Kokova Magazine

Despite extensive scientific evidence which highlights the benefits that breakfast provides to health and wellbeing, new research to mark Farmhouse Breakfast Week 20th - 26th January 2013 has found it's still the meal that many of us skip.

On a busy morning, breakfast can fall low on your list of priorities, but taking just a few minutes to have a bite to eat in the morning will really pay off later in the day.

Research shows that eating breakfast can make you healthier and happier. Without breakfast, your body is effectively running on empty, so it's no wonder that breakfast skippers can struggle with their energy levels and powers of concentration, not to mention their stress levels and mood!

So if you aren't making time for breakfast, here are some reasons why you really should Shake Up Your Wake Up and start enjoying the benefits of what I think is the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast gives you energy - vital for the day ahead
Nearly half of people (49%) admit they struggle to get through the day if they miss breakfast. This is because eating breakfast tops up your energy stores for the day and helps to regulate blood sugar.

Breakfast foods tend to be carbohydrate based and are perfect for topping up blood sugar. Experts recommend that around 25 per cent of your daily food intake should come from breakfast - ideally from wholegrain foods like wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereal or porridge.

Breakfast for the brain - it needs it too
Several studies have shown that eating breakfast can help to improve concentration, memory and mental functions. Breakfast eaters have been shown to work faster and make fewer mistakes in logic tests compared with breakfast skippers.

Skipping breakfast is a bit like trying to run a car with no fuel. Your body's performance, including your brain function, will be significantly impaired. Just like any other organ in the body, your brain needs energy to work. Breakfast foods like cereal and breads provide long lasting energy.

Eating breakfast can make you happier
Research suggests that breakfast eaters are less depressed and have lower levels of stress than breakfast skippers. Breakfast foods like cereals and bread are good sources of B vitamins and missing out on these and having low blood sugar can affect your mood.

B vitamins are important for normal cognitive function and blood sugar gives your brain the energy it needs to work properly.

Breakfast can be good for your waistline too
If you are on a diet to lose weight, it can be tempting to miss meals. The new research to mark Farmhouse Breakfast Week showed that one in ten people skip breakfast because they are watching their weight.

This is a false economy, as studies show that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight and more likely to be within their 'ideal weight range' than non breakfast eaters.

The NHS advises: "A good breakfast can help give you the energy you need to face the day. There is some evidence to suggest that eating breakfast can help people control their weight."

Skipping breakfast can make you more likely to reach for high sugar and fatty snacks later on, and it's better for your metabolism if you eat regular meals. If you go through long periods without eating, your body is more likely to store fat because it thinks it's being starved.

Breakfast foods provide important nutrients
If you miss breakfast you may miss out on some important nutrients too. Breakfast foods are good sources of nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins, as well as protein and fibre - iron and calcium are important for everyone, but especially for young children and women who often don't eat enough of these nutrients.

Calcium builds healthy bones and iron helps keep your blood healthy. Fibre keeps your digestive system working efficiently and if you don't eat enough fibre you can become constipated, bloated and feel sluggish. A bowl of wholegrain breakfast cereal with milk is one of the easiest ways to top up your calcium, iron, fibre and B vitamins.

Shake Up Your Wake Up with Nigel Denby's Top Tips

Incorporate wholegrain foods into your breakfast
Wholegrain breakfast foods include wholemeal bread, oats, and wholegrain cereals such as oat based granola and wheat biscuits. Many cereals are now wholegrain so check the label when you buy them. Wholegrain foods can help keep you fuller for longer and studies have shown that they may help lower the risk of certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Combine carbohydrates with protein
Combining a source of protein with a carbohydrate based food such as bread, oats or cereal, provides you with valuable nutrients for the day ahead and can help keep you going until lunchtime. Ideal protein sources include milk, yoghurt, nuts, lean meats such as bacon or sausage and fish such as kippers and salmon.

Don't forget your '5-a-day'
Breakfast provides an ideal opportunity to get some of your recommended '5-a-day' of vegetables and fruit. A glass of fruit juice or a banana, berries or chopped apple with cereal or porridge is a good way to incorporate fruit - dried fruit also counts as a portion. For a healthy dose of veg, why not try a portion of baked beans, tinned or fresh tomatoes or mushrooms with your toast.

Stay hydrated
As well as going without food overnight, your body has also gone without liquids, so to avoid dehydration it’s important to top up your levels. Dehydration can result in headaches, feeling tired and grumpy. People often mistake dehydration for hunger so you may overeat if you aren’t getting enough water.
It's good to start your day with a glass of water, fruit juice or herbal tea such as green tea. Coffee and tea are also fine, and sometimes caffeine is very welcome in the mornings, but try to make sure you have other sources of liquid early on too, as coffee and tea are not as hydrating as other drinks due to their caffeine content.

Build breakfast into your routine
Breakfast doesn't have to be eaten the second you wake up. If you struggle to eat first thing, take your breakfast with you and eat it on the bus or at your desk. As long as you eat something within the first couple of hours of your day you'll still get all the breakfast benefits. There are lots of easy ways to pack a portable breakfast: make a marmalade sandwich on crusty bread; pot up some granola, and top it off with some yoghurt and fruit; top some crackers with cream cheese and cherry tomatoes, wrap them up and pack them in your bag. Simple!

Visit www.shakeupyourwakeup.com for more information on Farmhouse Breakfast Week, including how you can get involved with #BreakfastWatch, which aims to be the nation's biggest online celebration of breakfast ever!

By Independent Dietician Nigel Denby