Natural Health Advisory

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why is it that so many people, adults and children alike, leave the house in the morning without having breakfast at all? Maybe you feel rushed to put together a meal, think that skipping breakfast with help you to lose weight, or believe it won’t matter if you eat more later to make up for the missed meal. The truth is, skipping breakfast can result in some truly negative consequences for your health. So why is breakfast important, and how can you be sure to get in a healthy, wholesome morning meal each day?
Breakfast is an important source of daily nutrients
Eating breakfast can help you to get the recommended daily values of various nutrients essential to good health. Studies show that kids who eat breakfast have 20% to 60% higher levels of iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D compared to kids who skip breakfast, for example.[1]

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5 risks of skipping breakfast you probably didn’t know about

The problems associated with missing out on your morning meal are widespread. If you skip breakfast, you may be putting your health at risk. Skipping breakfast can:

1. Raise the risk for heart disease. Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk for obesity, metabolic syndrome, elevated triglycerides, high LDL-cholesterol, and low HDL-cholesterol (all risk factors for cardiovascular disease) in children.[2] A large study published in the journal Circulation followed over 20,000 men for 16 years, and found that those men who skipped breakfast were 27% more likely to develop coronary heart disease.[3]
2. Lead to weight gain. In a large study on thousands of children and adolescents, breakfast skippers had higher BMIs and waist circumferences than those who ate breakfast regularly. There were also higher rates of obesity among breakfast skippers.[4] In one study, people who moved a large percentage of their energy intake to their morning meal had lower weights (as well as improved insulin function) compared to people who ate most of their energy later in the day.[5]
3. Impair cognitive abilities and academic performance in children. Children who regularly eat breakfast have higher IQs than those who only eat breakfast on occasion.[6] Regular breakfast consumption is associated with better behavior in school and better academic performance, including better grades and achievement test scores. School breakfast programs, where kids are given free breakfast before school, are associated with positive academic achievement as well.[1]
4. Increase the risk for diabetes. There is a wide body of evidence showing that consuming breakfast regularly can protect against type 2 diabetes.[7,8] A large meta-analysis of studies found that people who skip breakfast have a 15% to 21% higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those people who eat breakfast regularly.[7]
5. Hurt your bone health. Breakfast consumption can also help protect your bones. In a study following male Japanese medical students, skipping breakfast was identified as a major lifestyle factor that contributed to bone mineral density loss.[9]

Healthy, easy breakfast ideas
Even if you are short on time in the morning, fitting a wholesome breakfast in is very important for your health. If necessary, wake up a bit earlier to make the time you need to prepare your food (or better yet, set yourself up the night before to make breakfast as easy as possible). My favorite quick and simple breakfasts include oatmeal; yogurt with mixed berries out of the freezer; gluten-free pancakes with oats, quinoa, and other hearty whole grains; or a vegan scramble with potatoes, kale, peppers, and onions. Check out our blog on Healthy Breakfast Ideas for more inspiration.
Share your experience
What are your favorite breakfast ideas? Share your tips for get eating a healthy breakfast each and every day in the comments section below.

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[1] Front Hum Neurosci. 2013 Aug 8;7:425.
[2] J Pediatr (Rio J). 2013 Nov-Dec;89(6):575-82.
[3] Circulation. 2013 Jul 23;128(4):337-43.
[4] J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Jun;110(6):869-78.
[5] J Am Coll Nutr. 2014;33(3):198-205.
[6] Early Hum Dev. 2013 Apr;89(4):257-62.
[7] Public Health Nutr. 2015 Feb 17:1-7. [Epub ahead of print]
[8] J Epidemiol. 2015 Mar 14. [Epub ahead of print]
[9] J Bone Miner Metab. 2014 Jul;32(4):420-7.
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