By Mojabeng Dorcas Senekal

JUST like any other machine, your body needs refuelling in order for it to produce the energy you need. So your breakfast most definitely has to be the right fuel for your body after not feeding it for the 8 hours you spent sleeping. When you wake up, the blood sugar that is required by the body to make your muscles and brain work at best is low, so you need your breakfast to replenish it. This is the meal that kick- starts your metabolism; the process by which the body converts the fuel in food to energy, in turn helping you burn calories throughout the day. So if you deny yourself this fuel, you are most likely to have low to zero energy and then end up over-eating later; now that we do not want. We do not want to fall back to those bad eating habits now do we?

Your regular breakfast should always contain protein to make you alert, carbohydrates that deliver high fibre to help you feel full for long; spike that sugar level, give you energy and make digestion easy. Lastly, a little healthy fat to reduce joint pains and boost the immune system. Remember, you don’t need to eat a big meal for breakfast, no donuts or pastry allowed. Try breakfast smoothies made from low-fat yoghurt, fruit, and a teaspoon of bran or a whole- grain cereal, low-fat milk and fruit, if you are always in a hurry in the morning then protein shakes are the way to go. Breakfast also helps keep your weight in check. Should you not have breakfast, you are likely to consume more calories throughout the day and that is one of the routes to overweight world. In this journey, being true to yourself is your most powerful tool.