Less time to travel, more time to dedicate to your well-being by starting the day in the right way, that is, with a healthy breakfast to share with the family. According to a research by the Eumetra Institute for the Italian Food Union, in Italy 9 out of 10 people do not give up their first meal in the morning which, in addition to becoming a symbol of rediscovered time, is also a habit that is good for health and mood. And, in fact, the data from the Doxa-Unione Italiana Food Observatory show that, during the first lockdown, 1 out of 3 Italians rediscovered the value of breakfast with their family or partner and 28% dedicated more time to the first meal of the day, with a peak of 35% in the 18-34 age group. The data were disseminated as part of the “I Begin Well” campaign on the occasion of the International Day of Happiness (March 20).
Breakfast and circadian rhythms
In addition to the nutritional point of view, the first meal of the day can also be of help on a mental level. “Consuming breakfast regularly cheers the body and consequently the psyche for several reasons, first of all, due to circadian rhythms – he declares Luca Piretta, nutritionist and gastroenterologist of the Campus Bio-Medico of Rome. “The alternation between light and night regulates the biological rhythms of the human body. Similarly, the arrival of the first morning meal has a role similar to that of light: it synchronizes biological clocks and satisfies the expectation of food, not only by eliminating the feeling of hunger, but also through other chemical manifestations such as increased expression of the enzymes that must digest or of the receptors that must absorb. If the food does not arrive, the mechanism is altered ”.
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Research conducted at the Sussex Innovation Center in Brighton has shown that those who eat after a night’s rest show 89% less anxiety about dealing with difficult situations in life. Having breakfast also reduces stress, which generates discomfort in the whole organism, compromising the psychophysical state of the person. “Eating breakfast helps the mood: dedicating time to its consumption and also to preparation helps to glide slowly over the day, so that waking up is not perceived as a source of stress”, he explains. Gaia Vicenzi, cognitive-behavioral psychologist-psychotherapist and clinical sexologist.
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A set table stimulates the mood. “If we prepare it in advance, even the previous evening, once we wake up, we will have the sensation of having someone ready to welcome us with care. Color also plays a fundamental role: the orange of the juice helps to start the day with a sprint, the blue of the jam stimulates tranquility, the black of the coffee refers to a simple life. In general, attention to detail creates beauty which in turn gives the psyche a feeling of well-being ”, suggests the psychologist.
A shared breakfast makes you happier
Sharing the first meal of the day with loved ones also helps to be happy. “The people we eat with in the morning are a safe haven where we can dock peacefully. Being surrounded by our loved ones, at the table in the morning, makes us feel pampered and food has become a real synonym of affection ”, adds Vicenzi.
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And then there are the health benefits. Several scientific researches have confirmed that a balanced breakfast is beneficial for the cardiovascular system. An American Heart Association study published in the journal Circulation shows that the heart is among the first beneficiaries of a proper breakfast. Eating breakfast regularly regulates the levels of “bad” cholesterol in the blood and improves blood pressure. Furthermore, the study highlights the correlation between diseases such as diabetes and obesity and the bad habit of skipping this meal. A further confirmation comes from a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Nutrition: skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. And a work published on Obesity he adds that those who skip breakfast hoping to lose weight risk a short-term increase in LDL cholesterol.
Why not skip it
Especially those who work in smartworking, now have no more excuses for not having breakfast: “Concentrating all the caloric intake of the metabolism in one or two meals, such as lunch and dinner, is not good. The night’s rest, characterized by many hours of fasting, must be broken by having breakfast: in fact, our cells feed continuously on nutrients, therefore splitting this fast implies a correct metabolic reaction ”, explains Piretta. “Skipping breakfast means stressing the distribution and storage mechanisms of nutrients”. In addition to a question of nutritional balance, the first meal of the day should never be skipped for other reasons. A Japanese study, The Furukama Nutrition and Health Study, conducted on 716 people aged 19-68, linked the consumption of breakfast with the likelihood of developing depressive symptoms. It was found that, in the absence of prior mental disorders, participants’ risk of developing depressive symptoms increased as the frequency with which they ate breakfast decreased.
What to eat for a good start
Without wanting to entrust breakfast with the arduous task of making us happier, it is true that choosing certain foods can give an extra gear: “The nutrients of a sweet, Italian-style breakfast make the breakfast experience a joy for the palate: in cereals there is tryptophan, an amino acid precursor of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. While the calcium contained in milk and yogurt it helps the transmission of nerve impulses for pleasure ”, explains Piretta. “Some foods and drinks that we bring to the table for breakfast – adds the psychologist Vicenzi – stimulate the production of endorphins: cacao, especially dark, but also the matcha tea, typical of Japan, and the coffee”.
Milk, toast and fruit
A few examples? “Green light for a mix of complex carbohydrates and simple sugars, like wholemeal toast or rusks with jam or honey that we can alternate, during the week, with della Spreadable cream, of cereals from breakfast or a baked product”Replies Piretta. This moment can also be an opportunity to prepare gods homemade sweets. The fruit, essential for the supply of vitamins and mineral salts: “It is a good habit to always insert a fruit, or one centrifuge or one juice – adds the nutritionist – it is important not to give up latte, also for the supply of vitamin D, which is essential to take especially in a period in which we do not have sun exposure, since 80% of vitamin D is produced by our skin as a result of the action of the sun’s rays ” .
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