Breakfast is The King

Breakfast can be the most important meal of the day for most of us, and this for a great number of reasons. It does not matter if you wait an hour or two before eating breakfast when you first wake up, but what you choose to eat is of great importance.

Variation is key. Most days a high protein/high saturated fat meal with a small amount of complex carbs or vegetables is the best choice for weight-control. Otherwise, an even healthy combination of macronutrients is the answer.

Breakfast (breaking the overnight fasting period) is the first meal to be eaten after waking up. A healthy breakfast is essential for a good day start and should ideally include a proper balance of protein, nutritious carbohydrates and healthy fats. By healthy fats we refer to all natural fats of animal origin and most natural vegetable fats (Saturated and unsaturated in a 50/50 balance) except vegetable trans fats. By nutritious carbohydrates we mean complex fiber-rich carbohydrates (starches) and other nutrient-rich simple carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, and dairy products.

The facts that breakfast customs are so numerous around the world and our personal preferences so varied make the choice of breakfast combinations for the week endless. Some of these customs are based on simple carbs and high unsaturated fat, the worse kind since mixing these two energy macronutrients in this manner is not the best thing to do. Others are balanced combinations of protein, fat and carbo in a 1-1-1 ratio, which in essence is closer to what the Spanimax Method advises.

Either way, whatever the combination, it's better to have any breakfast than none at all, even if it only means oatmeal (with butter, milk & sugar) and coffee. But we must always remember that what we decide to eat every morning will always have enormous consequences the rest of the day. People who skip breakfast, for instance, report all sort of problems with concentration, metabolism, and weight.

Another thing that can help you getting you on the right track besides placing breakfast as an important meal, is the thought of variation and creativity.
 Getting hung on the same breakfast routine every morning can be boring. You should think breakfast composition and quantity, something which will ultimately depend on many factors and personal circumstances: Activity level for the day, gender, age, available time and energy levels in the morning, budget, nutrition knowledge, etc.

Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast (as opposed to the kind containing doughnuts) can help give you:

• A more nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals
• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity
• Lower cholesterol levels

Harvard Medical School Research

Dr Mark Pereira and colleagues at Harvard Medical School analysed the eating habits of 1,198 black people and 1,633 white participants. Overall, 47% of whites and 22% of blacks said they ate breakfast every morning.
They found that people who ate breakfast every day were a third less likely to be obese compared to those who skipped the meal. In addition, they were half as likely to have blood-sugar problems, which increase the risk of developing diabetes or having high cholesterol, which is a known risk factor for heart disease.

The researchers believe that eating first thing in the morning may help to stabilise blood sugar levels, which regulate appetite and energy. They suggest people who eat breakfast are less likely to be hungry during the rest of the day and are, therefore, less likely to overeat.

References:

• Breakfast is 'most important meal'; BBC News.
• Breakfast: Why is it so important to weight control?; Katherine Zeratsky (Mayo Clinic nutritionist).
• Breakfast; Better Health Channel.
• A satiety index of common foods; Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E.
• Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response. Blom WA, Lluch A, Stafleu A, Vinoy S, Holst JJ, Schaafsma G, Hendriks HF.
• Short-term effect of eggs on satiety in overweight and obese subjects; Vander Wal JS, Marth JM, Khosla P, Jen KL, Dhurandhar NV.