A King Size Breakfast

This was the title which was given in a recent article published in ‘The Hindu’ Sunday Edition (29th June 2008). It is a common saying that one must not skip breakfast but the point here is how many actually follow it? Doctors say this, dieticians say, our parents at home say and even the researchers are saying this. It is not just for the sake of saying. It really has got something associated with it.

The article begins like- “Want to shed those extra pounds? Well, all you need to do is start having a king size breakfast, according to the new study conducted by Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz from Virginia Commonwealth University. They found that women, who eat half of the daily calories first thing in the morning, lose more weight in a long term than those who start the day with a small breakfast.

The reason being, probably because we don’t have breakfast we are more likely to get hungry before lunch and snack on foods that are high in fat and sugar, such as biscuits, doughnuts, cup- noodles, pastries etc.”

This cited articles means a lot. It is not something new as every other day such articles come up but if eating well can make one loose weight then what can be better than this. We all need to stay healthy and fit. Everyone is health conscious and we spend lot of time burning calories either in the gym , walking, cycling, doing yoga or any other physical activity which is essential but if one can cut down on the extra flab by eating a proper breakfast and not giving an entry to the junk, early morning then I think nothing can be better than this.

I have been following this funda from the time I was a child. I must say thanks to my mom for inculcating this habit in me. I can’t be without breakfast. That’s another thing which is weird in me because I can skip any meal but not my breakfast. For me the cliché suits well – Pet bhara ho to sab kuch achcha hota hai.

Ever realized why is it called – Breakfast and not something else? Just because after a night’s meal which is supposed to be having the least calories ( it’s not practical though but as per the dieticians ) we need to break our fast which lasts for more than 10 hours if one follows the proper eating habits. So, when we break our fast with a junk food then it is harmful for us.

To talk in my language I would say, the enzymes say, “Give me something good to digest. What is this? Early morning you are giving me lipids and fats in such high quantities to digest. I can’t do it so soon. Wait! Where are my friends, protein and carbohydrate?”

So, you see when the biological system gets awry we tend to get sluggish the whole day. Fats take a toll upon us. You may ask me; if not this then what must we eat with such a busy schedule? I feel if one has time to sleep, message and sit before the net, talk over the phone one must take out time for having a proper breakfast. Try getting a hand on some cereals, cornflakes, idly, dosa, bread, porridge, dahi chuda (poha as we call it), upma, paratha or anything that is the diet followed at home or whatever is available handy. A proper breakfast will do everything.

So, next time if you feel that you want to loose those extra pounds or want to stay healthy and active throughout have a good breaking of you fast.