Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?

The so-called old wives’ tale about the importance of eating breakfast every day is, in my opinion, 100% correct. HOW we begin the day is the key to everything else that follows.

When you wake up in the morning, after not eating for the sleep duration of 6, 7, 8 hours or more, your blood sugar is at its lowest and your metabolism is at its slowest. That first meal of the day, the break-fast, is crucial for flipping up the switch on your metabolism, setting the pace for the day, and starting to get your sugar stabilized.  

If you don’t, and if you put off eating for hours more, your body will shut down, you’ll become fatigued, and less productive, because your sugar is getting lower.

. . . and WHAT you eat for break-fast is important too.

Again, when you wake in the morning, your blood sugar is very low. So, if you eat a doughnut or a high sugary cereal, it’s already refined so the enzymes in your stomach have very little to do in terms of digestion. That doughnut or cereal, then, is metabolized incredibly quick, shooting a wad of sugar into your blood. Your blood sugar spikes rapidly, and the higher your blood sugar spikes, the faster and deeper it drops again. That, of course, begins the cycle of needing/wanting another high-sugary item for an “energy boost.”

A good breakfast is one that metabolizes more slowly, keeping you fuller longer, turning your food into glucose slowly, which goes into your blood stream slowly. This is how you begin to set your “sugar stabilizer” for the day. Then, if you follow that up by fueling yourself every 3 hours or so with the right kind of meals and snacks, you’ll maintain a nice and steady blood sugar level all day long. When you do that, you will feel well, and you will be more productive even in a high-paced work environment or through the course of a busy day.

Lastly, both researchers and teachers will tell you that children who eat breakfast are better learners. They are more likely to have better concentration, have more problem-solving skills, and better hand-eye coordination. So, and as adults should do in all things, set a good example for your kids, and start each day with a good breakfast.