How many days a week do your parents have breakfast? How many of those meals are hot breakfasts? February is National Hot Breakfast Month. It’s a great time to look at the benefits of having a hot breakfast to start the day.
Breakfast Increases Energy
During the night, digestion takes place. The glucose in the foods you eat is stored as fat and in the liver, where it is slowly released during the night to ensure the brain has enough glucose to function correctly.
With your stomach empty in the morning, blood sugar levels will be lower than usual. Energy levels won’t be high until caloric intake increases. It can make your mom and dad experience a lack of energy and focus.
Weight Control Starts With Breakfast
Getting back to the liver’s role in glucose release, fluctuating blood sugar levels can make you feel extremely hungry. You end up satisfying that hunger by overeating or making poor nutritional choices. A balanced breakfast helps you avoid eating unhealthy snacks like pastries or doughnuts.
The other benefit of weight control is that it lowers the risk of many chronic illnesses. Some conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are tied to obesity. If you maintain a healthy weight, you lower your risk of these chronic conditions.
Breakfasts Provide Essential Nutrients
Sometimes, older adults do not get enough fiber, calcium, protein, and B vitamins. These are found in breakfast foods like a bowl of oatmeal, an omelet, or an egg sandwich.
Starting the morning with a hot breakfast makes your parents more likely to get the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. Eggs have the protein they need, and a slice of whole-grain toast provides fiber and B vitamins. Fruit slices offer antioxidants. A glass of milk is full of calcium.
Breakfast Helps the Brain
Starting the day with a balanced breakfast helps provide the brain’s required glucose and nutrients. This makes it easier to think logically and avoid finding it hard to process thoughts. A healthy breakfast aids cognitive health.
Do your parents skip breakfast because it’s difficult to cook a meal and clean up after? They don’t have to. With companion care at home services, your parents enjoy meals that someone else prepares throughout the day.
Companion care at home aides cook meals, prepare snacks, and make sure your parents have plenty to drink. Talk to a specialist to learn more about meal preparation services.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring companion care at home in Simpsonville, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.
- Does Your Senior Parent Need Elder Care? - December 11, 2024
- Strategies to Prevent Wandering for Seniors with Alzheimer’s - November 7, 2024
- The Weighing Importance of Senior Home Care in Greenville, SC by Heart of the Carolinas - November 5, 2024