Whether breakfast is really the most important meal of the day is up for question. Some experts think it is, some don’t. Some people eat breakfast, others skip it or just drink a smoothie. Skipping meals has become part of our fast food culture, a way of life. Some research suggests fasting can be good but skipping entire meals, for long periods of time, can actually make you more miserable in the long run.
Risks of Skipping Breakfast
Healthy adults were tested on days they skipped breakfast, had regular meals, and on days when dinner was skipped. Each was tested for hormone levels, glucose, and insulin from a blood test. Overall, it was discovered people burned more calories over a 24-hour period when they fasted overnight and skipped lunch or dinner, rather than skipping breakfast. Glucose concentrations and inflammation along with insulin resistance all increased after lunch on days when breakfast was skipped. Chronic inflammation can potentially increase the risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. What this means is that if you are someone who skips breakfast regularly, you may be putting your body at risk.
Why it Matters
Inflammation, over the long term, can have a detrimental effect on how you feel and how your body feels. Skipping breakfast can affect metabolism or how the body breaks down food and responds to stress and other things throughout the day. You may end up feeling more tired in the middle to end of the day than if you had a good meal first thing. If your goal is to lose weight, inflammation can actually keep weight on by burning fat stores which makes the body think it is starving. It will use calories in a different way than if you had three good meals a day, starting with breakfast. Skipping meals and intermittent fasting is not realistic and can also lead to weight gain as it may result in unhealthy snacking or overeating. So, if you catch yourself skipping breakfast but running to the vending machine at work to grab a soda or bag of chips by 10 am, you likely are starving your body of nutrients but filling up on sugar and bad calories. Metabolism and blood sugar control are better in the morning than at night. It makes more sense to eat more food first thing and taper meals down to smaller ones throughout the day as the body needs less fuel. Circadian rhythms are designed to use more fuel earlier in the day when it is light out, followed by less food when it is dark. If you are feeling miserable and skipping breakfast, try eating oatmeal, low sugar yogurt or a green smoothie to start the day. Not a big breakfast person? Try going light rather than skipping altogether. See how you feel when you eat something for breakfast rather than skip it altogether. You might be surprised by the results.
Oceanfront believes in the power of healthy eating for healthy living. We help you find ways of building nutrition into your recovery program. If you are struggling with eating habits in recovery, we can help you get on the right track with our programs and services. We are here to help you work on recovery in a beautiful, serene setting in Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you will help you navigate addiction recovery: 877-279-1777
