Start Your Day in a Better Way

Have you ever taken a good look at the word “breakfast”? It’s made of up two words that tell you exactly what breakfast is: “break”-ing the “fast”. The “fast” is the period of time you’ve slept, hopefully for several hours in a row.

You’re not eating during this time, unlike during your waking hours when you’re eating meals and snacks. Think about the last time you ate yesterday and when you first ate today – it could be a period of 12 to 15 hours. If you skip breakfast, that time period stretches out even longer.  Upon waking, your body needs a boost of fuel to jumpstart your metabolism, raise your blood sugar, and get you ready for your day. When you eat, you “break” the “fast”.

You should eat breakfast because:

• You’re more likely to lose weight or be at a healthy weight. The National Weight Control Registry reports that 78% of their “successful losers” eat breakfast every day, with 90% of them eating breakfast five days per week.

• You’re less likely to overeat at other meals. If you skip breakfast and don’t eat until lunch, that lunch is much more likely to contain high fat/calorie choices because you’re starving.

• It gets your metabolism going. You don’t expect your car to run on an empty tank; why would you expect your body to do so?

Many people skip breakfast for a number of reasons. There’s a solution to every roadblock:

Excuse #1: I’m not hungry.
Well, you should be. You’ve gone far too many hours without food. This is the only time I recommend to people that they eat something, even if they’re not hungry. Try something very small like a kid-sized yogurt, handful of dry cereal or a piece of fruit.

Excuse #2: I don’t have time.
Find the time. You make time to brush your teeth every morning (don’t you?), so you can find the time to eat breakfast. Make your preparations the day before by pouring cereal in your bowl, laying out your fruit, filling snack bags of cereal or low-fat granola to take with you.

Excuse #3: I don’t like breakfast.
Who says you have to eat breakfast for breakfast? As long as it’s a healthy choice, eat whatever you like: vegetable soup, black bean burritos with salsa, a chicken sandwich, etc.

Make this week better by eating breakfast at least five times. Drop me a line to tell me how much better you feel at the end of the week.

Visit Prevention Not Prescriptions to read more great wellness advice.

Lisa Corrado of Lisa Corrado Nutrition is a stellar chef and nutritionist. She is on a mission to help busy people eat healthier. Lisa offers nutritional counseling and coaching to help you cook and plan better meals. Check out her blog, A Moment in a Busy Life, which takes you on a healthy journey through good food and great choices.