Breakfast or no breakfast!

An age old question – breakfast no breakfast – who is right who is wrong? In the end the answer lies within the own individual factoring in their lifestyle and their health goals. For example I tend to train in the mornings therefore I feel that as soon as I get up I do need to fuel myself for the session. Someone else who might not like or be able to train in the morning and usually schedules training in the evenings can aim at having a light breakfast and focus on fuelling better in the latter part of the day when they will need that extra fuel in the tank to kill that training session be it at the gym or just a basketball scrimmage with some friends.

I believe that, no matter what, one does need some amount of nutrition in the morning. What and how much depends on the person’s needs. Be it a light or hearty breakfast I believe that after a whole night of fasting your body will thank you for any kind of nutrition you provide it with. Don’t forget that even if you would have been sleeping your body would still have been working; using up calories, nutrients and liquids therefore by the morning the body would definitely need some replenishing. The more active a person is early during the day, a good balanced breakfast can be a great tool to get you going and not have you scrambling for quick fix junk food in mid-morning or having a heavy lunch break and then suffering the post meal consequences and reducing your performances for the rest of the day.

Some factors in favour of having a hearty/full breakfast:

Especially a protein and fibre based breakfast can help keep you away from unhealthy snacking until lunchtime or your next planned meal.
Helps maintain glucose levels meaning being more active and focused on your tasks at hand.
Better ready available energy for the body if you are very active in the morning or even schedule your training during this part of the day.

Some factors in favour of having light breakfast

According to certain nutrition studies less calorie intake in the morning can mean an overall lower calorie intake by the end of the day which is good news if your aim is losing weight.
A slow start to the morning and a light breakfast should not affect your metabolism and your energy levels.
Light breakfast, especially hydrating well, can help your body use energy otherwise used for digestion for better purposes making you feel more focused and alert.

Suggested full breakfast:

Liquids: Hot water with ginger, lemon and honey
Breakfast:
2 Whole grain slices (toasted if preferred)
Half an avocado
Tomatoes (1 or two according to your preferences)
Scrambled eggs (or any way you like it – This is important because it is your main source of protein)

Light breakfast:

Liquids: 2 cups of water
Breakfast:
80g of oats with some fruit (blueberries, raisins, banana) and semi-skimmed milk
Crackers with peanut butter and jam (organic would be nice, they usually have fewer sugars)

Concluding note:

Ultimately lifestyle will influence how and when our breakfast is consumed but in the end two important factors I noticed from my studies and reading articles on nutrition are: