Feed Your Body, Fuel Your Mind
By: Steven H. Nye
Breakfast is an important meal that should be part of everyone’s morning. Consider that if you finish your dinner by 7:00 pm, go to sleep without a snack, have only coffee in the morning and then lunch at 12:00 pm, you will have essentially fasted for 17 hours!
An article in Men’s Fitness cites the International Journal of Obesity finding that “there’s evidence that an early meal can stoke your metabolism and encourage your body to burn more calories throughout the day. When you fast for too long, your body goes into protection mode, and begins to store as many calories as possible (think bears preparing for hibernation). 1 The article also quotes Josh Axe, DNM, a board-certified doctor of natural medicine and nutrition specialist who said "as a negative double whammy, when your metabolism slows, it can turn to the glucose stored in your muscles as a backup fuel source, effectively wasting away your muscles.” 1
I usually enjoy a bowl of oatmeal (with a dollop of fresh ground peanut butter and a handful of raisins) or a fried egg sandwich (with swiss cheese, a generous slice of Vidalia onion and sprouts—a great source of antioxidants). Whatever the case, I have fueled my body for the morning commute to work on my bicycle and my mind is sharp and ready-to-go when I reach the office.
1Brittany Smith’s article in Men’s Fitness can be found at http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/what-happens-your-body-when-you-skip-breakfast