EE2

Kerry dePenaloza

Prof. Leake

Writ 1133

20 May 2013

A Breakfast for Champions Manifesto

            If you were to ask someone what they thought the most important meal of the day was, chances are they would respond with breakfast, and they would be right.  Breakfast is not only one of the most delicious meals of the day, but it is extremely vital to your health both mentally and physically.  Personally, breakfast has always been a part of my life.  When my older brother and I were still in school back in St. Louis, my dad would always be the person to prepare breakfast.  When most people think of breakfast, they think of bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, and waffles, and that is exactly what I think of when breakfast comes to mind.  My dad was always a fun cook when it came to breakfast because the same dish was never served twice in a week.  In the article “Breakfast and Your Health” in Harvard Men’s Health Watch, the author states, “the hearty feast of bacon and eggs that you may remember from your youth is hardly a good start by today’s standards, and the doughnut and coffee that have replaced it in today’s fast-paced world is no better.”  Eating breakfast like this every day is not a healthy way to live ones life.  In order to really appreciate what breakfast does to me and others, I need to fully understand the health benefits of certain foods, and how I can eat the food I want to eat, but at the proper amount.  If I am able to do this breakfast will be forever a part of my life and hopefully the lives of others.

            Coming from a background where I always had breakfast before school, I am amazed at the amount of people that choose not to eat breakfast every day at the University of Denver.  I have noticed it a lot more once I got to college probably because I was never around my friends when they ate breakfast before school back home.  In Julie Deardroff’s article “How to Eat Breakfast” she sums up the problem some people have with breakfast by saying, “breakfast comes at a terrible time of day to make a rational decision.  We’re rushed, we’re groggy, and we’re famished.”  It seems pretty obvious that in the morning, your brain is not quite awake, which would account for someone making an irrational decision and skipping breakfast.  As much as someone does not want to eat breakfast, it is really something that should not be skipped.  Unaware to some, breakfast does a lot more then filling your stomach.  Breakfast fuels your brain, it maintains weight, and it provides much needed nutrition. 

            The fact that breakfast fuels your brain may seem hard to believe at first, but when you think about it, it makes plenty of sense.  When you sleep, your brain does not just turn off, in fact it is working the entire time.  Your brain is working to drain its main energy source, glucose, and breakfast is needed to replenish your brains fuel.  In Natalie Smith’s article “Breakfast’s Benefits” she states, “A morning meal replenishes that energy supply.  If you skip breakfast, you are left feeling tired and irritable.”  In this case, the glucose gained from food is exactly like the gas for your car, both requires food to work properly.  It makes a lot of sense that my dad always made sure I was well fed before I left for school.  After refueling my brain with a great breakfast, I was able to focus more in school, succeed on tests, get good grades, and overall just be ready to tackle the day ahead of me. 

Along with fueling your brain, breakfast maintains weight.  Some people may be “skip[ping] breakfast in an effort to curb their daily calorie intake, but what they don’t realize is that they’re usually doing more harm than good” (Smith).  A known fact about weight loss is that you need to burn more calories then you consume in a day in order to maintain a healthy weight.  Its understandable why someone would think that avoiding the breakfast calories would benefit them, however they tend to make poor food decisions due to hunger throughout the day because of that decision.  Simply eating breakfast is not enough for a healthy lifestyle though.

In my life, I have always played sports after school and starting the day with breakfast was always a necessity in order to perform well in school all day and continue that performance into my practices and games after school.  As well as brain fuel and weight maintenance, the nutrients that are provided by a healthy breakfast every day are essential to a daily life.  In Natalie Smith’s article, she refers to the American Dietetic Association saying, “According to the American Dietetic Association, children and teens who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to meet their overall nutrient requirements.”  Many breakfast foods are high in many essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D, iron and folic acid.  All are vital for a healthy life and a productive day. 

