Many people make the mistake of skipping or skimping on
breakfast in their daily diet. This may be due to any
number of reasons…rushing off to work, jumping into
household chores, getting caught up with child care or just
plain poor eating habits. Breakfast is an important element
in one’s daily diet, whatever type of diet you may prefer.

I used to skip breakfast all the time. I would often fill up
on water and head out the door for the daily 1.5 hour
commute to work. Of course, the first stop after getting off
the train would be a coffee – simply to keep me going, not
for the caffeine fix! When I worked in the Corporate World,
I counted myself among the many who would skip their morning
meal. Breakfast was a luxury time didn’t permit.

Some who are very weight loss conscious, or just wish to
control weight through diet, erroneously think that skipping
breakfast is a good way to eliminate calories. This is a
mistake in terms of overall health, calorie control and good
diet habits. Because the food we eat in our diet, the times
when we eat and the particular type of food intake (protein,
starch, sugar) all affect blood sugar levels and appetite.
We need to control food intake in our diet in order to keep
energy and blood sugar at appropriate levels.

I started back at the gym two months ago after a five year
hiatus. One of the first things I did, even before setting
foot in the door of the gym, was incorporate a breakfast and
a morning snack into my daily routine. It’s made the world
of difference. In fact, the days that I don’t eat a full
meal or skip my snack, I feel it in my energy levels when I
hit the gym.

In essence when we awake in the morning our body has been
through a period of “fasting”, with no food intake for a
number of hours. This results in relatively low blood
sugar. If one skips breakfast in one’s diet, the blood
sugar level continues to dip and a sudden craving can
develop for food, especially for sugar in the diet, which
again causes a quick rise in blood sugar. When the diet
includes sudden intake of sugar, the sugar level jumps,
which develops a roller coaster effect and leads to a poor
diet which includes “quick fixes”. Typically a quick
response to low blood sugar is a sweet, a soft drink or
alcohol…none of which are a good diet supplement.

A diet which maintains appropriate levels of blood sugar and
energy will include a healthy breakfast. Blood sugar levels
will be maintained with a diet that includes a balanced
breakfast combining whole grain, some source of protein and
fruit. Protein in particular in the diet, including
breakfast, will maintain blood sugar levels, avoiding the
dips which lead to snacking.

If you’re pressed for time, consider a smoothie. You can
chop your fruits and vegetables the night before and load
them into your blender glass. Refrigerate overnight (or not
if you prefer room temperature smoothies) and whirl away in
the blender in the morning along with your favorite liquid.
Five minutes is all you’ll need to whip up a nutritious and
substantial breakfast. You can even pour it into a travel
mug or neoprene jug and tote it with you on your commute.

A healthy breakfast is an essential part of a healthy diet.
Beginning your day with a good, nourishing meal is the first
step toward maintaining a balanced diet and a sensible
approach to good eating habits. Don’t skip breakfast in
your daily diet.