Breakfast: The New Brain Food

Dr. Mitchell is co-author of Fat is Not Your Fate, Eat to Stay Young and I’d Kill for a Cookie.
Listen to her weekly Internet Show on AM580 WDBO http://580wdbo.com/healthcenter/

Visit her websites: http://www.susanmitchell.org and http://www.fatisnotyourfate.com

OK, tell the truth. Which one of these excuses sounds like you? I don’t have time for breakfast! I’m not hungry when I first wake up. I’m skipping breakfast to lose weight! I would rather sleep than eat. 10-30 percent of adults and adolescents skip breakfast everyday. This week I want you to take my breakfast challenge. If you don’t eat breakfast or eat breakfast every now and then, challenge yourself to eat it twice this week. No more excuses. Think of breakfast as a missed opportunity. Here’s why and this goes way beyond your Mom’s good advice to eat breakfast.

We live in a very competitive world where being able to focus, think critically, brainstorm, analyze, plan and be creative all determine success regardless of your age. Breakfast is the springboard for the rest of your day. Think of it like a tennis match. Your first serve sets the tone for the game. If it’s a great serve, your confidence is up and you’re ready to go. Breakfast is that first serve. Deciding to eat and then eating something good for the brain and body sets your tone for the day.

Breakfast benefits for the brain and body are too good to ignore. Let’s focus on the brain benefits first. Listen to this. Eat breakfast and you have energy for mental performance. Eating breakfast improves your ability to focus, pay attention, remember details, be creative and perform overall whether that performance is taking a math test at school or giving a presentation in front of your peers at work.

Dozens of studies from as far back as the 1950s have consistently shown that children who eat breakfast perform better academically than those who don't. It doesn’t matter your age or the task at hand, breakfast is a major tool in your toolbox for taking on everyday life and performing at your best.

After fasting all night, your brain and body need to break the fast and replenish the fuel supply known as glucose or blood sugar. Besides the brain benefits, when you eat breakfast you have energy for physical performance plus your diet typically has more variety and is higher in grains, fruit, fiber and calcium. Breakfast eaters are also successful losers. The National Weight Control Registry tracks people who have lost weight and kept it off. Breakfast is one of the keys to being a successful loser. In other words, adults and children who eat breakfast tend to keep their weight off over time and do not gain it back.

Does it matter what you eat for breakfast? You bet if you want to gain all the brain benefits. Choose both a smart carbohydrate which is one that is high in fiber and some lean protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied throughout the morning. These items have a low glycemic benefit to the body. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the carbohydrates in food are absorbed into your body and converted to fuel. Food items can have the same calories but not the same benefits to your body. For example, a processed food such as a sugary cereal gets into the body quickly and causes a rise in blood sugar but the blood sugar level takes a nose dive after two hours or so and you feel it…that slump. A smart carb or one that is high in fiber along with some lean protein are absorbed slowly so you get a slow rise in blood sugar and enough energy to last through the morning.

Breakfast selections can be typical ones like whole grain cereal and fresh fruit, peanut butter on a whole grain English muffin or whole grain bagel or a hard boiled egg. But breakfast choices can also be sandwiches, a whole wheat tortillas with beans and cheese, a small to-go bottle of milk and a resealable bag of easy-to-munch cereal or a cheese stick and banana as well as low-fat granola bars. How about left over meatballs and sauce? It doesn’t matter what the items are as long as you keep the high fiber and lean protein duo in mind.

Parents don’t forget to check out school breakfast, a great way to start this healthy habit. In Florida, we have Florida School Breakfast Week in September which promotes the availability of breakfast to all students at school along with the strong link to improved academic achievement and physical performance. School breakfast can provide at least 25% of the nutrients needed by a child. It’s a good thing so check it out where you live.

Dr. Susan