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Today’s urban dwellers share the common habit of dismissing breakfast from their morning priorities, which ultimately allows their busy schedules to override their well-being. Taking a few minutes to eat truly makes a difference to your day, and as a result, can transform your morning blues into positive energy. While many of us are accustomed to eating a balanced lunch or tucking into an indulgent dinner with friends, breakfast can truly start your day on a solid note. Although specialists have long since heralded the benefits of a hearty breakfast, even the most diehard health fanatics can occasionally neglect the first meal of the day.

In fact, breakfast can regulate the body’s metabolic system and glucose levels. To actively digest your food and burn calories, the first meal of the day is an essential component that kick starts your metabolism. Breakfast has a substantial effect on your body, because the time spent sleeping is the longest your body goes without food. It is advised to eat something within two hours of waking, in order to supply your body with essential nutrients that act as energy sources throughout the day.

The body relies on breakfast to replenish your glucose levels, which are low in the mornings as glucose stores are released overnight. Without breakfast, the body lacks a sufficient supply of energy, causing you to feel irritated, stressed and weary. Many studies claim that breakfast improves cognitive function, boosting your ability to concentrate and retain information. Therefore, rushing to get out the door is no excuse for skipping breakfast, as it negatively impacts the way your mind and body operates, and causes a counterproductive effect on your day.

Those who do not eat breakfast tend to nibble on snacks to compensate for their hunger. Quick on-the-go snacks typically have a high concentration of fat and salt, but an insufficient supply of fibres and vitamins. Turning to high-calorie foods and drinks is an unhealthy alternative for providing the body with energy to get through the day. In the long term, breakfast can reduce chances of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart complications.

Overall, we think it may be worthwhile to incorporate breakfast into your jam-packed workday. Consider some healthy options, such as Greek yogurt, oatmeal with antioxidant-rich bluberries or freshly squeezed juice. Whatever you do, be sure to avoid unneccesary sugars and processed ingredients. At the end of the day, the first meal of the day just may be the one that defines how the next few hours will go. With September well underway, we’re all about bringing that back to school energy into our working schedules- so a nutritious morning feast just may be the solution.