The Importance of Breakfast - Essay Example

The Importance of Breakfast Introduction The human being is unique, being the only creature that has dedicated time for taking certain meals in the course of a day. In most cases, human beings eat three meals in a day, namely breakfast, lunch, and supper. These meals have essential roles they play in the body and avoiding any results to devastating effect in the body. Importantly, breakfast is very crucial because of its time since the body requires energy to enable it deals with the daily activities. Therefore, taking breakfast in a timely manner assist an individual to regain energy lost during the night. It also helps in improving attention and concentration of a person. Moreover, there are other advantages or benefits associated with breakfast such as feeding the brain and boosting the metabolism process. Despite these advantages, taking breakfast also has disadvantages such as increasing body weight in case one does not balance the content. It can also interfere with one’s concentration or attentiveness since too much food interferes with individual’s conformability. Moreover, the financial aspect of it also makes others ignore taking breakfast. Importance of breakfast Energy booster First, breakfast is crucial because it acts as an energy booster (Rea-Jeng, Wang, Yeu-Sheng & Mei-Yen, 2013). The body needs energy to make its organs and systems work to the optimum. Different food components provide a good source of energy, which is essential for the body. The energy that the body generates from breakfast is useful in making one attentive throughout the day. Because of this, breakfast leads to one’s productivity due to the high concentration on work performed. Moreover, Haras (2014) found that individuals who miss breakfast lacks focus in all they do because vital body systems and organs require energy to make them function. It also implies that some organs such as the heart is only able to pump when the body is energized hence lack of energy leads to malfunctioning resulting in lack of concentration. In many instances, people have fallen down on streets or when doing tedious activities because of insufficient energy to make the bodies carry out essential processes such as breathing. This occurs because of slowing metabolic process for an individual does not have the raw materials (food particles) to provide energy. Taking a balanced breakfast minimizes chances of one collapsing due to insufficient energy in the body. Despite the common notion that breakfast is a source of energy, it depends with the food that one takes; some food has more protein contents than energy. For instance, taking three or more boiled eggs and sausages with tea or coffee that has milk leads to increased body weight. These food components have more contents of proteins than energy. Under such circumstances, the individual will not meet the body need of energy instead contribute to gaining weight. Therefore, it is crucial that a person consider and weigh what they take for breakfast since others are more of bodybuilding than adding energy. Hence, balancing breakfast is core to making one realize the intended goal of gaining energy. Metabolism booster Breakfast is essential for boosting the body metabolism process. The metabolism process works best under certain conditions, and one of them is enough food ingested. Taking a breakfast in the morning increases the amount of food substances in the body, leading to the acceleration of the digestion process (Shemilt et al., 2010). Moreover, people wake up early in the morning when they have a low metabolism process because of the inactivity of the body during sleep. At the same time, ones body is inactive during sleep and only vital organs functions to sustain the body. Therefore, introducing food through indigestion is essential in facilitating the metabolism process (Breakfast Session Abstracts, 2012). It prepares the enzymes for digestion, which is crucial in increasing the metabolism rate in the body. Moreover, the increased metabolism rate is advantageous because it increases the rate of nutrient absorption. Despite the generalization that breakfast boosts the body metabolism, many factors influence the process of metabolism. For instance, the health condition of a person affects the metabolism process and rate, hence taking a meal has no role in accelerating the process. Sick people have a low rate of metabolic process because their organs are not active as normal people (Mehdi, 2009). Similarly, they require little energy that only supports the body processes such as breathing, digestion among others. Hence, their rates of metabolism are low compared with active individuals whose systems and body organs functions and require energy to make them function. Additionally, strenuous activities are also responsible for increasing metabolism because of high energy the individual uses. Under such circumstances, the brain coordinates high demand for energy, and the body begins to convert the stored starch in the body. This process occurs in the absence of food since it uses stored food components. Curbing hunger Breakfast or any other food is critical to reducing or ending hunger (Shemilt et al., 2010). Hunger is a feeling occurring after the release of a digestive hormone and enzymes into the stomach and finds no food to digest. The enzymes then scorch the stomach walls to bring the feeling of hunger. Taking some meals, especially when hunger is felt or when about is very paramount to its prevention. Taking a healthy, balanced breakfast is vital in preventing hunger since that meal can make one satisfied for longer hours. Individuals who take breakfast have improved concentration compared to those who miss (Shemilt et al., 2010). This is caused by the effects of hunger, which prevents or stops one from concentrating and paying attention at any given time. Hunger makes people shift attention, hence missing important points. Moreover, breakfast helps people save money since they will not be walking every time to the shops to take something. First meal in the morning is vital in supporting the body throughout the day, hence contributes to the continuation of the metabolism process. Although various studies indicate that breakfast helps in curbing hunger, it involves many factors. For instance, food choice is very critical in determining the degree of satisfaction and hunger (Mehdi, 2009). A light food is easily digested and takes few hours. Therefore, they leave an individual hungry and metabolism slows. This is contrary to heavy meals or breakfast that takes longer hours for the completion of the digestion process. Under such circumstances, the degree of hunger will be determined by the two variables. This also implies that not all meals taken as breakfast can prolong someone throughout the day since some are easily digested hence increasing the rate