A good breakfast for good performance

When life is hectic and schedules are busy, it is not always easy to maintain balanced and healthy eating habits. However, when our bodies are pampered with proper nutrition, it is easier to cope with stress, have energy and stay active throughout the day at work. Unfortunately, more and more Canadians are skipping the most important meal of the day – breakfast.

In a health news item on BBC UK, Dr. Mark Pereira and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that people who skip the first meal of the day increase their chances of having a heart attack, becoming obese and developing diabetes. In the study, they discovered that people who eat whole grain cereals every morning are among those most likely to benefit from the healthy meal. They also found that people who ate breakfast everyday were a third less likely to gain more weight or to be obese compared to those who skipped the meal. They were also half as likely to have blood-sugar problems, which increase the risk of having high cholesterol and developing diabetes, both of which are known to be risk factors for heart disease. In addition, the researchers believe that eating first thing in the morning helps stabilize blood sugar levels that regulate appetite and energy. They also suggest that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be hungry during the day and therefore less likely to overeat.

Molly Crockett, a Gates Scholar at the University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute said in an interview that the brain needs certain nutrients to allow its chemicals to function properly. The brain generates serotonin from an amino acid that is obtained exclusively through diet, especially cheese, poultry, meat, oats and chocolate. Furthermore, low levels of serotonin have long been the suspected culprit for playing a role in aggression and emotions. People who attempt suicide as well as criminals and alcoholics are said to be sufferers of low serotonin in the brain. Molly Crockett added that what these people have in common is that they are impaired in terms of controlling their emotions in social situations and in decision-making.

In Canada, 15 million employees spend half of their waking hours at work. At least one of their meals is consumed there. Also, depending on their work schedule, all of their meals might take place during work hours. So, it’s fair to say that an employee’s eating habits can be greatly influenced by the workplace and co-workers. To keep your body and mind fuelled with good nutrients throughout the day, consider the following quick and easy breakfast tips:

• Eat within two hours of getting out of bed
• If you’re rushed or short for time, bring along some fruit, crackers, cheese and eat when you arrive at your destination.
• If driving to work, a bite before leaving the house will make you more a responsive driver. Even having just one banana will tide you over for a couple of hours.

If we don’t refuel our body in the morning, we must draw fuel from our own body’s energy store until lunchtime. Skipping breakfast may also cause irritability, tiredness and an inability to focus and perform well. “Breakfast” means to break the overnight fast. It’s really simple, eating breakfast in the morning will allow us to recharge the energy that was depleted overnight so that we can begin each day fully restocked with the fuel we need to perform effectively at work.

Sources:
www.winnipegfreepress.com
Weighing in on workplace health - Canadian HR Reporter, December 17, 2007

Michele Majul is an HR Professional with Canada Post Corporation in Prairie Region. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Certificate in Human Resource Management.

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