Breakfast: Are You Up To The Challenge?

Now that Ramadan is only a few days shy of being over, I've been feeling reflective about what's changed for me. I found myself with a grand appreciation for water (although it's already my main drink of choice), learning how to pace myself during the day and not over do it, being patient and checking myself when I start to act like a turd because I'm hungry or thirsty (sorry love...) and, most importantly, breakfast is absolutely essential for a balanced day.


Now I won't lie. I am not regularly a breakfast person. I don't wake up ravenous and outside of a glass or two of water, I pretty much skip out on food until midday. But, I do find myself starved , having lots of snacks between meals or sometimes, yeah I'll admit, two lunches. I really didn't question my routine and in rare moments when I did there were like minded girlfriends to back me up, willingly admitting, "I'm just not hungry..." Not until I was forced to rely on breakfast as my main source of energy, until dusk when I got to stuff my face with dinner, did I realize how important it really is.

Before making our fast, The Hubs and I create a balanced breakfast. With sleep still in our eyes and horrible early morning breath, we make sure our meals have a little bit of everything: protein, fruit, grain... While most days it's way earlier than I'd prefer, after sitting and eating I find myself with more energy and surprisingly awake. We find ourselves having stimulating conversations we usually have during dinner.

Why? Simple: Bodies, like cars, need fuel. Unfortunately, we cannot stuff ourselves silly before bed and let it carry over into the next day. Our bodies need a boost before starting the day. Having a balanced breakfast, heavily infused with complex carbs and protein, allows our bodies to maintain itself at its natural speed. Ever find yourself at work spacing off or needing a few cups of coffee? It's probably because your body doesn't have the appropriate amounts of food energy and is running on E.





Aside from just being extremely impressed by my boost of morning energy, I was surprised to find that some studies suggest that eating a balanced breakfast regularly decreases the chances of obesity and, get this, diabetes. The University of Minnesota's corresponding author of the study suggests that "in comparison to those who reported eating breakfast twice per week or less often, those reporting eating breakfast every day had 35 percent to 50 percent lower rates of developing obesity and insulin resistance syndrome". That's a big deal. Especially in communities where obesity and diabetes are more prevalent.


Outside of just not being hungry, part of the reason I wasn't eating breakfast was because it just seemed like a lot of work first thing in the morning. Being lazy doesn't help your body in the long run. We unintentionally rob our bodies of the nutrients and energy it needs to keep us going. Who wants to feel like a zombie all day? I sure don't. That's why, after much deliberation about our health and habits, The Hubs and I have challenged ourselves to commit to eating a healthy breakfast every morning. Seems silly to me to have to force myself to do something I'm supposed to, but hey no judgments, I'm headed in the right direction. Are you willing to take the challenge too?