Eating a balanced breakfast each morning provides essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and to perform effectively. The saying is true: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."
Breakfast is necessary for proper functioning of the brain. A starved brain fails to concentrate accurately. Therefore, breakfast skippers soon feel sluggish and bedraggled. It helps to manage ideal weight; it keeps the body fit. It regulates blood cholesterol. A breakfast skipper is tempted to eat at irregular timings to perk up energy levels and that leads to an unhealthy lifestyle and possible causes of heart attack, diabetics, and obesity. An ideal breakfast should contain fibers and low calories. If this is followed religiously, one is protected from the dangers of obesity.
A researcher of Helsinki University Dr Anna Keski-Rahkonen states, “Smoking, infrequent exercise, a low level of education, and a high body mass index are all associated with skipping breakfast in adults and adolescents.” Skipping breakfast is very common in children and young people because they are in a rush before heading off to school/college. To perform better at school, a child needs sufficient energy which he gets from eating a nourishing breakfast every morning.
It is important to prepare a balanced breakfast because sugary foods in the morning cause the rise of blood sugar and a rush of energy. With the passage of time, blood sugar starts falling and exacerbates hunger. It should be a combination of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates. For example,
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A bowl of skimmed milk with cereal;
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Boiled egg with bread;
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A glass of fruit juice or smoothie;
• Oatmeal boiled in milk;
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Vegetable omelette with whole wheat bread;
• Yogurt and pieces of fruits.
Milk provides calcium which prevents osteoporosis and keeps teeth strong in old age. Children and teenagers commonly avoid intake of milk at breakfast. A glass full of fat free milk in the morning reduces the intake of calories at lunch.
Smoothies are also healthy at breakfast. They are made from mixing of yogurt with any seasonal fruit such as strawberries, mangoes, banana, etc. They are full of potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A, iron and zinc.
New research suggests that the tradition of taking 100 percent pure fruit juice at breakfast can cause weight gain. However, this traditional morning juice has Vitamin C, potassium, Thiamine and foliate and provides quick energy.
Eggs are a perfect source of proteins. One boiled egg caries 78 calories approximately. Eggs provide a high source of choline, which eases communication of nerves with muscles. They also prevent cardiovascular diseases and chronic inflammation such as tuberculosis.
Daily consumption of oatmeal with milk ensures a good supply of soluble and insoluble fibres. Oats have cancer fighting abilities. Eating oats ensures acne free clean and clear skin. Breakfast cereals made from wheat and corns have high levels of antioxidants which fight against diseases.
Breads made from whole wheat flour are an important part of our traditional breakfast. Whole wheat flour reduces the chances of diabetics and coronary heart disease.
Traditional breakfasts
In Pakistan, Sunday breakfasts are incomplete without puri, chickpeas curry and Semolina halwa. In winter, the breakfast essentials are nihari (spicy mutton or beef curry), siri paya (stew made from skull and foot of cow, lamb) with nan or parathas.
In Turkey, a typical breakfast consists of a variety of breads, black/green olives, cheese, and black tea. In Saudi Arabia, pita bread is served with yogurt mixture known as Labneh.
Iranians enjoy their breakfast with Persian butter and cheese, traditional murrabah and honey.
In Philippines, leftover rice from the night meal is fried with garlic and scrambled eggs in breakfast. While sun-dried fish and sticky rice rolls are also parts of morning meal in many homes.
Breakfast is also a tool of national and international diplomacy. It is the latest trend to organise business, political and global meetings at breakfast. In Singapore in November 2009 Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd arranged an unscheduled breakfast conversation with US President Barack Obama and 19 other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders to discuss environmental issues. The reason behind the breakfast negotiation is that people are in a good mood.
Celebrities take nutritious breakfast to get their system going during hectic days of outdoor activities. Claudia Schiffer, a model cum actor, eats fresh fruits first thing in the morning to keep her skin glowing and shining. World class athlete Michael Phelps fulfils his energy requirement from the breakfast of five egg omelettes with three slices of French toast powdered with sugar and three chocolate pancakes. He needs this energy to start his daily five-hour swimming training.
Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients include Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, and Penelope Cruz) recommends popping something into your mouth within 30 minutes of waking. “You want to send your body a sign that you’re not starving so it starts burning fat.”
To say the least, an ideal nutritious breakfast ensures physical and psychological health of the eater.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2010.
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