Why Breakfast Matters

Breakast matters for a variety of reasons. I can't tell you how many clients I've talked to over the years who've been challenged to eat it consistently. They struggle with starting and maintaining a breakfast habit even as they hear the nutritional wisdom that eating breakfast correlates with a healthy body weight. The number one reason I hear in this situation is "but I'm not hungry." Years ago I was talking to a client and I asked him when he stopped eating breakfast. He'd just started working at a coffee shop and was drinking tons more coffee first thing in the morning. Once he realized that the caffeine was giving him energy while suppressing his appetite - it made sense to him why breakfast went by the wayside. Compounding the problem was eating a very large dinner or indulging in late night snacking to make up for the calories his body missed earlier. This back-loading of calories only further contributed to his lack of hunger and breakfast-skipping cycle. So, what's the science behind why breakfast matters? Bottom line is that if you skip breakfast your body has to break down your muscle for the energy-producing glucose it needs. Not only are you losing precious muscle - you're also keeping your metabolism in its morning slump (digestion raises your metabolic rate). So, if you'd like to have more energy, maintain your muscle and get your metabolism running at a higher rate...eat breakfast. Anything is better than nothing but we find more sustained energy when we have protein and fiber along with our carbohydrates. Try greek yogurt, a bit of trailmix, a smoothie, a protein bar, a fruit & nut bar, some eggs and toast/fruit, nut butter on toast, or oatmeal. If you're on the way to a workout first thing have some fruit like a banana and then have your breakfast after the workout. Most importantly, don't wait to be hungry before you make breakfast a consistent habit. At first it will be a choice. The good news is eventually your hunger will kick in and guide you, especially when the habit of eating larger meals at night naturally diminishes. Kathryn Reed, MS, Certified Nutritionist