Would you start a journey in a car with an empty tank?
According to nutritionists, this is exactly how we should approach the issue of eating breakfast in the morning.
It's true that, unlike a car, our bodies have their own reserves for energy, but constantly forcing the body to function at the expense of these reserves is not a good idea.
It is confirmed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day..
The ideal time to eat the breakfast is within a maximum of two hours of waking up.
Why is breakfast important?
breackfast starts the metabolismin order for metabolic processes to continue normally until the end of the day - the absorption of food and the use of calories.
When you start your day by eating right after waking up, your body perceives this as meaning that there will be plenty of calories available throughout the day. But if food is not eaten in the morning, it is a signal to him that he should save energy consumption as much as possible until the end of the day and to do so, slow down his metabolism.
breackfast provides energy for the physical and mental activities we have to perform during the day at home, work, or school.
Eating breakfast prevents large fluctuations in blood sugar levels and regulates appetite.
Additionally, starting the day with breakfast helps us make healthy food choices throughout the day.Unlike a depleted body, a strong feeling of hunger usually pushes us to consume easily available, unhealthy ready-made products.
It's hard to say whether breakfast itself is a factor in better health, or if people who eat breakfast regularly also lead a generally healthy lifestyle. However, it is clear that according to studies, regular breakfast consumption is associated with better health, lower cholesterol levels, along with better memory and concentration, reducing the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
What happens if you skip breakfast?
When you wake up, your blood sugar (glucose) level is low and needs to be replenished before you start an active day, as glucose is the main source of energy for the muscles and brain to function properly.
Low blood sugar is the reason why skipping breakfast can lead to a much stronger feeling of hunger later in the day. This increases the likelihood of overeating and consuming too many easily digestible carbohydrates. This can have an impact on your weight and overall health.
Strong hunger prompts us to eat whatever food is most readily available around us at the moment.This often happens with so-called "fast food", various confectionery products, products with a high content of sugar, fat and salt.
By skipping breakfast, you may not be able to replenish your body with the recommended daily amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals by the end of the day.
Regularly skipping breakfast reduces attention, concentration, and memory.
According to studies, skipping breakfast 4-5 times a week is associated with a 55% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The impact of breakfast on body weight
If you're trying to lose weight, cutting calories by skipping breakfast isn't a good idea.
Studies show that people who lose weight and successfully keep it off eat breakfast regularly.
However, it is important to pay attention to how much food we eat for breakfast, because people who start the day with a large portion often continue to eat large portions throughout the day.
It is also important what is on your breakfast plate. It should not be foods rich in simple carbohydrates (sweets, baked goods, confectionery).Starting the morning with such products usually leads to an increased craving for sweets throughout the day.
During a diet aimed at losing weight, breakfast can contain 300-500 calories, however, it is more important than counting calories that it be balanced and consist of foods that have high nutritional value for the body.
As already mentioned, regular breakfast eaters lose weight more easily and maintain the lost body mass more easily.
Breakfast helps the body control appetite by maintaining stable blood glucose levels and preventing feelings of extreme hunger, which can lead to uncontrolled consumption of food in excessive amounts and composition.
Additionally, it has been observed that breakfast eaters are more physically active during the day and, consequently, burn more calories.
The importance of breakfast for children
This part of the diet is even more important for the child's actively growing body.
Children who skip breakfast have a reduced ability to concentrate. They tend to get tired easily, lack energy, and are moody. Consequently, there is a high risk that such a child will perform poorly in school.
Lunch and dinner alone may not be enough to replenish the body and we may end up lacking vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
In the case of children, hunger also increases the likelihood of consuming "junk food," which affects weight and overall health.
Children who develop the habit of eating breakfast tend to make healthier food choices later in the day and generally into adulthood.
The example set by parents plays a huge role in instilling the habit of eating breakfast.
What should we have for breakfast?
The breakfast diet should include:
- Carbohydrates – which provide the body with energy shortly after eating
- Protein – which provides energy later after eating
- Cellulose – which causes a feeling of fullness and delays hunger
- Healthy fats, vitamins, minerals.
These types of products include: less processed complex carbohydrates, low-fat dairy products, fruits, and nuts.
Some ideas for breakfast
- Whole grains with fruits and nuts. For example, oats with berries and nuts.
- Peanut butter and toast made from whole wheat flour. You can replace the peanuts with avocado.
- Eggs or omelet with various vegetables.
- Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, natural yogurt without additives or sweeteners.
- Shake with milk and various fruits.
Coffee instead of breakfast
For many people, it is a common routine to start the day with coffee upon waking up, and even replace their entire breakfast with one cup of coffee.
In fact, coffee is not the drink that fits into the morning routine, and there are several reasons for this.
Due to its specific effect on the hormone cortisol, drinking coffee upon waking causes a surge of energy in the body, although later in the day this effect is replaced by a sharp decrease in energy and increased irritability.
In addition, after 8 hours of sleep, the body is somewhat dehydrated, meaning it experiences a lack of water, and coffee, with its pronounced diuretic effect, further exacerbates this condition.
Whether drinking coffee on an empty stomach provokes gastrointestinal problems is not currently known, but there are no studies confirming a solid association.However, some people associate coffee consumption in the morning with various unpleasant sensations, such as heartburn, bloating, nausea, and vomiting.
To protect yourself from these negative influences, this is the ideal time to drink your first cup of coffee of the day. გაღვიძებიდან 3-4 საათის შემდეგ.
Common reasons for skipping breakfast
On average, every second person's morning routine does not include breakfast.
The reason for this may be:
- Difficulty finding time to prepare and eat breakfast or wanting to spend more time in bed
- tiredness
- Lack of feeling hungry in the morning
- Boredom of the same products
- Lack of suitable food for breakfast at home
- Lack of funds to supply products
- Desire to lose weight
- Ethno-cultural reasons
For many people, finding time to prepare meals in the morning is a difficult task.
In such a case, a better option is to prepare breakfast the night before – non-perishable products can be placed on the table in advance, and the rest can be placed in the refrigerator in an easily accessible place.
For greater simplicity, it is possible to plan together with family members at the beginning of the week which products will be used for breakfast on which day.
Another option is to prepare breakfast in a way that you can eat it on the way to work or upon arrival at your destination.Or, if the appropriate environment and conditions exist, products that can be used for breakfast should be stored in the office itself.
It is important to plan to set aside 10-15 minutes each morning for breakfast. This can be done by removing non-essential tasks from your morning routine, such as checking social media, and dedicating that time to breakfast.
Preparing your clothes and bag the night before for going out will also help free up time for breakfast the next day.
For some, starting the morning with breakfast is unthinkable because even thinking about food upon waking up causes unpleasant feelings.This may be caused by the habit of eating late at night or less interest in foods associated with breakfast.Therefore, to increase appetite in the morning, it is recommended to reduce the portion size of the last meal of the day and eat it at least 2-3 hours before bedtime (not late at night).
Try new recipes. Adapt breakfast foods to your taste.
If these measures are ineffective, move breakfast time a little later, but try to eat healthy foods.
Even if you skip breakfast, you should choose healthy foods for lunch and dinner to meet your daily nutrient needs.
Author: Elga Giorgadze (MD of Endocrinology)
