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Breakfast like a king

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This applies to everyone and is based on the fact that breakfast is the first meal of the day. It breaks the overnight fasting period, replenishes your supply of glucose and provides other essential nutrients to keep your energy levels up through the day.

Glucose: Glucose, your body’s energy source is broken down from the carbohydrates you eat. In the morning, after you have gone without food for as long as 12 hours, your body glucose level has dropped. When this happens, your body compensates by releasing the glucose, called glycogen, that is stored in the muscle tissue and liver.

Once all of the energy from the glycogen is used up, the body breaks down fatty acids to produce energy. Without carbohydrates, the fatty acids are only partially oxidized, which can cause reduced energy levels.

Essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients: Breakfast also provides a significant proportion of the day’s total nutrient intake and provides the opportunity to eat food enriched with nutrients such as B vitamins, folate, iron and fibre. These essential vitamins can only be gained from food, and are needed to maintain health and vitality.

Breakfast is good for the brain: The influence of breakfast on mental performance has been the subject of much research, especially amongst children. It was found that children who skip breakfast were not as efficient at problem-solving, mathematics and creative thinking as children who had eaten breakfast.

This is thought to be the case because breakfast, being high in carbohydrates, provides glucose, which is the preferred fuel of the brain. This was mirrored in adults in improved performance at information retention tasks and recollection. Attendance at school and work is also higher. There is an increase in psychological well-being and mood.

Breakfast eaters are usually healthier and thinner: There is also a link between eating breakfast and maintaining one’s health. This is related to the fact that some breakfast cereals contain essential micronutrients that the body needs. Studies have also shown that adults and children who skip breakfast sometimes have higher cholesterol levels and a higher body mass index than those who eat an enriched cereal.

If you skip breakfast, you are more likely to snack on something less than healthy before your next meal!

Read more:

Power breakfast

Is your breakfast healthy?

Kickstart your day with breakfast

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