What Happens When You Skip Breakfast

Today we have a guest blog post on the importance of breakfast from Britney Kennedy of OnPoint Nutrition. Having breakfast is important and that’s why it’s part of World Diabetes Day’s key message. That key message is simple, healthy eating is an important part of acting to change your live today. Without further ado here’s why you should eat breakfast!

What Happens When You Skip Breakfast

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We get it. The last thing you want to do when your alarm clock goes off is jump out of bed and make yourself a gourmet breakfast. After showering, getting dressed, and sending the kids to school, you may not have enough time even sit down for a bowl of cereal. Despite hectic the morning routines, we URGE you to eat breakfast every day. Not because your mother wants you to, but because it can make a meaningful difference on how you behave and perform throughout the day.

In this blog article, we share with you the research and rationale behind eating breakfast. We then provide you with a few simple and easy recipes that help you set your day up for success.

A study led by researchers from the University of Massachusetts found that skipping breakfast was associated with higher long-term rates of obesity (1). If you’d like to know more, or read each academic research article, visit the Literature Review section of our web site (2). Another study found that people who ate earlier in the day (lunch) lost significantly more weight than people who ate later in the day (3). However, the existing data are complicated, and some studies have failed to show a relationship.

Surveying the collection of academic research, we believe that eating breakfast is a vital part of a healthy diet and a key component of weight loss. The American Dietetic Association agrees (4). Some evidence suggests that eating breakfast (especially one weighted toward carbohydrates and protein, such as eggs and toast) helps suppress hunger levels later in the day (5). A large analysis of 47 independent studies found that eating breakfast is correlated with higher brain activity and academic performance (6). Researchers at Dartmouth even have found evidence that eating breakfast increases metabolism (7).

If you missed that, here it is in simple English. Eating breakfast:

Speeds up your metabolism
Reduces hunger later in the day
Supports improved brain function

We hope that you find this evidence compelling. To help you out, we’ve included some quick and easy breakfast ideas below:

1 cup low-fat yogurt with equal parts of fruit (blueberries, strawberries)
Instant Oatmeal with ½ cup low-fat or skim milk. Add cinnamon, walnuts, peanut butter or honey if you feel adventurous
Hard boiled egg (1 or 2) and a piece of fruit

About OnPoint Nutrition Brittney_Website-6

OnPoint Nutrition is a Philadelphia weight loss company committed to helping people lose weight through one-on-one virtual nutrition counseling. Our philosophy is based upon three core principles: nutrition education, active coaching, and long-term success. Our company is positioned as a “nutritionist-in-your-pocket” that delivers nutrition coaching virtually at a fraction of a cost of clinical or medical service. We are proud to offer a client centered approach to nutrition and lifestyle improvements.

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