Should You Eat Breakfast?
The answer to “Should you eat breakfast” is “yes.. but when should you eat it?. Everyone is unique and has different nutritional needs, what this article about is learning to listen to your body and it’s hunger signals to work out when YOU should eat breakfast.
Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal Of The Day?
The phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” may be something we have heard all our lives, but did you know it was actually created by the Kellogg company in 1944? It was a clever marketing campaign that made Kellogg’s cereal a household name. The idea behind this phrase was to encourage people to eat breakfast every day and to make sure that it was their most important meal. Fast forward to today, and you can still find this phrase being used in many different forms of media. So, next time you hear someone say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” just remember that it all started with Kellogg’s!
When Should You Eat Breakfast?
So what’s the truth? Breakfast is just the meal that breaks-your-fast and it’s time for you to listen to your body for when you should break your fast.
- Do you eat breakfast because you think you are supposed to?
- Do you eat it out of habit?
- Are you not actually hungry that early in the day?
Starting your day off with pure carbs like cereal or toast with jam is like setting yourself up for a big insulin spike (to learn more about insulin spikes, watch my video here). Sure, you may feel energized and satisfied in the short-term, but it’s only a matter of time before you’re craving more carbs to keep that energy going. It’s like throwing kindling on the fire constantly. Instead of relying on quick fixes, why not start your day off with something that will keep you feeling full and energized all day long?
So What Should You Do?
If you really are hungry in the mornings, have some protein and maybe some fat. This could be a couple of eggs, leftover dinner, chia pudding or a protein smoothie. If you do make a smoothie, skip the dates and bananas.. they are really high in sugar.
If you’re not actually hungry, your blood sugar is likely still high from last night’s dinner. If this is the case, try pushing your breakfast back another hour or even skipping it all together. Why? It’s no secret that fasting can be a great way to lose weight and stay healthy, but did you know that the longer you naturally fast, the better chance your body has of tapping into its fat storeroom? That’s right – by fasting for longer periods of time, you can access your body’s fat reserves and use them for energy. If you don’t feel comfortable skipping breakfast, then don’t do it. Some of my clients don’t eat dinner, whatever works for you and your schedule. The idea is to shorten your eating window and it doesn’t matter which meal you drop.
How To Fast
Most people start by pushing their breakfast time back later and later, then drop that first meal altogether. You need to learn to listen to your body for true hunger signals, not just going by the clock. You will catch yourself thinking “It’s midday? I’m not even hungry!”
Here are some fasting tips:
- Drink lots of water
- Stay busy
- Drink black coffee, tea or herbal tea
- Don’t have any MCT oil while fasting (bulletproof coffee)
- Ride out the hunger waves, distract yourself for 10 minutes
- If you feel hungry, put a pinch of Himalayan Sea Salt under your tongue
- Follow a low-carb diet between fasting periods. This reduces hunger and makes intermittent fasting much easier
- Don’t binge after fasting, just eat your regular meal
- You don’t have to fast every day. If you are invited out to brunch with friends.. go and enjoy!