It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And it’s not just old wives sticking up for this adage: a recent study carried out by US scientists goes a long way in backing it up. Breakfast’s importance has never really been in doubt: but what about the big questions, like ‘what on earth is “deskfast”?’ and ‘what is Cumbrian porridge?’ We thought we’d find out…
Experts agree that the secret of eternal health is, breakfast (among other things, of course). In fact, skipping the first meal of the day, after not eating for eight hours, may increase your chances of developing diabetes, becoming obese, or even having a heart attack. At the very least, you won’t feel as sharp or energetic.
There’s a much rosier picture for regular morning munchers. Stats indicate that regular breakfast eaters are half as likely to have blood-sugar problems, which increase the risk of developing diabetes. They are also thought to have half the levels of high cholesterol than their non-breakfast eating counterparts. What’s more, a healthy morning nosh-up helps stabilise blood sugar levels, which regulate your appetite.
What’s best for dieting?
While skipping breakfast is a common strategy for shedding a few pounds, it’s probably not a smart one. The body needs to be refuelled a few times a day, starting with a good breakfast. Ironically, people who eat breakfast are actually less prone to overeating over the course of the day! However, eating a cholesterol-ridden fry-up is obviously going to be worse for you than missing out brekkie altogether.
The rise of ‘deskfast’
The reality of today’s hectic lifestyles means that many of us end up missing breakfast, whether we’re dieting or not. In fact, over a quarter of the UK population now eat ‘deskfast’ in front of the workplace PC, as opposed to sitting at the kitchen table.
A far cry from the British tradition of the cooked breakfast, on-the-hoof breakfast snacks such as cereal bars and fortified yoghurt drinks have risen in popularity over the last decade. Testimony, perhaps, to our increasingly fast-moving culture.
However, for every shortcut there’s a price to pay, and this might be our health. Startlingly, research published by the UK’s Food Commission reveals that certain cereal bars on the market contain an even greater proportion of calories from sugar than milk chocolate.
