Why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day

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There are two types of people in this world.
Those who eat breakfast, and those that don't.
For those of you who do, you would know what I mean when I say no brekky = cranky hungry monster rearing its ugly head. Simply put, without breakfast I turn into cranky bitch.

So we've all heard the saying 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day'. But why?

• Evens out blood sugar levels

9-12 hours or so without food and your body hasn't had fuel for a very long time. If you leave your first meal 'til lunchtime it's even longer, and your body doesn't like you too much for it.
Blood sugar levels drop and that's when you can become irritable, tired, and find it hard to concentrate.

• Helps control appetite for the rest of the day

Leave your first meal to late morning or lunchtime and you run the risk of grabbing the first thing you find to fill your belly. Often that can be a muffin, muesli bar or sugary treat.
Make the effort to eat a protein rich, nutritious meal first thing in the morning and you make the best possible start to the day. After eating a hearty brekkie you last longer without your next meal or snack, and by the time you feel hungry again you have the time to throw together something healthy, balanced and wholesome.

• Kick starts your metabolism and helps control weight

Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism and helps give you all the energy you need for a busy morning ahead. Skip it and you'll find you're sluggish and slow. Not only that, but a big chunk of those who skip breakfast find that they struggle to control their weight as well, binging later in the day on starchy, sweet foods to help keep them going.

• Looks after your long term health

Going without breakfast over a long period of time can increase your risk of developing health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. Enough said.

• Improves concentration

Research suggests that eating breakfast improves mental performance later in the morning. It is particularly important to teach your kids how eating breakfast will mean they will perform better at school, and find learning new things much easier.

Now, not only is it important to eat breakfast, but what you put on your plate in the morning is equally as important.
A bowl of sugary cereal, blueberry muffin or piece of banana bread isn't going to cut it.
To help us run for longer, perform better and control weight, a well-balanced, high protein breakfast is a must.

My fave at the moment is a morning smoothie. I'm not talking the type of sugar-loaded smoothie you'd find at your local ice-cream shop, but the kind that you throw together yourself.

Here's what I'm having right now to fill me up each morning:

• rice milk/water
• 1 raw egg
• 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil
• 1 scoop WPI (whey protein isolate)
• cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon raw organic cacao powder
• 1-2 teaspoons organic coconut oil
• 1/2 - 1 frozen banana
• a few ice blocks

I have been having this for the past couple of weeks and I love it!
For those who find this isn't quite sweet enough for them you can always add a little agave syrup or other natural sweetener. Personally, I find I don't need any, probably because I haven't been having sugar in my diet for the past few weeks.

What's your favourite breakfast meal?