Food, glorious food.........
The most important meal of the day...
So what did you eat this morning...did you enjoy your breakfast?-...did you even have a breakfast?
Teachers can nearly always identify students who don’t have a proper balanced diet. Often, they are the students who don’t work to their potential and suffer from inattention and concentration problems.
"One study found that children who ate a healthy breakfast had higher energy levels and better learning ability than similar students who did not eat breakfast. Another study conducted by Harvard researchers found that students who ate breakfast were "…significantly more attentive in the classroom, earned higher grades in math, and had significantly fewer behavioral and emotional problems."
Sadly, many of us feel we do not have the time for a proper breakfast. Irish society has become faster and faster. In many ways we are adopting the American experience. But work done by American researchers should give us plenty of advice and warning:
According to the Healthy Children website, about 8 to 12 percent of school-age children skip breakfast entirely, and among adolescents, this rate is even higher, reaching up to 30 percent.
Kids who eat breakfast have better concentration during school hours than kids who skip the morning meal. According to pediatrician Dr. William Sears, children who eat breakfast also participate more in class discussions, are better able to handle complex problems in class and get better grades. In particular, a breakfast meal containing a balance of protein and complex carbohydrates boosts school performance for the remainder of the day.
Clearly, then those who begin the day with a good breakfast enjoy an advantage. If you don’t eat breakfast you should remember that your school day starts at home in the morning. You should consider time spent making and having breakfast as important as study or class time.
Balance is everything
Before you can study properly good health and physical wellbeing is necessary. There are seven building blocks for a healthy diet, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and of course water .
Remember also the food pyramid...avoid the sugary sweet foods, saving them for an occasional treat. Remember too that many cheap processed foods and drinks have additives that often badly affect concentration and behaviour. Listen to what Dr Phil found out...
In a well-publicized study of one million schoolchildren enrolled in the New York City school system, IQ scores improved by 14 percent after additives, dyes, artificial flavorings and color were removed from their lunches!
So, be healthy and happier in school...having a good breakfast, keep a balanced diet and cut out the junk food. If you don’t do this, start now- you’ll be amazed at how quickly your school performance will improve!
For more reading:
For viewing:
