“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”- Adelle Davis

We have all heard this famous quote stating the importance of breakfast, but now is the time to learn and implement what it means. In all the morning hustle and bustle, we tend to ignore what is the most important meal of our day. After fasting for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours, it is your meal at breakfast that acts as a fuel to jump-start your body. It is an important meal because it starts your metabolism for the day and gives you the energy you need to function throughout the day. There are many other reasons why one mustn’t avoid breakfast.

Having established its importance, let me now state the dos and don’ts of a proper breakfast routine:

Dos-

1- Have a balanced diet- include proteins, carbohydrates and fibre

2- Add dietary supplements like omega 3, 6, 9 and calcium and iron supplements to your daily breakfast

3- Fix a time- breakfast should be eaten within two hours of waking up

4- Eat whole fruit instead of juices- blenders will make the fruit lose its vitamins, minerals and fibre

5- Have a glass of water before your meal- warm water with honey and lemon is advisable for a better metabolism

Don’ts-

1. Never start your day with caffeine. Eat something (fruit/biscuit/plain milk) first and about 20 minutes later, have tea or coffee

2. Avoid sugar treats like donuts and muffins

3. Don’t have a tiny meal but also avoid a wide breakfast buffet

4. Don’t skip your breakfast

5. Don’t rush through it, find time to sit and enjoy your breakfast

You are likely to eat heavier meals for the rest of the day if your body doesn’t get the sugar and energy in the morning hours, this can be an unhealthy lifestyle leading to health issues.

Below are a few balanced breakfast ideas you can try:

1. Cornflakes/wheatflakes/muesli + milk + fruit
2. Upma/poha with vegetables and sprouts
3. Idli/dosa + sambhar with vegetables
4. Dal paratha + vegetable raita
5. Eggs + bread + fruit
6. Jacket potatoes + beans + fruit
7. Sandwiches with greens

Let’s not take this meal lightly anymore, research has proved breakfast to have profound effects on your heath, well-being and cognitive abilities, and there are various examples of people from all cultures across the world that think it is appropriate to eat a balanced breakfast. Your metabolism and blood sugar control are better in the morning than later in the day, so it obviously makes more sense to eat more food earlier in the day. As a golden rule, avoid eating heavy after the sun sets!

Image Source: Mother Nature Network