Food for Thought

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(Photo Source: pixabay.com)

EMILY DORNAN, WRITER

Research proves that breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day. This applies to everyone, and especially for students, whose minds are still developing and depend on a sufficient amount of energy to get through the school day, extracurricular activities, and homework. By eating a healthy breakfast every morning, students may see an improvement in their mood, concentration, grades, energy, and performance in sports.

Because breakfast is in the morning and is the smallest meal, people often dismiss it and convince themselves that an extra ten minutes of sleep is more important, or they believe it will take too much time and effort to make a healthy breakfast. It all begins by buying breakfast foods that are easy to prepare, either the night before or the morning of. Fruit is a breakfast staple because it contains many beneficial vitamins. Protein such as bacon, eggs, or sausage are also great for breakfast.

Whether you believe it or not, the act of eating is a practice of mindfulness and can help relax one’s mind and prepare for the day mentally. Eating breakfast can also determine one’s mood because skipping breakfast can cause people to be nervous, grumpy, or angry. If the day is begun with a positive attitude, the rest of the day is more likely to be a success.

It is important to eat something in the morning because technically our bodies are fasting during the time that we sleep. If you wait until lunch to eat, you are going over twelve hours without eating anything. If someone does not eat a sufficient amount of calories, their body and mind will go into a conservation state, causing everything to slow down. It is crucial to recharge in the morning because throughout the night, the blood sugar levels drop significantly.

Eating breakfast directly translates to schoolwork because if one’s brain does not have any energy, then it may inhibit them from fully comprehending what is taught. If one’s stomach is empty, they will be less engaged in class because their main focus would be on their next meal. This is a large problem in impoverished areas because families may not be able to provide healthy breakfast for their children, which can heavily impact their academics. Eating breakfast can actually increase a student’s thinking, speed, memory, and problem solving skills, allowing them to score better on exams.

Teenage brains use nearly half of the body’s energy, meaning by the time the school day is over, a student only has half the energy they woke up with, if they do not recharge by eating a healthy breakfast. This allows one to have more energy that lasts longer, going into sports or other after-school activities. While playing sports, one’s body is not only required to exert great amounts of energy, but their mental state must be in peak condition to allow quick reaction time and make good decisions to be made.

Eating breakfast allows one to maintain one’s weight and can even lead to weight loss. Some people believe that in order to lose weight, one should cut out as many calories as possible, leading them to skip breakfast. By eating breakfast, it actually reduces one’s hunger and urge to snack throughout the day. Common breakfast foods contain more vitamins and minerals than other meals, which are necessary for the body to function. Fasting also slows down your metabolism, causing you to burn fewer calories throughout the day. The best option is to eat a low-calorie breakfast, so you still have energy in your body, but it won’t make you gain weight.

As you can see, eating breakfast has far more benefits than skipping it. Being the simplest meal of the day, it does not require much time or effort to make if you are prepared. It allows you to start the day off with a positive mindset and provides you with the energy to succeed in school and sports. Nutritionally, it is an important meal and allows one to maintain a healthy body weight. If your mind and body are more energized, then you will feel more confident and present.