Skip to main content

Breakfast: Why and What? |Monica’s Archives


The first meal of the day is commonly known as breakfast. If you divide this compound word into two parts, you will see it is made up of ‘break’ and ‘fast’. To fast means to go without food. So “breakfast” means to break the fast you have been observing since you went to sleep the night before.



The body’s energy source is glucose, which is broken down and absorbed from the food you eat. Most of the energy is stored as fat in the body but is also stored in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscles. During times of fasting, like, overnight, the liver breaks down the glycogen and releases it into your bloodstream as glucose to keep your blood sugar levels stable. This is also important for the brain, which relies on glucose for energy. In the morning, after you have gone without food for as long as 8-12 hours, your glycogen levels are low. Eating breakfast boosts your energy levels and restores your glycogen levels ready to keep your metabolism up for the day. So, breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an overnight fast. Without breakfast, you are running on empty, like trying to start the car with no petrol.



According to nutritionists:
·         Breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking
·         A healthy breakfast should provide calories in the range of 20-35% of your guideline daily allowance (GDA).
“Eating breakfast has long term health benefits. It can reduce obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes”.
Establishing good breakfast habits in childhood and maintaining them throughout adolescence may be an important factor in reducing the common habit of skipping breakfast and developing good eating habits that last a lifetime.
So, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!
Now, comes the big question of what to take in breakfast?
Breakfast should be balanced protein-based. We can understand this through the following diagram:

Note: The sugar-/insulin-response curves are schematic illustrations of a known physiological reaction. The exact science behind it is complex and varies for different people.
Source: http://www.chillilogic.com/projects/MattGratton/metabolism-healthy-breakfast/
I have already written a detailed article on Proteins, you can go through it at https://monicasarchives.blogspot.com/2019/09/proteins.html
If you are in a habit of skipping breakfast, then get up 10 minutes early or plan ‘on-the-go’ nutritious breakfast, but never skip your breakfast.
                                                           Happy Living!


Labels

Labels:

Comments

  1. Poonam PrakashMarch 16, 2020 at 5:26 AM

    Very informative. I liked it more than the other articles you have written as you have cited the information making it more authentic to me.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Managing Diabetes

Diabetes affects almost all parts of the body. It leads to the starvation of cells throughout the body. In addition, the blood that contains high levels of sugar goes to all parts of the body, so any part that is sensitive to high blood sugar is affected. High blood sugar can result in damage to the large and small blood vessels, nerve damage and can increase risk of infections. In the long run, not controlling diabetes can damage important organs, like the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves which can lead to heart disease,   brain stroke, gangrene and leg amputation, eye bleeding, blindness, kidney damage, difficulty in bladder control, infections like pneumonia, skin infections etc. It is necessary to keep your blood sugar in control. Family support is crucial for managing chronic conditions but it is often overlooked.  Diabetic needs support from family members, mostly from their spouses and children. Their family members should encourage  and motivate them to fig...
8 comments
Read more

Is microwave food healthy?

Today, microwave oven has occupied a prominent place in the modern kitchen due to its convenience, time saving. They are fast and efficient. Is microwave food healthy? This is the most concerned question, though we all use it daily. Let us learn about microwaves today. ·          Microwave ovens convert electric energy into electromagnetic waves. These waves stimulate molecules in our food to heat it up. ·          We have a mindset that radiations are bad for us. However, this is not the type of radiation associated with atomic bombs and nuclear disasters. ·          Microwave ovens produce non-ionizing radiation, which is similar to radiation from our cell phone, which are much stronger. Light is also electromagnetic radiation, so all radiations are not bad. ·          Microwave ovens have metal shields and metal ...
7 comments
Read more

SEED MIX

Seeds are powerhouse of nutrients and have a number of health benefits. They contain healthy fats, vegetarian protein, fibre and many important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They reduce the risk of certain diseases as well. Some important features of these 5 seeds are: Flax seeds – Rich in fibre and omega-3 fats. Helps in reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer,        lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Pumpkin seeds – Good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese. They help in improving heart health and urinary disorders. Sunflower seeds – Rich source of healthy fats and vitamin E. Helps in reducing cholesterol levels and inflammation. Sesame seeds – Along with other nutrients it has zinc and calcium. Helps in bone health. Muskmelon seeds – Enriched with vitamin A, C, E. Improves vision, fights cold. INGREDIENTS: Flax seeds          ...
4 comments
Read more