Breakfast is important, as it is the first meal of the day. It is vital to get it right because it is the key to a successful day. Literally, the meal breaks the fast after a night. It is meant to provide fuel and nutrition for both the body and mind.
Your breakfast choice goes a long way in setting the mood for the rest of the day. All too often, people fail to realize this when they reach for anything that catches their fancy instead of preparing a hearty meal that will give them the needed boost to start the day.
Many variations exist for todays breakfast, and most have roots in different world customs. Today, breakfast is no longer a combination of bland taste or a particular set of ingredients. Now, more ingredients are available, and the knowledge and understanding of nutrition have improved how we view breakfast.
Now breakfast is filled with ingredients packed with nutrients. More importantly, they provide a tasty and enjoyable breakfast. With this cookbook, your breakfast will take on a special meaning, and you will be able to enjoy a wide array of creative, easily customized, and healthy meals.
The goal is to create a diverse collection of recipes that provide tasty options for breakfast. Your French toast can give you a whole new taste with a bit of adjustment!
Chapter 1: What is Breakfast and Why is it Important?
Breakfast is the first meal you have in a day, usually after a nights rest. As the name implies, it breaks the overnight fast and supplies the body with nutrients and vitamins. It also replenishes your energy level.
Over the years, studies have shown that breakfast has an impact on our overall health and well-being. Nutritionists, Doctors, and Dieticians have emphasized the importance of breakfast, but despite this, many people still skip it.
A good and healthy breakfast is important for overall health and weight management. Research has shown that breakfast improves your energy level and ability to focus. It also improves memory and lowers the chances of being overweight or getting diabetes.
Although breakfast is important, many people still skip it for different reasons. However, one thing is clear, skipping breakfast is not good for the health. Skipping breakfast disrupts your bodys process of fasting and eating. When your body awakens from the overnight fast, your energy levels are down, and your brain and muscles need the energy to work.
If you dont provide your body with energy which is usually from eating breakfast, you will feel zapped and is likely to overeat later in the day. This can become problematic along the way if you develop breakfast skipping and overeating habits. Also, skipping breakfast tends to make us hungry and snack on high-sugar, high-fat food, which is more dangerous to our health.
Importance of Breakfast
After a good nights rest, your body would have been deprived of energy for about 10 hours. This is because you dont have access to food during your sleep. Your body also performs many biological processes like cell repair, hormone, and protein release, which require energy.
When you wake up, your body needs to replenish the used energy and to do this, and it requires food. The main reason for breakfast is to help replenish your energy store and also provide the body with nutrients.
Here are a few reasons why breakfast is so important
Energy
The bodys main energy source is glucose obtained from carbohydrate foods. In the body, energy is stored as fat or glycogen. During your fasting period, usually, when you are asleep, the liver breaks down glycogen and releases it to the bloodstream to keep your brain functioning and your blood sugar stable.
Your glycogen energy store is low, and your body turns to fatty acids to produce energy. But without food, fatty acids can only partially produce energy which can reduce your energy levels. However, eating breakfast boost your energy level and replenish your energy store.
Nutrients, Vitamins, and Minerals
Breakfast meals are rich in nutrients required by the body. In fact, people who take breakfast are more likely to meet their recommended daily dietary needs since essential vitamins and minerals can only be obtained from food.
Even though food gives your body energy to function till the next meal, you still require nutrients to maintain health and vitality. Moreover, it is better to top off your nutrient level in the morning to avoid missing it later in the day.
Reduces the Risk of Illness
Eating a regular and healthy breakfast reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity. Breakfast increases your satiety levels which means you are unlikely to snack on high-sugar, high-fat food which are unhealthy. Therefore, you experience fewer cravings which might lead to overeating later in the day.