The attempt to lose weight by skipping breakfast is a losing battle. Human bodies are wired to need fuel top-ups every couple of hours, so skipping the first meal of the day can mess up your body signals, leaving you both physically and mentally lagging.
The truth is, breakfast is actually good for weight loss. Studies show that regular breakfast eaters are more likely to maintain healthy weights, and manage to keep their metabolism on the burn throughout the entire day.
Understanding the importance of a good breakfast means there’s breakfast, and then there’s the breakfast of champions. An early-morning meal that combines protein and fibre will satisfy hunger and will keep you feeling full until lunchtime, offering an uplifting nutritional boost.
It’s time to get serious about breakfast
Low-fat meat, eggs, nuts or dairy products are great choices for protein, and fruits, vegetables and whole grains deliver good sources of fibre. The key is making your breakfast healthy and fast so it’s as simple as possible to maintain in a hectic lifestyle. Two excellent and super-fast choices are a hard-boiled egg, whole grain toast and a fresh fruit juice, or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with yoghurt, berries and low-fat milk. An on-the-run breakfast option such as coffee and a bagel with cream cheese is a nutritionally empty choice, that will provide a short-term carb surge, followed by a crash that leads to the body craving the same hit and can mean choosing another carb-heavy lunch option.
The problem is, there are plenty of us who resist a meal first-thing in the morning. If this is you, the solution is to ease into your metabolism boost. Try starting with a hard boiled egg at home, and then topping up a couple of hours later with a mini-snack of yoghurt, fruit and nuts.
Yoghurt is hugely beneficial in the morning. Research shows that taking Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, two strains of healthy bacteria found in some yogurts, gives the brain a dose of positive nutrition that lasts the whole day. These bacteria produce positive neurochemicals, like serotonin and dopamine in the gut which help make us feel full and happy all day long as well as boosting immunity, helping fight infections and maintaining a strong body and a happy mind. Who doesn’t love breakfast?
