Shake Up Your Wake Up with Farmhouse Breakfast Week

Eating breakfast is important, it's been proven to boost weight loss and those who eat breakfast are less likely to have issues with their weight. If we separate it then breakfast is two words, "break" and "fast", and it is intended to break the fast of not eating over night. If you don't eat something when you wake up then you are effectively running on nothing. And we should aim to eat something within an hour of waking,

That's why I'm supporting Farmhouse Breakfast Week this coming week from tomorrow until next Saturday. They're trying to get the UK to eat breakfast, something I fully support.

I never used to eat breakfast in my teenage years, I might have grabbed a cereal bar which I may have eaten late morning or at lunch, sometimes in between seminars I would grab a cake in the canteen. Not good. Not healthy. Not what my body needed. At university I started to eat breakfast more regularly but I didn't eat it every day, especially when I was writing my final assignments and dissertation. I'd get up, get dressed and head straight to the library to work often forgetting breakfast. But eating something when I got up became vitally important for me last year, I started my post graduate course and was up early in the morning, travelling and having long days. I couldn't survive without something to eat when I woke up. Now if I don't eat breakfast I'm grumpy, I'm tired by late morning and I'm more likely to be tempted by chocolates, cakes and cookies.

I want to encourage people to make their own healthy breakfasts and not succumb to sugary cereals, cereal bars, pastries or muffins. With a little forward planning at the weekend or the night before it is easy or setting the alarm 5 to 10 minutes earlier to get up and make a nutritious bowl of oats topped with fruit and/or nuts.

Not hungry when you wake up? If you can't face something straight away in the morning then wait until 9 or 10am. It still counts as breakfast. Just pick something that will give you energy and is good for you like eggs or porridge, not unhealthy like a muffin that will just give you a sugar high and leave you crashing later. I have a great on the go breakfast recipe coming up for you tomorrow.

Farmhouse Breakfast Week is being supported by Nadia Sawalha, check out the video below for her advice on why eating breakie is so important.

There are lots of breakfast recipes on the Shake Up Your Wake Up website, including this yummy honey and walnut bread I made on New Year's Eve for breakfast on New Year's Day. It was lovely, toasted or just as it is. It was filling but didn't lie heavy in my stomach. There was a light sweetness from the honey and a good crunch from the walnuts. I'd definately make it again. It went down well with my family too.

And Nadia Sawalha has shared her breakfast scone recipe in this video.

To help me through the coming week, the guys at Farmhouse Breakfast Week have sent me a lovely hamper with lots of goodies in it, like oats, porridge pots, breads, cereals, fruits, honey and preserves. I can't wait to get trying them out.

During Farmhouse Breakfast Week they are encouraging the nation to get involved by taking part in #BreakfastWatch. All you need to do is snap a shot of your breakfast and upload it to the social media of your choice - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest and tag them with #BreakfastWatch. I'll be posting pictures of my breakfasts on my Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram under the hashtag #BreakfastWatch all week long. As well as blogging breakfast recipes and tips here on The Road To Less Cake.

If doing something for your health isn't incentive enough then one lucky UK participant of #BreakfastWatch will be chosen at random and will be offered the choice of either a five star luxury hotel break for two or a family 'glamping' say for for at a Featherdown Farm. And of course, both options include a scrumptious daily breakfast.

Even if you don't live in the UK why not tag your breakfast pictures under #BreakfastWatch and use the week to think about what you are eating when you get up in the morning. Are you eating breakfast? Do you need to shake things up and eat something different for breakie? Could your morning food choices be made healthier?

You can follow Farmhouse Breakfast Week on Twitter @BreakfastWeek and @BreakfastWatch or share pictures of your breakfast with them on Pinterest.