Breakfast and Coffee: A Scientifically-proven Solution for a Good Day

A lot of us have been raised to believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because, as the word suggests, it breaks the overnight fast our bodies go through whenever we sleep. During our slumber, our body taps into our energy reserves to help repair and replenish the cells in our bodiesⁱ, so eating a nutritious and balanced breakfast helps increase our energy in the morning as we get going and get ready for the day ahead.  However, with the increasing number of weight loss trends, the importance of breakfast is sometimes questioned. There has been a lot of debate as to whether it is actually alright to skip the “most important meal of the day” to allocate the calories in a later meal.  According to science, breaking the fast by eating breakfast has a lot of health benefits that surpass “eating fewer calories”. Firstly, it boosts your metabolism and gives you the energy to focus on your daily asks. Second, studies have shown that eating breakfast contributes to a clearer, sharper mind and better memory. Lastly, it also has numerous long-term effects that include diabetes and heart disease preventionⁱⁱ. Everyday, our bodies go through a rhythm of fasting (sleeping) and eating (when we are awake). Inconsistently having breakfast could throw this rhythm off, thus affecting your blood sugar, which is vital for your brain and body to function at their optimumⁱⁱⁱ.Think of breakfast as your body’s “fuel”—also, not eating breakfast could lead you to binge because you end up ravenous by lunch-time. If breakfast is the body’s “fuel”, then coffee could be thought of the “booster”. Mornings have now become incomplete without the daily brew (we’re talking about black coffee here), and you’d be delighted to know that coffee comes with its set of benefits, too.  Apart from stimulating energy, metabolism, and mental health, coffee is also known for its high antioxidant qualities. Because coffee helps sharpen the mind, it also enhances performance (both during physical activity and when performing mental tasks) and reduces the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease^iv. It’s impossible to ignore the current pace of life in this day and age. As the saying goes, “there’s so much to do, but so little time.” However way you begin your day, carve out some time for a quick, healthy breakfast and a cup of coffee to prepare you for the day ahead, exercising mindfulness and awareness when it comes to choosing the foods you eat for your first meal of the day. Trust us, your body will thank you for it. ⁱ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/breakfast-most-important-meal_n_5bd1d520e4b0d38b5881063c ⁱⁱ https://www.colorado.edu/today/2016/09/21/healthy-buffs-ask-expert-eating-breakfast-energize-your-mind ⁱⁱⁱ https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/health/the-claim-skipping-breakfast-can-affect-your-mood-and-energy-levels.html ^iv https://www.health.com/alzheimers/coffee-alzheimers-parkinsons