We’ve all heard of breakfast’s title of “the most important meal of the day,” but do people really treat it as such? How many people actually take the time to eat something for breakfast before going to school or work?
The term “breakfast” literally means “to break one’s fast,” since breakfast marks the first time you’ve eaten since dinner the night before. During the time between these two meals, your body is completely deprived of food. Depending on whether or not you are a person who likes or prioritizes eating breakfast in the morning, you might notice a change in your mood or energy levels if you don’t take the time to grab something on your way to school or work.
A study done by Stanford University shows that not eating breakfast can lead to negative side effects. One of these effects is disruptive changes to your circadian rhythm, which is your body’s internal clock that regulates the mental, physical, and behavioral changes your brain goes through every 24 hours. Not eating breakfast could scramble these “clock genes,” and weaken them slowly over time. This can lead to altered daily schedules, like having a hard time falling asleep, waking up too early, or feeling fatigued throughout the day.
Another source, Henry Ford Health, states that people who skip breakfast have a tendency to feel tired or faint, get headaches, have trouble concentrating during the day, or even experience blood sugar dips if they skip breakfast. However, they also say that it isn’t good to eat an unwanted breakfast, either. If you don’t feel hungry, then don’t force yourself to eat something. A good rule of thumb is to wait thirty minutes after waking up in the morning, and if you don’t feel hungry by then, you should wait a bit before eating something. However, if you do feel hungry, make sure to take the time to grab a bit of breakfast before heading out for school or work.
For those who do take the time to eat breakfast every day, you are giving your brain and body a huge boost! Studies show that eating breakfast can help you increase your focus and attention span, and can keep you energized throughout the day. It can even help you with your academic performance as well!
The National Library of Medicine states that 30 percent of the population skips breakfast on a regular basis, making it a very common meal to be skipped. If you are a part of that 30 percent, that’s okay. Just make sure to give yourself some sort of sustenance when needed. However, the 70 percent who do not skip breakfast are giving themselves an energy boost that helps strengthen their overall mental and physical wellbeing.
