Time To Chow Down

Ashton Larabee

11/22/16

Marty Baldwin

English 101

            Since starting college I’ve felt totally drained and I feel a general lack of energy. My mom has told me for years to start my day by eating breakfast.  She is convinced that eating breakfast will help my energy levels. I decided to wake up every morning around 7 or 7:30 to go down to the dining hall, bedhead and all, to start eating breakfast for my experiment. It’s something I’ve never done even as a child. I never take the time out of my morning to sit down and eat breakfast. I would rather get that extra 30 minutes of sleep instead of eating breakfast. Breakfast has never been a priority in the morning for me, I set my alarm for the latest time possible and rush out the door.

            Since I was a little girl I’ve always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The United States Department of Agriculture states “Research shows that students who eat breakfast at school have increased standardized achievement test scores, improved attendance and reduced tardiness. Other research shows that students who eat breakfast have improved academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning.” After my week-long experiment of eating breakfast every morning I am now a strong believer! I was skeptical at first because I didn’t believe it would make a difference.  I was only angry because I thought it would be taking away precious sleeping time. I wanted more energy so that’s where my excitement for this experiment came from.

            Before doing the experiment, I would have trouble focusing on my school work and could barely climb up all the hills to class but when eating breakfast, I could do all that and more. I would rely on taking naps after class to make it through the rest of the day but I didn’t have to do that during my week-long experiment. The time I was usually napping I used that time to get homework done. That week was by far the most productive week I’ve had at college

            Throughout the day I felt a big difference. I felt myself smiling more and feeling uplifted and focused. The first day was the hardest. I wasn’t used to getting up so early and my body didn’t like having food in it so early in the morning. The first morning I ate eggs, diced potatoes and a small bowl of yogurt with granola and coconut. I didn’t feel a difference the first day or even the second. I felt drained from waking up so early so on the second day I decided to get my breakfast to go so I could eat in my bedroom. On that day, I ate a potato skillet bowl, a biscuit, pineapples, and a breakfast quesadilla. Reaching the third day it was becoming more familiar and I felt a surge of energy running through my body and it continued the rest of the week. The third day I ate a breakfast croissant sandwich, potato patties and bacon. I found that eating the protein and carbs made the biggest difference on my mood and energy.

            In an article, I read by Nicole Clancy she did a similar experiment but instead of never eating breakfast like me she was a big breakfast eater and did the opposite of my experiment. Her experiment was to not eat breakfast for a week. She experienced hunger, lousiness, loss of sleep, and no weight loss. It’s similarly to what I experienced but opposite. I was sleeping longer and harder which felt amazing compared to my regular sleep schedule. I noticed that I wasn’t snacking at all during the day. Eating breakfast allowed me the energy and fuel to make it all the way to lunch time.

            I often hear college kids complaining about having no energy.  Most people I know turn to coffee to give them a boost to wake up and get through the day. If we set aside a few minutes to eat breakfast, we will all have the energy we need. A simple bowl of cereal or pancakes with bacon will have a big difference on your day rather than skipping breakfast and eating nothing.

            After this experience, I realized that by not eating breakfast I was missing opportunities to achieve better days and a more energized lifestyle. I felt sluggish and craved energy. On the days I ate breakfast I felt more productive in getting my work done. I wasn’t relying on naps or snacks to get me through the rest of the day. I felt a huge difference from not eating breakfast to eating every morning. From now on I will continue to eat breakfast so I can achieve more throughout the day and through schoolwork. For anyone skeptical of this experiment I recommend you trying it and I guarantee you will see a difference for the better.

 

Work Cited

"Serving a Healthy Breakfast - Food And..." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

@PreventionMag. "6 Things That Happened When I Stopped Eating Breakfast." Prevention. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.