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Learn why this important meal should not be skipped.
"I feel dizzy," said my client Hal, an attorney in his 70s. He saw me a couple of times a week for personal training sessions when I worked at a health club.
Hal was sitting on the row machine, which was situated in the middle of the gym. A thousand dire thoughts passed through my mind, and I started asking questions. Finally, one more question occurred to me.
"Did you have breakfast this morning?" I asked.
"No," he replied.
"You didn't have breakfast?," I exclaimed. I must have spoken more loudly than I realized because suddenly the whole gym floor seemed to come to a standstill as everyone waited to hear what would come next.
Since that time, I've kept energy bars at work so I can have my clients eat something before we continue. (I like Larabars because these energy bars do not have added sugar or preservatives.) This happens more than you would think, and sometimes my clients have forgotten lunch, not just breakfast.
Hal saw my point after I explained that the body needs fuel to work on. After all, you've been fasting all night, and the brain needs glucose to function well.
For some time afterward, Hal's gym buddies would inquire if he'd eaten breakfast that morning, which helped reinforce his new habit.
According to Ruth Frechman, MA, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, breakfast is especially important for older people who may need to take medications with food and for people who have diabetes.
Here are some other good reasons for breakfast:
"As you get older, you need fewer calories per day," Frechman warns. "Once you reach 65, you have to consume 25 percent fewer calories in order to maintain your current weight." If you eat the way you always did despite being less active, you'll gain weight. "The more you move, the more you can eat."
Not hungry in the morning? Try eating a smaller dinner and get more physical activity!