Without thinking too hard, it might seem logical to skip breakfast when you’re running late or have had a long night. But know this, people who regularly skip breakfast are at 37.8% higher risk of having heart failure, developing diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. Not to ignore the subsiding factors, the quality of diet and eating patterns are significantly influenced by social and psychological factors.
Thus, understanding physiology can help you avoid the pitfalls of illogical skipping.
But what if you wish to lose fat?
In that case, when you exercise on an empty stomach, your body hasn’t had any recent carbs, so it doesn’t release much insulin (the hormone that helps manage blood sugar.) With low insulin levels, your body starts breaking down stored fat into smaller pieces called free fatty acids, which then can be used for energy. This means your body burns more fat during fasted exercise.
Now, let’s explore the role of hormones.
Ghrelin is a hormone that tells your brain it’s time to eat. So, when you eat breakfast, ghrelin helps to “turn off” the hunger signal, making it easier to manage your appetite and avoid overeating later in the day.
Next is PYY, another hormone released in the gut after eating, particularly in response to food intake. It plays a critical role in promoting feelings of fullness. Higher levels of PYY signal to the brain that you’ve had enough to eat, helping to reduce the urge to continue eating.
Then there is GLP-1, which helps manage your blood sugar levels by telling your body to produce more insulin(promotes glucose uptake by cells) when you eat, lowering your blood sugar. Thus, a balance of these hormones is the key to a better life.
Research from observational studies indicates that individuals who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight.
Why? Because your body is more responsive to insulin in the morning. So, when you eat carbohydrates for breakfast, your pancreas, which produces insulin, has an easier job than eating those same carbohydrates later for lunch or dinner. And the insulin levels between lunch and dinner remain optimum, with a better ability to sense spikes in blood sugar.
Lastly, we all know that incorporating high-protein, high-fibre, and low-glycemic index foods can improve these benefits, yet we find it difficult to build such habits. Much to your belief, midnight munching is the main culprit. Start avoiding such urges, and things will start to fall into place.
References-
1. https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-016-0451-1
2. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/is-breakfast-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day/74DC8BF20CAF1D7D5E75CD46A35451F8
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/1601618
4. https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l42
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9182585/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4863265/
grewal 