It’s 7 am and you’re dragging yourself out of bed. You’re still half-asleep. You need a pick-me-up.
“Coffee!” you think. That’ll do the trick.
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Your coffee wakes you up a little – at least you can now face the day. But before long, you find yourself wilting again.
You go through your day in a haze, tired and sluggish. At the end of the day, you climb into bed, knowing that the process will repeat itself the next day.
Image source: New Health Advisor
Sound familiar? If it does, you’re not alone. And the good news is – there is a solution.
Breakfast! And not just any breakfast..but we’ll get into that in future posts. For now, we’re just here to talk about why starting to eat breakfast can change your life.
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Eating breakfast improves concentration & mental performance
We’ve all heard this one before, but have we really digested it (no pun intended)? Studies have consistently proven the link between breakfast and improved mental performance. So if we skip breakfast in the morning, is it any wonder that we feel sluggish and hazy throughout the day?
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Eating breakfast prevents overeating later in the day
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, studies have shown that people who eat breakfast actually consume less calories throughout the course of the day. The reasons behind this are still unclear – but eating breakfast seems to reduce unnecessary eating. Perhaps people who don’t eat breakfast feel they have more of an ‘allowance’ to eat freely for their other meals and snacks…resulting in unintentional overeating.
Image source: Precision Nutrition
Eating breakfast keeps away cravings
Here in Asia, lunch and dinner can look pretty similar, but breakfast stands out as it can be both sweet or savoury. Even within those categories, the possibilities of food choices are endless. A wider variety of food can result in a more complete intake of nutrients, as well as a greater range of tastes experienced. Both of these can reduce cravings, especially for those empty-calorie foods.
Image source: Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking
Eating breakfast helps to control body weight
Likely because of the two reasons above, eating breakfast has also been scientifically linked to maintaining a healthy body weight. Multiple studies have shown that people who eat breakfast have a better track record of losing (and maintaining) their body weight.
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Eating breakfast gives you more a wholesome nutrient intake
As we mentioned earlier, lunch and dinner in Asia pretty much consist of a rice/noodle base, a protein, and some vegetables (if any). Eating breakfast presents the opportunity to top up on nutrients that are more difficult to find in the other meals, such as fiber, calcium, and iron (to name a few).
Image source: Cleveland Clinic's Health Essentials
Eating breakfast stabilizes your mood
Many of us have found out the hard way that hanger is a real thing. But beyond physical hunger, the foods we eat for breakfast can actually have a real impact on our mood for the rest of the day. According to the Bell Institute, people who eat breakfast are less likely to experience depression and anxiety. Stable blood sugar levels also can mean fewer mood swings – which is good news for you (and the people around you)!
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So if you’re tired of being tired – a good breakfast could just be the solution for you! Over the next few weeks we’ll be talking about what makes a good breakfast, comparing different breakfast foods, and posting fun and easy recipes that you will love to wake up to.
Stay tuned!
