HEALTH ESSENTIALS

That early meal can help you lose weight and boost energy.

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Do you often skip breakfast? Maybe it’s because you’re running late. Perhaps you’re not that hungry when you wake up. Or maybe you think no breakfast will help you lose weight.

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Whatever your reason, it’s not a good idea to start your day without a meal. You’ve likely heard many people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are five reasons that support that statement.

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1. Breakfast is a good source of key vitamins and minerals.

If you eat breakfast every morning, you’re likely adding valuable vitamins and minerals to your daily diet.

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A nutritious breakfast, such as a whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter or a veggie omelet, offers you a sizable amount of protein and relatively few calories from fat. You’re also incorporating important nutrients such as A and B vitamins.

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2. A good breakfast helps curb your hunger the rest of the day

Skipping breakfast may cause you to feel famished throughout the day, leading you to snack on unhealthy food or to eat bigger lunches and dinners.

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A healthy breakfast does not require a lot of time or energy. Even if you’re on the go and don’t have time in the morning, grabbing something as simple as a piece of fruit, hard-boiled eggs or even some Greek yogurt can satiate your hunger until lunchtime.

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3. Your body needs that early boost of energy

Some people choose to skip breakfast because they’re on a diet and wish to cut calories. This is counterproductive because your body craves energy. If you’re not fueling your body, it will begin to look for energy in the form of glycogen, which comes from your lean muscle fiber.

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In the morning, you’re waking up from a long sleep, which means your body has been at rest. It doesn’t have much energy and very little fuel left from the day before. Breakfast will give you the fuel or energy you need for the day ahead, whether you go straight to work or work out before your day starts.

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4. Skipping breakfast increases your risk of heart disease.

Eliminating breakfast from your morning routine can increase your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. One reason is because you’re more likely to eat foods heavy in saturated fats and carbohydrates for lunch and dinner to overcompensate.

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In fact, a study published in the journal Circulation, reports that men who skipped breakfast had almost a 30 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease than men who didn’t skip breakfast.

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5. Missing breakfast slows your metabolism.

Breakfast is a great way to get your metabolism going, which can encourage your body to burn more calories during the day. If you avoid breakfast, your body launches into protection mode, and begins to store as many calories as possible.

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If you’re on a diet, watch your portion size in the morning. You may even want to consider eating smaller meals throughout the day, beginning with breakfast. Research has shown that eating frequent small meals helps keep your cholesterol levels lower and is better for metabolic stability.

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Eating breakfast every morning will kick-start your day in the right direction. But choose healthy foods that you enjoy — if you don’t like what you’re eating, you may not stick with it.