As a kid growing up, breakfast was never out of question.  I feel that I can attribute a lot of my success in school to breakfast.  Starting the day off with a complete breakfast really got me ready for the day.  However, my breakfast eating habits have certainly changed a little ever since I arrived to the University of Denver.  As I have gone through my first year as a college freshman, I can certainly see my eating habits changing.  I still have breakfast almost every day, but sometimes I do not have morning classes, and because of this I sleep in and sometimes miss breakfast.  This is a new thing for me and I can easily see the negative effects of skipping breakfast.  Also, the dorm cafeterias have limited selection on healthier breakfast options, which are important to have, I cannot be eating pancakes, bacon, sausage, etc. every day.  Regardless of the excuses I make or others make, breakfast is something that should never be skipped if possible.  Natalie Smith talks about the American Dietetic Association’s observations in her article “Breakfast’s Benefits.”  According to the American Dietetic Association, “more than half of male teenagers and more than two thirds of female teens do not regularly eat breakfast.”  This is an astounding number to me.  I guess it just seems so surprising to me because of the fact that I was brought up with a meal every morning.  At school, some people have some strange breakfast eating habits.

One thing that I have noticed, besides the fact that many people skip breakfast, is the amount of people that do not eat breakfast, but drink coffee or tea in the mornings instead.  I always have a cup of coffee if I have early morning classes, but it is part of my complete breakfast.  First off, if someone is only drinking coffee, they are depriving their body of the necessary nutrients.  Simply drinking coffee pretty much does the opposite of what a healthy breakfast does to your body.  Once the caffeine wares off, the coffee can leave you fatigued, in a bad mood, and even can lead to weight gain.  It is important to eat breakfast along with the coffee.

The key about breakfast is that there are some many unhealthy things you can eat.  It may be one of the most important meals of the day, but it can also be one of the unhealthiest if breakfast is not done right.  The most common mistake about breakfast is that people tend to eat too many simple carbohydrates.  Simple carbohydrates are things like sugary cereals, white breads, and toast.  Simple carbohydrates have an effect on the body that results in a surge the body’s blood sugar levels.  As science tells us, when blood sugar levels get too high, the pancreas releases insulin.  According to “The Southern Reporter,” “the insulin removes sugar from the blood and puts it into storage, primarily fat.  The result is a decreased level of blood sugar and a hunger for more carbs.”  Simple carbohydrates are a part of a lot of major breakfast foods and are some times hard to avoid.  Simple carbohydrates are very prevalent and they can “leave you starving by 11 a.m. and craving sugary foods” (DeCostole).  In order to avoid the inevitable release of insulin after eating food with simple carbohydrates, a protein-based breakfast is an excellent substitute.  The more protein-based diet provides necessary nutrients and energy that is vital to the body, and at the same time it avoids the increase in blood sugar ultimately limiting the release of insulin.  In regards of a protein-based breakfast, “The Southern Reporter” states, “it helps to avoid a dependence on carbs during the day and in this way, appetite stays under control and the body uses stored fats to get more energy.”  It seems like the best choice to eat more protein-based breakfasts.  Incorporating more fruits, protein, and good oats is ultimately the best type of food for the most successful day. 

            The idea of having three square meals a day has always been a part of my life.  As I have gotten older and more educated, the reason for having three square meals has taken a new meaning with my understanding of how the body works and what the body needs.  However, I never really thought much of the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” until now.  I always knew it was important, but never this important.  After researching the idea of breakfast, I have learned a lot.  Breakfast is something that should not be treated lightly.  I will be tailoring my breakfast meals from now on in order to get the energy I need to get through the day.  I will be eating more protein-based foods, more fruits, less simple carbohydrates, and always eating when I drink coffee.  It is imperative the my brain be properly fueled for a long day of schoolwork ahead.  I will certainly be getting up a few minutes earlier in order to leave myself enough time to prepare a healthier breakfast seeing as how the cafeteria does not supply the healthiest options.  Breakfast will forever be a part of my life, it is better to know the benefits at a younger age than to never have known them at all. 

Works Cited

“Breakfast and Your Health.” Harvard Men’s Health Watch, Vol. 9, No. 7. February,    2005.

Deardorff, Julie. “How to Eat Breakfast: What you eat in the morning can make or break your

            day.” Orlando Sentinel. August 18, 2009.

DeCostole, Jessica. “Eat this for Breakfast!” Redbook, Vol. 208, No. 1, p. 56. January    2007.

“Feel Good by Eating a Healthy Breakfast.” The Southern Reporter Apr 13 2013.                                   ProQuest. Web. 22 May 2013

Smith, Natalie. “Breakfast’s Benefits.” Scholastic Choices, Vol. 21, No. 1, p. 18-20.          September, 2011