If you’ve ever wondered where the term breakfast originated, you’d know that it comes from “breaking the overnight fast” – which is the longest your body goes without any intake of food, on any given day. Breakfast, quite literally then, is the fuel that kick-starts your mind and body for the day ahead, fills the void that has developed in the centre of your gut after a night of peaceful digestion, and has the potential to make or break the rest of your day.
So the next time you think about skipping breakfast because you overslept or shying away from making a full meal of it because you’re counting calories, know that what it means is depriving your body and brain of vital sources of energy that keep it functioning the way you would like it to.
Benefits of breakfast
Being the first meal of the day, and by giving yourself the extra minutes to have a healthy and balanced breakfast, you’re also giving yourself the following benefits:
- Beginning the day with a wholesome, nutritionally-balanced diet
- Improved concentration and cognitive performance
- Higher energy and strength to and endure physical activity
- Lower cholesterol
Brekker to burn calories
Did you know that eating a full breakfast has a direct impact on weight gain? Beginning the day on a full stomach means fewer chances of hunger pangs striking at odd times, thereby reducing your chances of binging on snacks in between meals. Studies have shown that breakfast eaters are often healthier and weigh less than breakfast skippers. Depriving your body of that one essential meal, in the long run, gives your body the signal to accumulate and hang on to fat reserves, and makes weight-loss near impossible.
Brekker for the brain
A Breakfast immediately converts into glucose, the essential carbohydrate that our body and brain needs to function. Eating breakfast not only improves daily brain function, but also concentration, memory, moods and general behavior too!
Brekker for that boost of energy
Most Indian breakfasts are carbohydrate-rich, which give us the boost of energy we need. However, adding a little lean protein like an egg, is known to fuel the body for longer periods, keeping you full and going until lunch time.
Here are some quick breakfast options for the busy
Breakfasting like a champion usually meals getting a balance of nutrients through grains, fruits, a little dairy – to give you a little bit of that dose of carbs and proteins.
- Eggs and whole-grain bread
- Fruits, nuts along with milk, granola or cereal
- Millet, broken wheat or oatmeal porridge with nuts
- Homemade yoghurt, granola and fresh fruit
- Fruit smoothies made from yoghurt
Click here for more Wholesome Breakfast Recipe Ideas
Breakfast Like A Champion from Shutterstock