By Sasheera Mehrani Gounden

A countless number of studies have proven that consuming a healthy breakfast daily enhances concentration levels and boosts metabolism. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas and a glass of freshly squeezed apple or orange juice are healthy breakfast alternatives. The benefits of consuming fruit in the morning are endless. A breakfast of drizzled lemon juice on watermelon detoxifies the body by stimulating the digestive tract. Grapefruit is a nutrient-rich fruit that promotes weight loss and keeps diabetes at bay. Eating one grapefruit a day will secure and improve heart health and reduce blood pressure. Quarter Pounders may taste great but studies have shown meat substitutes can be detrimental to one’s health. Pounders are said to contain close to twice as much salt as a large portion of chips. Substituting processed food with fruit ensures a clear frame of mind as well as a healthy gut.

Influential People’s Breakfasts

Some influential scientists, artists and novelists who chiselled their mark upon history as Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the moon, relied on a hearty breakfast of peculiar taste. While living in exile on the island of Guernsey, Les Miserables author, Victor Hugo ate a breakfast of two eggs accompanied by a cold cup of coffee to spark inspiration for the day. Civil rights leader, Mahatma Gandhi, enjoyed a  plain breakfast of porridge, goat’s milk and cocoa. Professor Albert Einstein was a fan of mushrooms and honey; he consumed honey by the bucketful. It was revealed in the book, “Einstein at Home” that the famous physicist enjoyed eating mushrooms three times a day. Austrian composer, Wolfgang Mozart relied on a protein-packed breakfast of sturgeon, pork cutlets, Flemish inspired beer-and-beef stew and capons, which are large, neutered roosters. Pride and Prejudice author, Jane Austen ate a late breakfast of sticky, thick pound cake served with a hot cup of very sweet tea as the British fancy. Poppies painter, Claude Monet sat down to an early morning breakfast of sausage, toast, herb omelette and tea. Queen Elizabeth consumed a breakfast of thin bread and stew of mutton with grains, flavoured with dandelion-tasting succory. At the penniless age of early twenty, the American inventor, Thomas Edison, would exchange a packet of tea for a morning apple dumpling served with a hot cup of coffee (two for the price of one).