Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? It makes us control hunger and makes it easier to learn and concentrate on tasks. It’s a good idea to start your day with a fruity breakfast. After all, the season for Polish superfruits is in full swing – blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, currants, and soon the sea buckthorn, chokeberry and kiwi berry.
People who eat a good breakfast are less likely to be overweight. Why? A wholesome meal eaten in the morning helps build good eating habits at subsequent times of the day. No snacking, no salty or sugary snacks.
Meanwhile, the results of the study ‘Dietary habits of working Poles’ leave no doubt – as many as 46 per cent of respondents start their day inefficiently by eating breakfast too late, and 16 per cent do not eat a second breakfast at all.
A diet poor in nutrients can lead to a weakened immune system and, ultimately, many diseases. The survey was conducted among 1,055 working people aged 18-65 on behalf of Dailyfruits.
It showed that the diet of only 24 per cent of those surveyed was moderately healthy. Not one respondent achieved a high degree of diet quality! Of the 62 per cent of people convinced that they were eating healthily, only 31 per cent had a moderately healthy diet. As many as 41 per cent of the workers surveyed admitted that they do not eat vegetables every day, and 46 per cent of the workers admitted that they do not eat fruit every day. And these, after all, should be on our plate every day. Vegetables and fruit should make up half of our diet!
This is because they provide most of the vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the entire body. They reduce oxidative stress, are filling and, what is so important in summer, hydrate our body. They are the best source of fibre.
The survey also showed that more than 50 per cent of respondents do not drink enough fluids. When we are thirsty, we are already dehydrated by up to 2 per cent, and it only takes about 0.5 per cent dehydration for concentration problems and distraction to occur. Older people in particular drink very little, and often mistake thirst for hunger and eat instead of drinking. Dehydration increases and exacerbates the decline in brain activity.
Breakfast half an hour after waking up
People who start nourishing their body cells early enough after waking up are much more productive than those who do not eat breakfast. Therefore, the first meal should be eaten no later than half an hour after waking up. When we miss this time, we overeat subsequent meals or uncontrollably reach for snacks. This can lead to the consumption of an average of around 300 kcal more than if breakfast had been eaten on time!
It is with this first meal that we become more able to control our hunger and satiety. A well-composed breakfast ensures that we eat less and are healthier throughout the day. It is easier for us to learn and reproduce the information we have absorbed. We should eat every 3-4 hours, 3-5 meals a day. Then, there is no rapid drop in blood glucose levels and, consequently, we do not have impaired concentration at work, we are not lethargic or irritated.
A healthy diet prevents obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and other diseases of civilisation.
Champions among fruits
In the ‘disease prevention’ category among fruits, berries are undoubtedly the champions. Researchers at Harvard Medical School assert that berries play a major role in protecting against the development of certain cancers and intestinal diseases. This is due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components found in them in large quantities. Blueberries, these treasures from Polish fields, have a beneficial effect on the brain and cognitive processes, as well as on the organ of vision or the condition of the skin. Scientific studies convince us that eating berries regularly also has a beneficial effect on fertility and immunity.
“Regular consumption of berry fruit anthocyanins, as a ‘shield’ in the fight against viruses, should favour the inhibition of viral infectivity by reducing the propagation and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2,” Joanna Jagła of the Strawberry Micropropagation and Breeding Laboratory, Niwa Brzezna, says.
Dietitians and doctors, both Polish and foreign nutrition experts from many renowned scientific, clinical and educational centres, recommend a nutritious diet and the constant presence – every day, in every meal – of fruit, or, more broadly, a plant-based diet.
So let’s eat berries as often as possible, preferably every day. And since breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, let’s include berries: raw, in smoothies, as an addition to yoghurt or cottage cheese, in smoothies, preserves, pancakes and as a ‘snack’ during the meal. It is best to sit down at the table with loved ones. Research shows that breakfast with the family promotes a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables.
If you are looking for inspiration for fruity breakfasts for a fruity day, recipes can be found at polskiesuperowoce.pl.