New Jersey home health care
What is breakfast? Why is it so important?
The first meal of the day is called breakfast. It actually means breaking one's fast, because it breaks the fast that has lasted ten to twelve hours, since the last meal eaten the day before, usually dinner. Breakfast fuels a body with energy and nutrients that help everyone meet the demands of a fast-paced lifestyle. It is comparable to filling the gas tank in your car before starting your trip.
Breakfast feeds the brain as well as the body. After a long night of sleep, and having gone all night without food, the brain needs energy. By breaking the fast from the night, the body is ready for fuel to get it going again.
How can eating breakfast be beneficial?
Everyone needs breakfast. According to Obesity Research, eating breakfast regularly is a common characteristic among those who lose weight and keep it off. Aging people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight.
Seniors who eat breakfast have a better attendance record during all day. They are also less likely to be tardy, or report being sick compared with those who miss the morning meal. Breakfast eaters also have a better concentration and muscle coordination.
What happens when breakfast is skipped?
Well, without breakfast the body just doesn't have what it needs to operate properly. The body uses glucose or blood sugar for energy. When we eat, the body uses the amount of glucose that it needs and then the liver stores the excess as glycogen. That stored glycogen can later be utilized by the body as needed.
When breakfast is skipped, by mid-morning glycogen stores are virtually depleted; as a result the body has very little quick energy available for it to perform optimally.
People and a special elderly people who do not eat breakfast have a hard time making it through the morning. Research studies show that the overall nutrient intake of those who eat breakfast is more adequate than that of breakfast skippers. Studies also show that seniors who do not eat breakfast have experience trouble with concentration.
What type of food is best to break the fast?
The worst thing to eat for breakfast is NOTHING. The best breakfast contains food from at least three different food groups of the food guide pyramid. Try these breakfast-in-a-minute ideas.
Ready-to-eat cereal with fruit and milk
Toasted whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and applesauce
Fruit-filled whole-grain, naturally-sweetened breakfast bar and yogurt
Toasted whole-grain waffle topped with fruit
Fruit smoothie (fruit and milk whirled in a blender. May add some nuts and/or sprinkle with crunchy cereal, once blended.)
Peanut butter or avocado on whole wheat toast
Breakfast doesn't have to be a dilemma anymore. It takes is a scoop of effort and a dash of creativity to tastily greet the morning. So go ahead and jump-start your body for a new day!
Affinity Care of NJ
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