01/31/2022
Do we really need to eat the minute we wake up?
Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?
Will skipping breakfast make me gain weight?
There are a lot of questions about breakfast and weight reduction out there. But have you ever considered what breakfast truly entails? It literally means "breakfast," as in the meal with which you break your fast. Is it necessary to do it first thing in the morning? No. Even if your first meal is in the afternoon, it is still breakfast.
Is it true that our bodies require nourishment first thing in the morning? Again, the answer is no.
Let’s try to understand something known as Dawn Phenomenon. As part of our circadian rhythm, our bodies release a cocktail of hormones between the hours of 4 and 8 a.m. that prepare our bodies to face the day. Growth hormone, adrenaline, cortisol, and glucagon are among these hormones. These hormones raise blood glucose levels through enhancing gluconeogenesis, or the liver's ability to produce glucose. Insulin is released in reaction to an increase in blood glucose, which transports the glucose into cells where it may be utilised for energy production. As a result, we have a system in place to invigorate our bodies every morning without the use of any outside food.
A randomized controlled trial published in BMJ in 2019, concluded that addition of breakfast might not be a good strategy for weightloss. So there is a higher chance of weight reduction and also less caloric intake through out the day if you delay your breakfast.
So if you have been thinking about intermittent fasting, give it a try. Instead of grabbing that bagel with cream cheese for breakfast at 8am, wait until noon and have a hearty salad with grilled salmon or chicken with a whole grain toast and avocado
