t like breakfast foods, I’m dieting etc. etc.  Let me ask you, “Which do you value more: your health now and throughout your years or your excuses?” 

Let’s look at these in a solution oriented manner.  First of all, we all have 24 hours in a day, so why is it that some people have “time” for breakfast and others don’t?  I would suggest that it has nothing to do with TIME, it has everything to do with PRIORITIES.  If something is a priority, we all will find the time. 

Here are a few suggestions to think about to get you started on a path of eating a balanced, nutrition breakfast:

1.     Instead of telling yourself, “I don’t have time to eat breakfast,”  rephrase it and tell yourself “Eating breakfast isn't a priority to me.”  Now, at least you’re telling yourself the truth.

2.     Not hungry in the morning?  What did you eat and how late did you eat dinner?  You may have eaten too much the night before.  Solution:  Eat lighter in the evening, eat earlier, and avoid snacking three hours before you go to bed.  You’ll wake up wanting to eat.

3.    Not a breakfast food “lover.”  What foods do you like?  Yogurt, oatmeal, high fiber, nutritious cereals, fresh fruit, what about a smoothie or a shake?  You get to choose what you put on these foods:  frozen fruit, fresh fruit, peanut butter, nuts etc.  This way you get fiber, protein, and calcium into your diet. Make finding something you like a priority knowing that you’re making an investment in your health now and in the future. 

4.    Shakes and smoothies.  If you check the night before that you have the ingredients, put out the blender, things are ready and in a couple minutes, and you have a healthy breakfast.  There are a lot of different choices available for the shakes.  Be sure to read the label and watch for the sugar level.  I will say, I love our Evolv shakes that is more of a meal replacement shake versus a protein shake.  As Jon says, the shakes taste like Dairy Queen, we have sustained energy all morning, and we don’t have a desire to snack.

5.    Hopefully, you are convinced that skipping breakfast does NOT equal weight loss!

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.   * Start simple.  Try small meals, experiment with different foods, shakes and smoothies are a great way to start, and look for meals that will contain carbs and protein with only a little fat.

7.    Other ideas?  I’d love to hear what you do.

Not eating breakfast is just a bad habit.  Habits can be broken.   

If you’re already a breakfast eater – CONGRATULATIONS!!!  If you’re that occasional or never breakfast person, I hope you take this next week to begin a new habit.  That extra 10 minutes is 10 minutes of moving towards better health.  You’re making choices that not only affect your health today, but for a life time.