Aug 14 2008
The Most Important Meal of the Day
My mornings always have a little good or a little bad news in the form of my daily fasting blood sugar. Low numbers make me feel normal. Higher numbers make me feel a bit nervous.
My schedule is such that I eat breakfast right after I take my blood sugar. When I get a higher number than I’m expecting, breakfast seems like a lot less of a good idea. But this is where I’m wrong.
Studies have shown that if you don’t eat breakfast, your body suffers. After six or eight hours of sleep, your body is expecting some fuel. Also, eating is likely to keep one from just trying to make due with coffee or some other little shot of caffeine. If you eat breakfast, your mind and body work better and your morning improves as a result.
But then there’s that number staring me in the face.
The solution I’ve found is to focus on proteins and fiber. My usual breakfast items are:
- Peanut Butter on Brown Rice Cakes: One is usually sufficient to keep me going to lunch. It fits in the hand well and I can usually munch on it while checking email and otherwise getting started at work.
- Fruit: A good backup, mostly for the fibers and the fact it requires no additional preparation.
- Granola Bars or Fruit and Oat Bars: Also convenient, but with these I scrutinize the nutrition info.
- High Fiber Cereal: It’s not just for your granma anymore. There are a lot of palatable options on the market, including non-bar form granola. Again, read the package so you know it’s healthy and not just advertised healthy.
- Water: As much as I love my caffeine, the morning is a good time to start staying hydrated.
- Milk: A little goes a long way and adds some protein. I’m unwilling to drop below 2% but if you can do it, go skim.
Every few months, another study crops up confirming the cliche that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I’ve listened. It’s worth working around the hurry and the morning rush to get my body working like it should.
If you don’t have it scheduled, make time for it. The results are worth the effort.
