It can be so tempting to snooze the alarm, waiting until the last possible moment to get out of bed and run through your morning routine, timing it perfectly to catch the bus. However, you may be leaving out one of the most important parts of your morning routine: breakfast. Eating something in the morning is key. Here are 5 ways breakfast improves your day.
Energy
Energy comes from adequate sleep, exercise and food. Skipping a meal means likely not getting enough food throughout the day, decreasing your total energy intake. Starting your day with a loss is not what you want to do. Make sure you are giving yourself at least 5 minutes to grab something quick for breakfast.
Performance
Your muscles need adequate fuel to function efficiently. Skipping breakfast makes it hard to ensure your tank is full prior to practice or a game given the limited availability to snack during the school day. (a, b)
Recovery
Adequate food intake helps improve your recovery by providing amino acids. These serve as building blocks for the cells to rebuild and repair post workout. If you are not eating enough, the energy you are getting from food is prioritized to help you do your activity (school and sports) and your tank may be running on low by the time you are able to start repairing from your last practice or workout. (a)
Improved acuity (brain power) and concentration
Brain power means that you are able to think quickly, recall what you learned earlier, and are able to think critically. Important in both school and your sport. Adequate intake has also been linked to improved reaction times. Eating breakfast allows the opportunity to eat enough throughout the day to support neurological (brain) function and focus. This means that you are able to focus on the task at hand, make decisions, and execute them. (a, b)
Weight gain/weight loss
Eating breakfast can help promote weight gain because it provides another opportunity to get calories in during the day. On the flip side, eating breakfast can also aid in weight loss by helping to keep hunger hormones balanced, leading to more balanced choices.
8 Quick Breakfasts
Yogurt and granola
Oatmeal and peanut butter
Smoothie
Fruit and hard boiled egg or cheese stick
Granola bar - RX bar, Rise Up, GoMacro
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4540168/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666303000102
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