of metabolism. It leaves the stomach with no food making the individual feel hungry. The body also easily absorbs light meals, and their digestion process is not vigorous as compared to heavy meals. Controlling/checking body weight Taking regular balanced breakfast is very important in controlling body weight (Van Wees, 2013). This is because a balanced breakfast component contains fibers and roughages that give the body the energy required for the day’s activities. Similarly, most byproducts of digestion are not stored to make an individual gain weight. Moreover, the energy released are used or consumed by the body since individuals seem to be active in the morning when awake than in the evening where individual retire to bed. This implies that energy obtained after taking breakfast is consumed during the day in the process of doing daily assignments at workplace or wherever an individual bases. In some instances, taking breakfast minimizes one’s ability to eat without plan leading to overweight. Persons who have a programmed breakfast controls their weight because they know when to eat and do not feel hungry before the second interval of eating. Most people who are overweight or obese do not have an eating plan, hence tends to eat anytime they get food. Despite the above assumption, no scientific study or evidence indicating that breakfast reduces or controls body weight (Mehdi, 2009). It is very clear and common knowledge that body weight is caused by overeating hence breakfast contributes. Similarly, taking heavy meals or too much food to minimize the expenses of going to the shops when hungry is expensive finally. It leads to discomfort and unease hence lowering the productivity of a worker or student. It also increases the chances of acquiring lifestyle diseases such as obesity because of eating and lack of work or overeating. Because of all these, it is not clear where the boundary lies, since one has to eat and at the same time watch the body weight. Prevents illness and increases productivity The main aim of taking light meals such as breakfast is to increase energy in the body (Merten, Williams & Shriver, 2009). In many cases, individuals have fainted or failed to accomplish their duties because they lack energy. For instance, many athletes and other sports personalities faint in the field due to lack of energy. Some also develop other complications that lead to the end of their career. Hence, taking breakfast is essential when engaging in the morning tedious activities or duties. It will minimize preventable illnesses such as fainting, which is due to insufficient oxygen in the body tissue because the body lacks energy to aid the process. The accumulation of toxic substances in the body also contributes to these because the brain, which is the coordinating organ, is starved. Taking breakfast also facilitates feeding the brain to coordinate all body activities (Merten, Williams & Shriver, 2009). Improper working of the brain leads to lack of concentration and individual is unable to think. This leads to the development of different syndromes that affects personal health. Therefore, taking breakfast leads to the production of energy required to keep the body processes in motion. Moreover, students who take breakfast have increased concentration than those who do not take. Hence, there are more to taking breakfast than leaving it for reasons known to the individual. Conclusion Breakfast is crucial for many reasons. It helps in boosting the body energy, more so in the morning. It provides food that the body digests to release energy and conduct its activities. Similarly, breakfast helps in boosting the body metabolism process since the process of digestion is characterized by increased metabolism process and functionality of other organs and systems. Moreover, people curb hunger by taking heavy breakfast, and this allows them to feel comfortable throughout the day. Individuals, who take breakfast, have improved concentration and comfort compared to those who misses. However, some of these goals may not be achieved in case an individual does not take the right amount breakfast as well as a component. Taking unbalanced diet poses a health risk to a person. Writers Notes The purpose of this paper was to show the importance of taking breakfast. People have been swayed to believe that breakfast is important without considering the other side effects of taking breakfast more so to those who unbalance their meals. Hence, purpose was to consider both sides of the debate and shed some light. This was important because of many myths surrounding taking breakfast. Hence, it aimed at clearing the air and presenting facts concerning the subject. Decision about ordering for emphasis was not that much easy because it entailed lead-in and ending questions. For instance, it is obvious that breakfast is important hence arguing against it does not make sense in any given situation. However, there are instances when one has to take the opposing side especially when discussing the various food components. I like many things about the essays because it spells misconceptions that people have concerning breakfast. First, it is controversial because it touches on important issues that people did not know such as how harmful taking breakfast is. Secondly, the paper is well researched making me have hopes on my ability to conduct comprehensive study. Thirdly, the chosen topic was important because it was of interest to nearly everyone in the world who believes in taking breakfast. It can contribute to change of mind concerning taking breakfast. The most challenging part on the study was finding resources, which contrasted the common view that breakfast is important. Most materials available talks about the importance of breakfast and very few contradict the subject. Hence, it was difficult finding such materials. References Breakfast Session Abstracts. (2012). Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 48155-159 Haras, H. (2014). Nutrition and Student Performance at School. Journal Of School Health, 75(6), 199-213. Mehdi, (2009). Reasons why you should not eat Breakfast. Retrieved from http://stronglifts.com/7-reasons-why-you-should-not-eat-breakfast/ Merten, M. J., Williams, A. L., & Shriver, L. H. (2009). Breakfast Consumption in Adolescence and Young Adulthood: Parental Presence, Community Context, and Obesity. Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 109(8), 1384-1391. Rea-Jeng, Y., Wang, E. K., Yeu-Sheng, H., & Mei-Yen, C. (2013). Irregular breakfast eating and health status among adolescents in Taiwan. BMC Public Health, 6295-7 Shemilt, I., OBrien, M., Thoburn, J., Harvey, I., Belderson, P., Robinson, J., & Camina, M. (2010). School Breakfast Clubs, Children and Family Support. Children & Society, 17(2), 100-112 Van Wees, C. (2013). The importance of eating breakfast…. Nutridate, 17(2), 4-7. Read More