Breakfast for Busy Women – Why It’s Important Not to Skip

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The alarm goes off and you are rushing around preparing for a busy day ahead, whether you have children to get ready for school, or papers to read for a morning meeting, by the time you’ve picked out your outfit, brushed your teeth and sorted your make-up, you're already exhausted – sound familiar?

It’s no wonder so many busy women end up skipping breakfast and just grabbing an expensive coffee which they drink in the car on the way. There are many reasons why this habit is bad for our health though...

Breakfast Provides Many Benefits to Our Health and Well~Being

If you think about it properly, when you wake up in the morning, your body has had no fuel since your evening meal the night before – potentially 12 hours beforehand – so your body is in starvation. Think about the words – “break” “fast” – literally the meal which breaks the fast you have been on while sleeping. You need the energy to kick-start your system and get your body ready for the day ahead.

According to nutritionists, a healthy breakfast should give you around 30% of your daily calorie requirements. It provides us with energy, protein, calcium, iron, fiber and B vitamins which are all needed to get you through the day. If your body doesn’t receive these first thing in the morning, studies have shown your body is less effective at taking them on during the rest of the day.

How Eating Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight

If you skip breakfast, you're not providing your body with what it needs for energy, and you will soon get hungry and are more likely to then reach for high sugar, high fat snacks, to compensate. People who skip breakfast tend to end up reaching for the snacks around 10 am which doesn’t help if you are trying to lose weight.

In terms of timing, breakfast really needs to be eaten between 45 minutes and two hours of waking up. This timing gives you the chance to put the needed fuel into your body to make sure your metabolism is balanced throughout the day. It is also the premium time for your body to absorb any of the carbohydrates you consume, which helps balance out your insulin levels. All of these aspects mean breakfast really sets your body up for the day and can help curb those mid-morning sugar cravings.

In a study it was revealed that people who not only ate breakfast, but made it their largest meal, lost almost 18 pounds over a three- month period. The other people, who took part in the study, eating the same calories during the day but most of these for their evening meal, lost only around seven pounds. This study was published in Obesity.

Other Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss

Breakfast brings a large number of health benefits, besides weight loss to the table. Providing more reasons why it really is important not to skip this particular meal.

* Brain Function

Studies have proven that children who eat breakfast do better at school as they are better able to concentrate and behave well. If it has this benefit for our children, then it will do the same for us. Breakfast helps to restore the levels of glucose which help with our brain function. This helps to improve memory, concentration and mood and also lowers stress levels. We all know that feeling of anger that rises up through being hungry... being "HANGRY". Breakfast can help us avoid this.

* Energy Supply

Breakfast is the first supply of energy your body receives when you wake up, making it part of your daily required calorie intake. A good nutritious breakfast will give you all the energy you need to take you through to lunchtime. If you think about the energy you burn, you need the most in the morning and you need the least in the evening, when you are more likely to be sat on the sofa relaxing. Make breakfast your energy priority.

* Diabetes

In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a published study revealed that not eating breakfast could actually increase the risk of diabetes for women. The study showed that women who did eat breakfast less than 6 times per week, were at far higher risk of developing the disease than those who ate it daily.

Fab Ideas for Quick and Nutritious Breakfasts for Busy Women

So it’s all very well telling you as a busy woman, why you should eat breakfast, and why it’s good for you, but realistically you probably knew most of those things already and yet, you were still skipping? Knowing you need to eat breakfast, doesn’t mean you suddenly gain time in the morning to start preparing and making amazing morning meals does it? That’s why we have come up with some tips for tasty breakfasts that are super quick to make.

* Instant Porridge

There are many instant porridge sachets around now – all you need to do is add boiling water. Avoid the ones with added sugar and flavours, and choose a plain version. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter to get that kick of protein your body needs to start the day. This provides an easy breakfast virtually instantly.

* Greek-Style Yoghurt

Go for coconut milk yoghurt, or plain Greek-style yoghurt, with as minimal sugar in it as possible. Add in fresh fruit, chia or hemp seeds, and/or healthy granola for a nutritious, quick breakfast on the run. Again, this only takes a minute or so to prepare and can make a big difference to your health and wellbeing.

* Apple Slices and Nut Butter

The nutritional benefit of apples are endless, slice one up, drop a tablespoon of nut butter next to it and have a refreshing, yet protein filled meal to begin your day.

* High-Fiber Cereal or Oats

Fiber can bring health benefits and help you feel full, so opting for a high fiber cereal will provide your body with a good start to the day. Make sure you avoid the traditional sugar filled cereals as these will increase your calorie intake while not necessarily helping provide what your body needs. Go instead for the more natural cereals and oats that have not been processed for optimal nutrition.

* Boiled Eggs

Keep boiled eggs on hand in the fridge, peeled and ready to go in a glass storage container. Drop a slice of whole grain or your gluten free bread in the toaster, cut up a couple pieces of organic cheese, add the egg slices and… voila… protein on the run.

For many women, a busy lifestyle means rushing in the morning, and skipping breakfast is a common but bad habit to get into. Breakfast can make a big difference to our health and weight, reaping the benefits for us. There are many options which are quick and easy to make, from smoothies, energy bars, to scrambled eggs, so no more excuses ladies!

References:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/most-important-meal#1 http://www.livescience.com/39598-reasons-never-skip-breakfast.html http://www.shakeupyourwakeup.com/why-is-breakfast-important http://imperfectwomen.com/healthy-on-the-go-four-breakfast-ideas-for-busy-women/ http://sexyfit.com/nutrition/quick-and-easy-breakfast/