In the mad rush of the morning, it’s tempting to skip breakfast, especially if you’ve had a heavy dinner or are generally trying to cut calories. But hands down, this is one meal you can’t afford to neglect.
Breakfast fuels your system after a night of fasting and kickstarts your metabolism. When you pass up on this meal, your body starts its day on an energy deficit. The result – anything from fatigue and crankiness to weight gain and migraines (more on that later). But that’s not all when you have diabetes, though.
What Happens To Your Blood Sugar When You Miss Brekkie
Skipping breakfast won’t really help you with weight management or sugar control. On the contrary, for diabetics who are on insulin, skipping breakfast could lead to hypoglycemia – low blood glucose levels which lead to shakiness, dizziness, and other unpleasant symptoms. It may also lead to bigger spikes in your blood sugar after lunch and dinner.
Also, your glycemic control or ability to manage sugar levels will be much better if you spread out your food intake through the day – and that means starting with a good breakfast.
Your Overall Health Takes A Hit, Too
- Breakfast fuels your system after 8–12 hours of fasting in the night. Skip breakfast and you may be starting your day on an energy deficit – that could mean moodiness, energy dips, headaches, and fatigue as you go about your day.
- Prolonged fasting through the night and then morning prompts your body to think there’s an energy crisis. So, the next time you eat (say, lunch), it stores away food as fat for later. And that means unwelcome weight gain!
- Eating breakfast reduces chances of intense hunger, cravings, and overeating later in the day. That helps keeps your weight and sugar levels in check, too.
- Your body needs carbs for healthy brain functioning. Breakfast can chip in nicely and will improve overall concentration and memory. Breakfast eaters are known to be more productive through the day.
Break Your Fast Like A Boss
- Start your day with a healthy breakfast within an hour and a half of waking up.
- Pick high-fiber complex carbs like oatmeal or whole grain toast over processed carbs.
- Add a portion of fruits like strawberries, apples, or oranges for a sweet kick and essential nutrients and fiber.
- Get in a healthy dose of protein like low-fat yogurt or eggs to stay satiated.
- Avoid packaged cereals, white bread, and maida parathas and excessive use of saturated fats like ghee or butter. Go easy on salt and ditch sodium-heavy processed foods.
- Don’t let brekkie be boring! From a vegetable omelette, chickpea pancakes to soya or oats dosa, and dalia, breakfast choices are plenty, so mix it up.
A well-balanced breakfast is the magic formula to a happy, healthy you. So, make wise early morning choices to get that head start!
REFERENCES
- Eat A Healthy Breakfast, WebMD
- Boost Your Energy Naturally With Breakfast, Harvard Health