Thursday, July 13, 2006
Breakfast keeps you healthy
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Health 101
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the past, breakfast was regarded as the most important meal of the day. In fact, many literatures have featured it. In Moby Dick, Herman Melville wrote: "Grub ho! now cried the landlord, flinging open a door, and in we went to breakfast."
Breakfast is a meal preceding lunch or dinner and usually eaten in the morning. Less frequently, the term "breakfast" may also be used by people that work evenings or late nights to refer to the first meal of the day, although it may not include the same ingredients as breakfast in the standard sense. A meal can be considered breakfast if it satisfies two of the following three criteria: it is the first meal of the day; it consists of breakfast style food; and it is eaten before noon.
Today, however, hampered by busy morning schedules, many neglect breakfast or skip it entirely. A survey done by Asian Food Information Center (Afic), many Asian are following the trend common in industrialized countries. In Hong Kong, one in five people eat breakfast. In the Philippines, one in four people miss breakfast. Although most people in Singapore and Malaysia eat breakfast, about one in 10 people skip the meal.
Taking time to eat breakfast may prevent certain diseases. A recent study done by Afic showed that children who regularly eat breakfast are slimmer. In a survey of 1,815 Asian children from Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila, it found that those who eat breakfast regularly were less likely to be overweight or obese than those who regularly skipped breakfast.
Many studies have also found a direct link between breakfast consumption and weight management. For instance, a study published in the Journal of Obesity Research in the United States reported that 80 percent of more than 3,000 study volunteers, who successfully lost excess body weight and then maintained a healthy weight, regularly ate breakfast.
Insulin resistance occurs when the body begins to lose its ability to respond the hormone insulin, which is needed to convert blood sugar to energy. "Seeing that breakfast skippers were more likely to have high rates of insulin resistance illustrates that skipping breakfast could be a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a leading expert says.
"Parents should remember to give their children heavy breakfast in the morning before sending them to school. Having a heavy breakfast makes children more alert in their studies and other school activities," said an official of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology.
According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat breakfast are more likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They may also be more alert, creative and less likely to miss days of school.
A study by the University of Iowa showed that children and adults who ate breakfast were more productive during the morning and even had faster reaction times.
In the Philippines, a favorite traditional breakfast consists of garlic fried rice, fried or scrambled eggs, and a choice of breakfast meat: beef tapa, pork tocino, longaniza, dried salty, smoked fish or sardines, sauteed corned beef, or pork adobo, often with Western-style baked beans, sliced tomatoes and "atsara" on the side. In some instances, people may just eat "pan de sal" along with coffee with or without milk.
According to Afic, there are ways that you can avoid the temptation to be a breakfast skipper. It offers the following quick tips: No time? Build a breakfast around foods that are ready to eat or take little preparation time. There are plenty that qualify: fresh and canned fruits, breads, milk, yogurt, cheese, ready-to-eat cold cereals and instant breakfast mixes.
* Take it to go! Try a sandwich with peanut butter or cheese, or a piece of fresh fruit.
* Perk up cereals! Top cereals with fruit or stir chopped nuts such as peanuts, pecans and walnuts into cooked cereal.
* Not hungry yet? Drink juice. Something is better than nothing. Have some bread or noodles later in the morning.
* Don't skip breakfast if you're on a diet. There's no evidence that skipping meals will help you lose weight. In fact, most people who skip breakfast tend to eat more later in the day. This may be why several studies have shown that breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer than their non-breakfast eating counterparts.
Again, remember the words of nutritionist Adelle Davis: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."
For comments, write me at tasyo2002@yahoo.com
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