Genki-Do Right Start Breakfast

Whether you’re a bodybuilder, weekend warrior or just trying to lose some extra pounds, I have no doubt you’ve heard the old adage - “breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” I believe that having the right start to your day is crucial for not only your health, but also your happiness as it sets up your neurotransmitter production for the day. Want to be a slob? then eat like one for breakfast! Want to be super human? Then try:

• 60g Oatmeal
• 15g Raw Cacao Powder
• 3 Whole Eggs & 3 Egg Whites (poached)
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon & a pinch of Sea Salt

Want more reasons to eat breakfast? Well …

1. People who eat breakfast have lower rates of depression and eating breakfast improves mood levels and decreases irritability throughout the day.
2. Breakfast skippers are more likely to develop an eating disorder and have subsequently poorer nutritional profiles and overall health.
3. You’ll improve your performance on free recall and recognition memory tasks.
4. Skipping breakfast and other meals leads the body’s cells to become less sensitive to insulin, creating a problematic cyclical pattern which can result in weight gain, insulin sensitivity and eventually diabetes.
5. Finally, there is significant evidence that those who skip breakfast have a higher BMI and are more likely to be obese.

What are you waiting for? Get cooking!

References:

Song, W., Chun, O., Obayashi, S., Cho, S., Chung, C. Is Consumption of Breakfast Associated with Body Mass Index in U.S. Adults? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005. 105(9), 1373-1382. 

Ma, Y., Bertone, E., Stanek, E. Reed, G., Herbert, J., Cohen, N. Association Between Eating Patterns and Obesity in a Free-living U.S. Adult Population. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2003. 158, 85-92. 

Rampersaud, G., Pereira, M., Girard, B. Breakfast Habits, Nutritional Status, Body Weight, and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005. 105, 5, 743-760. 

Morgan, K., Zabik, M., Stampley, G. The Role of Breakfast in Diet Adequacy of the U.S. adult Population. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1986. 5, 551-563. 

Smith, A., Kendrick, A., Salmon, J. Effects of Breakfast and Caffeine of Cognitive Performance, Mood, and Cardiovascular Functioning. Appetite. 1994. 22, 39-55. 
Timlin, M., Pereira, M. Breakfast Frequency and Quality in the Etiology of Adult Obesity and Chronic Diseases. Nutrition Review. 2008. 65(6), 268-281. 

Mahoney, C., Taylor, H., Kanarek, R., Samuel, P. Effect of breakfast composition on cognitive processes in elementary school children. 2005. Physiology and Behavior. 85(5), 635-45.   
Hamid, R., Farshchi, M., MacDonald, I., MacDonald, T. Deleterious effects of omitting breakfast on insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy lean women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.2005. 81(2), 388-396.