About Time: You Boosted Your MorningBy Angelica Malin
If on a daily basis, an extra 15 minutes tucked up in bed outweighs having breakfast, then you could be seriously affecting your mood and others around you. What’s more, discover different ways to speed up metabolism.
New research has revealed that those who opt out of having their first meal of the day can put everybody around them in a foul mood too. The study of 2,000 people found that over half of those who didn’t tuck into brekkie admitted they were usually ‘grumpy and irritable’ for the whole day. Their grumpiness then often rubbed off on those around them, spreading the ‘bad vibes.’
Still not convinced that it is worth fueling your body with brekkie in the morning? Our experts reveal more benefits….
“The old saying says that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ and when you have breakfast you are literally ‘breaking the fast’, this supports the idea that you shouldn’t skip breakfast. Sleeping causes your metabolism (fat burning capability) to slow right down and nothing gets it going faster than breakfast,” explains Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading Nutritionist, author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar (www.marilynglenville.com).
“The break from food when you sleep gives your digestion a well-deserved rest, but delaying food for too long may lead to overeating when you do decide to eat and in turn cause you to choose sugary foods instead of more balanced options in order to give you that instant energy hit. You may also find you play ‘catch up’ with your calories leaving you eating far more than you should late at night, when it is more likely to be stored as fat then used for energy,” explains Shona Wilkinson, Nutritionist at SuperfoodUK, the online shopping destination for all things health and wellbeing (superfooduk.com).
Choosing the ‘most important meal of the day’
“But always remember that just as important as having breakfast itself, it’s also vital to choose healthy breakfast options such as wholegrain cereals like porridge, organic ‘live’ natural dairy products like yogurt, organic eggs and fruit. Sugar-laden cereals will cause your blood sugar to rise sharply and drop quite quickly, making you feel more hungry quickly – you need something that will sustain you and keep you feeling fuller longer,” adds Marilyn.
Don’t have much time? Perk yourself up with porridge
“Oats are a good source of slow-releasing energy and, unlike most other breakfast cereals, don’t contain any added sugar. This means they can help to keep your energy stable until lunchtime, rather than causing a crash by mid-morning!
“Being whole grains, oats are a natural source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B1, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc, which have many vital roles in the body including supporting energy and immunity. Most breakfast cereals are low in these natural nutrients and have to be fortified with synthetic vitamins, which may not be as easily used by our body.
