To Eat Or Not To Eat – Breakfast, I Mean

Do you eat breakfast, or do you skip it as you run out of the door to sit in traffic every morning?

There are many various opinions circulating around about whether you should eat breakfast, or not.

If you have a good diet and eat raw, fresh, organic (when possible), and maintain this as a lifestyle, I advise eating when you are hungry and don’t eat when you’re not. Grazing throughout the day on smaller portions of food at one sitting is actually healthier for you – your stomach has less to digest at one time, and your absorption of nutrients is typically much more efficient.

Your Lifestyle

Eating habits really depend upon your lifestyle.

If you work at home, you can nibble throughout the day on healthy foods, and you can eat whenever your body asks you to eat – that’s when you are hungry.

But, if you work outside of the home and have to fight traffic everyday to simply arrive at work on time, well, that’s a different story, isn’t it?

And, if you have children in public schools who have to arrive at a scheduled time BEFORE you leave for work, oh my – let’s complicate this scenario all the more.

What gets left out of this routine? Breakfast.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones who gets to work from home, so my hunger tends to dictate my day.

Some days, I wake up hungrier than others, and some mornings, I am not hungry at all and I eat my “breakfast” as an early lunch – or should I say that I eat my lunch for breakfast? Since I am at my home office every day, I can eat my dinner early (sometimes at 4:00 PM), which I believe is much healthier to do before sunset.

My eating schedule is never the same. I eat a small portion of something nutritious when I am hungry. 

As I write in my 10-Steps To Detoxification ebook program, when the sun goes down your body begins its repair and restoration cycle, which includes detoxification, because melatonin induces sleep, which is when your body CAN repair. After the sun goes down during the night, your body cleans up what it took in during the day, it heals wounds and cuts, and restores your organs and tissues – all while you sleep.

The last thing your body needs is to be digesting a heavy late-night meal when it is supposed to be cleaning things up, and have you noticed that eating a late meal can make you hungrier when you wake up.

I strongly believe that your body will tell you when it needs to eat; it lets you know that it needs fuel, and it lets you know what that fuel needs to be through cravings. And, no – craving a candy bar or a donut isn’t what I mean.

Sometimes you crave salad and at other times, you may crave chicken. If you ARE craving sugar, try eating more protein.

Let’s get back to eating breakfast ….

Benefits of Breakfast

For those who feel that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, here are some common benefits to eating breakfast in the morning:

1. Maintains diabetes/blood sugar levels;
2. Decreases appetite;
3. Sharpens your memory and cognitive function;
4. Helps you lose weight and maintain it;
5. Provides needed nutrients that support energy;
6. Prevents eating disorders, such as binge eating;
7. Lessens daily migraines.

The New Opposing Camp

Breakfast has been a tradition in most cultures for centuries, but scientists at Cornell University have a different way of thinking. Their data shows that skipping breakfast a few times a week may help you lose weight and will not cause you to eat more during the day.

If you are diabetic, hypoglycemic, pregnant, or a growing child, you might disagree with the Cornel researchers, but as I always say – eat when you are hungry and don’t eat when you’re not, and if you have a healthy and balanced diet, let your body tell you when it needs to eat.

Skipping breakfast a few days each week may help if you are overweight. It can encourage your body to do some fat-burning first thing in the morning, but remember that this can also encourage binge eating when you finally eat your first meal of the day – more than likely you will be too hungry at this point.

The primary point about skipping breakfast is that it is basically a form of intermittent fasting. Just don’t overeat when you have your first meal of the day.

Every person is different, so skipping breakfast may be fine for some people, but not for others. Keep in mind that we all have a different biochemistry, genetics, lifestyle, etc.

I actually feel that this outlook applies for everything in health and wellness, but that’s for another article.

When You Eat

Consider the fact that WHEN you eat isn’t as important as WHAT you eat.

If you have a history of overeating or eating mostly unhealthy foods, consider making some breakfast modifications.

Eating refined carbs like donuts, sugary cereals, sweet rolls and muffins will raise your blood sugar levels first thing in the morning, which, in turn, keeps you hungry all day.

Adopt an eating plan that works the best for you, and stick with that program.  Consistency is the key to most health and wellness programs.

Breakfast Tip Ideas

Here are some practical breakfast tips, especially if you have a busy schedule:

1. Prepare breakfast the night before – put some oat meal in the crockpot before you go to bed, and it’s ready for you the next morning;
2. Make a morning smoothie for your to-go-cup, and drink it in the car when going to work or school – this is great for children; how does a coffee-banana smoothie sound?
3. Scramble eggs and store them in cupcake containers in the freezer – thaw them out during your morning commute and heat them up at the office;
4. Brown bag a sack lunch for breakfast – remember that WHAT you eat is less important than WHEN you eat; lunch for breakfast works just fine;
5. Enjoy fresh fruit when on the run, including an avocado for breakfast;
6. Keep boiled eggs in the fridge to grab-and-go whenever you are hungry;
7. Freeze yogurt popsicles for a quick nourishing breakfast;
8. Pre-prepare egg-sausage taquitos or homemade egg-hot pockets to keep in the fridge and heat them up when you arrive at work;
9. While the coffee is brewing, slice an apple and top the slices with peanut butter, granola, and fresh nuts.

The time that you eat your breakfast is less important than what you eat for the first meal of your day.

Here’s to your healthy choices! 

 

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, and is educational in nature. The FDA may not have evaluated some of the statements.  This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding supplements or making any changes to your dietary program.

Before taking vitamins, consult your doctor; pre-existing medical conditions or medications you are taking can affect how your body responds to multivitamins.