Hey there, readers! Given everybody’s hectic schedule, we spend more time rushing around than focusing on our health. We sometimes even forget to eat. This includes the most important meal of the day.
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| Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash |
DID YOU KNOW THAT NEARLY A QUARTER OF AMERICANS SKIP BREAKFAST?
While it may seem convenient, there are actually several long-term effects. Let’s talk about What Happens To Your Body When You Skip Breakfast Every Day. Can you gain weight? Do you experience mood swings? Will you become dizzy? Wait… Skipping breakfast can really reverse aging? How does that work? We’re talking all this AND more…
01. YES, IT CAN REVERSE AGING
But isn’t this a good thing? Well yeah. Just so we don’t overwhelm people, we’re going to start off on a positive note. Skipping out on breakfast can help your skin look younger. When you miss out on a meal, you’re cutting calories. This does a lot for your body in the way of aging. Calorie restriction will increase growth hormones and lower your levels of insulin. This is one of the reasons people do intermittent fasting. It will fight against inflammation and oxidative stress. This helps repair cells and prevents the skin from getting too wrinkly. Several studies have backed this up.
So if you want to look younger, skipping breakfast might work for you. But it’s only recommended that you do it once in a while. Doing it all the time isn’t good, and I’m about to explain more on why. What’s your favorite thing to eat on the go? Do you grab yogurt? Maybe a quick bagel? Sound off in the comment section and start a conversation with our Bestie community.
02. ACID REFLUX
The more you skip out on breakfast, the more acidity your body will experience. This is especially bad for people with acid reflux. You’ve definitely heard of this. It’s when acid from the stomach goes back up the esophagus. As a result, you get things like heartburn and indigestion. Anybody who’s had either will tell you they’re a real drag. Heartburn is an intense burning sensation in your chest. Indigestion is discomfort in your upper abdomen. Eating breakfast can help both. Experts will tell you that a good breakfast in the morning will slow the acid down from damaging your intestines. Also, people who eat breakfast tend to eat less in the hours to come. This saves your body from experiencing acid reflux later in the day. To avoid problems, it’s been suggested that you eat items that are low in acid. This includes things like oatmeal, bananas, apples, and egg whites.
03. YOU GAIN WEIGHT
I know, it seems crazy. Eating less makes you gain more? Well just listen for a sec... The body works in funny ways. Sure, skipping breakfast can save you some extra calories in the morning. But this leaves you hungry later in the day. When you finally do eat, your body will hold onto that food, as it doesn’t really know when it will receive it again. The time you eat during the day has a lot to do with weight gain. If you’re not eating breakfast, your eating schedule will be thrown off. This leaves you eating closer to bedtime, which will cause you to pack on the pounds. There is also evidence showing that skipping breakfast causes weight gain even when you’re not overeating throughout the day. This is because the body’s internal clock gets disrupted. So if you’re thinking of skipping breakfast, you might want to reconsider.
04. YOU GET SUPER TIRED IN THE AFTERNOON
To put it simply, breakfast gives you energy for the day. When you eat a morning meal, your body breaks down fatty acids in order to produce energy. You need it in order to function. Research has found that people who eat breakfast tend to be more physically active throughout the day than those who don’t. If you avoid eating in the morning, you're going to feel fatigued later on. This will get in the way of your daily routine. You can’t work productively if your body isn’t getting energy. The fatigue really kicks in between the hours of noon to 4pm. This is because there’s no fuel to help your brain stay on task. For most people, these are the hours they need to stay busy. If your job requires you to be moving around constantly, you might not be able to do it to the best of your ability. This is where it gets a little tricky though…
05. SKIPPING BREAKFAST MIGHT MAKE YOU SMARTER
This seems like it flies in the face of everything I just said. There are people who claim that intermittent fasting can assist your cognitive performance. That’s if it’s done correctly. To make things clear, intermittent fasting usually requires 8 hours of eating and 16 hours of fasting. If you’re following a strict eating regimen with the right nutrients, you’ll be better able to concentrate. A person who skips meals to eat within a specific period may see less inflammation and reduced oxidative stress. Studies have found that intermittent fasting can increase the growth of new nerve cells. These help your brain to function. But in order for this to work, the fasting diet needs to be done correctly. Simply skipping breakfast for the sake of not eating is said to have the opposite effect. Before we continue, are you trying to get in shape? You need to make sure your health is right.
06. YOU GET DIZZY
Anyone who’s ever worked on an empty stomach can back me up. Skipping meals makes you dizzy! Avoiding breakfast can trigger headaches. This is due to your level of blood glucose falling too low. Headaches throughout the day aren’t my idea of fun. They’re often accompanied by nausea. Trying to do physical labor while feeling nauseous seems impossible. Now skipping breakfast once in a while is something your body can usually handle. It’s when you’re doing it every day that your mind will suffer. Your blood sugar will decrease, bringing on that dizzy feeling. So do yourself a favor, and eat a little something in the morning.
07. BAD BREATH
For all your hygiene freaks, this one comes as a sad dose of reality. People who skip breakfast are twice as likely to suffer from bad breath. This can be something you don’t even realize until someone points it out and embarrasses you. But why bad breath? While it hasn’t been confirmed, some interesting science has been suggested. Many of those who sacrifice breakfast do it as a way to sleep in. But once you finally get up, you’ll probably be rushing around to leave the house. This leaves very little time for you to brush your teeth. As a result, bacteria will be left to linger in your mouth. This includes bacteria on your gums and tongue. Bad breath can also be a sign of something much more urgent, like infections in your throat or lungs.
08. YOU GET REALLY ANXIOUS
The world’s been so crazy lately, anxiety and depression seem more common than ever. If you’re currently having mental health problems, the last thing you want to do is skip out on breakfast. You see, skipping breakfast can increase your level of cortisol. This is your body’s “fight-or-flight” hormone that signals you when danger is near. In the case of going hungry, your body reads this as a stressful event. As a result, you experience increased cortisol. If anxiety is something you deal with, you should make sure your diet is right. Missing a morning meal might be one of the factors contributing to your mental illness. Sometimes, the uneasiness you feel is simply your body’s way of asking for food.
09. HIGHER RISK OF HEART DISEASE
DID YOU KNOW HEART DISEASE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AROUND THE GLOBE?
In the U.S. alone, one person dies from cardiovascular disease every 36 seconds. If you’re a heart patient, one of the worst things you can do to your body is to avoid breakfast. People who skip breakfast are 21% more likely to suffer from heart disease. Men are shown to be particularly vulnerable here. When we eat breakfast our body is given a morning jolt. Cutting meals can make our blood pressure skyrocket, as your heart needs to work harder in order to function. Skipping out on breakfast is linked not only to high blood pressure but obesity and diabetes. A good diet is needed to stay healthy. People don’t realize how essential breakfast is.
Have I sparked your interest? Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more diet posts, shall we? Check out our post on the cheapest and healthy breakfast? Or 10 Best Breakfast Foods For Diabetics Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, read both, and learn more about how to stay healthy! Do you ever skip breakfast? Let us know in the comments below.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should never use content in my writing as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or another qualified clinician. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if indicated for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog. Thank you.