You might think that the recommendation not to skip breakfast is just plain good advice. After all you need enough fuel to make it through the morning, right?
But research has found even more reasons for making room for the “most important meal of the day.”
Probably the most appealing benefit is that breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism and, thus, helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
When you eat breakfast you’re telling your body that there are plenty of calories to be had for the day. When you skip breakfast the message your body gets is that it needs to conserve rather than burn any incoming calories.
Studies have found that although people who skip breakfast eat slightly fewer calories during the day, they tend to have higher body mass index, or BMI.
Use BMI, the ratio of a person’s weight compared to height, as an easy measure of whether someone is in the range of his or her healthy weight or not. A BMI of 25 or higher, for example, indicates that someone is overweight and needs to take action to come back to their ideal weight.
Breakfast and Your Weight
Can a morning meal be good for your waistline? Some studies say yes. Researchers have found that on average, people who eat breakfast are thinner than those who don’t. That could be because eating foods with protein and fiber in the morning keeps your appetite in check the rest of the day.
But it doesn’t guarantee you’ll fit into those skinny jeans. A recent study compared weight loss among people who ate breakfast with those with didn’t. The meal didn’t make any difference.
If you’re dieting, don’t think cutting calories by skipping the meal will help. Studies show that most people who lose weight and keep the weight off eat breakfast every day.
On the other hand, you need to pay attention to what, when, and how much you eat. One study showed that people who had large breakfasts ate more during the day.
IT CAN REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE.
People who skip breakfast tend to overeat the rest of the time — and overeating is an obvious culprit in unwanted weight gain, which can lead to high cholesterol and blood pressure issues. Studies have shown that breakfast eaters have lower incidences of heart disease than “skippers.”
YOU CAN GET IN YOUR FIBER.
Because whole grains and fruit make regular appearances at the breakfast table, you’re more likely to meet — or at least put a dent in — your recommended fiber intake by eating breakfast. In addition to fueling your digestive system, fiber can also help reduce cholesterol.
YOU’RE LITERALLY BREAKING A FAST.
The period between your last pre-bed meal and hitting the alarm is usually the longest stretch of time your body goes without fuel. Eating within two hours of waking up can impact how levels of glucose (blood sugar), and the insulin that brings glucose to cells to be used for energy, are regulated for the remainder of the day. Skip breakfast, and it isn’t just your body running on empty: It’s your brain, too. Plus, the longer you put it off, the hungrier you’ll be when you actually sit down to eat. Stuffing yourself with unhealthy treats in an attempt to satiate your hunger will cause your glucose to ebb and flow, creating unsteady energy levels and the potential for more overeating.
IT KEEPS YOU TUNED IN.
Your brain loves the energy it extracts from meals, making a sensible a.m. bowl of oatmeal just as important for focus and concentration as it is for physical exertion. In one study, subjects fed oats had a markedly better ability to memorize and absorb information than those who didn’t eat at all.
IT PUTS YOU AT REDUCED RISK FOR DIABETES.
People who skip breakfast tend to over-compensate later on in the day, leading to larger, less nutritious meals that can wreak havoc on insulin levels. In one study, subjects who didn’t eat in the morning had a 21 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than those who made the time for a bite.
