Having a healthy breakfast sets you up for a good day. But mornings can be very busy, so prepping a time-consuming meal is difficult. However, studies show that skipping breakfast is related to increase in cardiovascular risk in adolescents. Nearly all of us have certain tendencies that risk sabotaging our otherwise healthy lifestyle. We all sometimes fall into cycles of misguided habits. For instance, a simple habit in your daily morning routine is drinking a glass of water. It helps boost metabolism that gives you a good start to the day. Conversely, not drinking water has a negative impact on our body. This is a very simple habit that has a huge effect on your brain by delivering nutrients to the brain, however, on our bad days we sideline it. Here are a few science-backed breakfast habits that may be affecting your life more than you think.

 

5 Breakfast Habits That you Must Pay Attention to

 

Skipping Breakfast May Lead to Unwanted Weight Gain

Our body spends energy to digest food for adsorption, digestion, transport, and storage of nutrients. This expenditure process is known as Diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). DIT is also a measure of how well our metabolism is working. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2020 shows that when people eat breakfast, regardless of the calories, the breakfast induces more diet-induced thermogenesis in the body than the same meal eaten for dinner. Bottom line is that eating breakfast improves metabolism.

 

On the other hand, a review paper that conducted meta-analysis confirmed that skipping breakfast leads to weightgain and obesity, finds Obesity Research and Clinical Practice Journal, 2022. And studies show that obesity reduces lifespan by at least 14 years. Also, a paper in the Nutrient journal, 2019 shows that skipping breakfast is associated with fluctuations in blood pressure, lipid profile, and insulin levels.

 

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Gulping Juices May Increase Risk of Diabetes

If your breakfast is incomplete without a glass of juice, you may want to make sure it is fresh and not packaged. A study published in the Diabetes Care Journal, 2019, revealed that drinking juice with added sugar or sweeteners can lead to type 2 diabetes. Also, the US Food and Drug Administration says that grapefruit juice has the ability to directly interact with medications taken for cholesterol and blood pressure lowering. Instead try a smoothie bowl, a smoothie or a freshly squeezed juice with no added sugar to kickstart your day.

 

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Coffee Before Breakfast May Hinder Your Digestive Health

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition, 2020 shows that drinking coffee early in the morning before breakfast can have a bad effect on your blood sugar level. Further, it is well known that fluctuations in blood sugar level has a negative effect on your heart. Another prominent reason to skip coffee on an empty stomach is that the coffee’s bitterness may increase the production of stomach acid. This ends up creating trouble in your gut as well as worsens gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. The excess acid production may also cause heartburn, ulcers, acid reflux, and indigestion.

 

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Eating Ultra-Processed Food May Lead to Cancer

On busy mornings convenience is a major selling point that makes us choose cereals and breakfast bars. Remember that eating everything out of the packet is not healthy as these products are highly processed foods and contain more than recommended amounts of sugar, fats, and salt that can have a negative impact on our body. That apart, processed food also has nitrates in them. Intake of nitrites is associated with gastric cancer shows an article in the Nutrients Journal, 2022. So it is important to eat a full meal by sticking to the proper portion size that contain plenty of veggies. For example, you can add tomatoes to your omelet or have a side of sautéed mushrooms or broccoli for breakfast.

 

Not Eating A Well Balanced Diet Can Stress The Heart

An article published in Ecology of Food and Nutrition Journal, 2021 shows that a large breakfast that is disproportionate (more fatty substance like cheese and less proteins) clogs the veins in heart and later triggers cardiovascular diseases or a heart attack. So it is important not to overload on fibre and carbohydrates while making sure you don’t miss out on proteins. Eating a protein filled breakfast like egg or paneer bhurji is necessary because protein plays a key role in maintaining satiety while keeping your blood sugar level stable.

 

Along with what you plan to eat, you must also pay attention to what time you are going to eat. There is no golden rule that states the perfect time for breakfast. Listen to your body needs, it's not necessary to eat right out of bed. Plan to eat when you feel hungry. However, it is also important not to wait until you are starving because that leads to making poor choices.

 

All in all breakfast is a meal that gears you up for the day. So eating a proper breakfast is 100 per cent important to have a healthy, balanced lifestyle.