We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but have you ever wondered why? Breakfast provides energy for your body to start your day. Skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain, obesity and poor eating habits. Getting at least one healthy meal will provide you with benefits such as lower cholesterol, a higher metabolism, balanced blood sugar levels and an overall healthy lifestyle.

Advantages to Eating Breakfast

There are many advantages that come with eating breakfast. Not only can breakfast start your day with more energy, it also:

• Improves memory and learning abilities
• Reduces the risk of suffering from heart problems
• Controls weight gain and lowers BMI
• Lowers cholesterol
• Boosts your mood
• Increases attention and focus during the morning hours
• Helps you make healthier food choices at lunchtime and throughout the day

When you eat breakfast, your body understands that there will be plenty of calories to be had for the day. When you skip breakfast, your body thinks that it needs to start conserving calories and doesn’t burn any incoming calories, causing you to gain weight.

Eating breakfast can also reduce your risk for diabetes. People who skip breakfast tend to be hungrier throughout the day and overcompensate. Eating less nutritious meals or snacks later in the day can greatly affect insulin levels. Studies have shown that people who didn’t eat breakfast in the morning had a 21% higher risk of developing diabetes.

Reasons Not to Skip Breakfast

It is easy to be tempted to skip breakfast, especially if you are on the go in the mornings but doing so can often do more harm than good. Skipping breakfast can:

• Hinder your ability to work or stay focused
• Make you feel sluggish, shaky or irritable because of low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia)
• Cause weight gain due to insulin surges after large amounts of food are consumed later in the day
• Lower energy levels because the body has nothing in its system to burn
• Cause you to feel light-headed or dizzy because your brain isn’t getting the nutrients it needs
• Trigger mood swings due to low blood sugar levels
• Increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases due to fat storage from weight gain
• Tempt you to overeat at lunchtime or snack more often throughout the day because your body is used to receiving food regularly

Healthy Breakfast Options

There are many healthy food options for breakfast, from more elaborate meals to quick things you can grab on your way out the door. They include:

• Greek yogurt (plain or flavored)
• Fruit (fresh or dried)
• Vegetables – baby carrots, grape tomatoes, snap peas
• Whole grain cereals
• Granola bars
• Toast – could be eaten with peanut butter or peanut butter and banana
• Nut butters or nuts
• Beef or turkey jerky
• Breakfast burrito made with eggs and vegetables
• Oatmeal
• Overnight oats
• Muesli with milk
• Smoothies made of berries or tropical fruits

At Advanced Laparoscopic Associates we have our own nutrition one-stop shop to help you reach your goals. Providing nutritionally dense meals, snacks and supplements, we make it easy for you to choose healthy breakfast options day after day.

Don’t let the temptation to skip breakfast keep you from reaching your weight loss goals. If you are interested in learning more about our nutrition store or setting up an appointment with one of our bariatric specialists, contact us today.