It’s more than likely that at one point in your life or another, you’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but is that completely true?
Recently, I came across a conspiracy theory that claimed that the importance of breakfast was propaganda pushed by cereal companies to make their products more successful. At first, this sounds like the sort of thing a paranoid basement-dwelling hermit would say but after a bit of research, it really does start to be more believable.
Firstly, let’s consider the sorts of foods that people eat for breakfast and how nutritious these foods are. A classic full English breakfast consists of bacon, sausages, eggs, black pudding, tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms and toast. This is an extremely protein-centric breakfast that consists mostly of fried up foods and eating this everyday might not be the healthiest thing to do. Another common breakfast that’s enjoyed by many -especially by children- is sugary cereal. These cereals provide a superficial high by giving the person eating it a sugar rush and, of course, where there is a sugar rush, there will inevitably be a sugar crash. All in all, a lot of breakfast foods don’t seem to be that healthy when you really look at them.
Another argument used to support the importance of breakfast is that you can’t expect your body to function efficiently if you don’t fuel it in the morning. Interestingly, this likens the body to a machine which, in this case, isn’t accurate because unlike a machine, the human body can keep energy stored in the form of fat for later. This means that for some people fasting is a better way to start the day than breakfast. Of course, this doesn’t immediately mean that everyone should now immediately stop eating breakfast; it is still important, just not the most important meal of the day.
According to sources, after fasting for somewhere between 16 and 48 hours, cells in the body start regenerating and this has shown to have several health benefits like a decreased risk of cancer. However, like anything else, fasting still has some cons: before your body gets used to it, you might feel weak, or you might become more prone to unhealthy eating patterns or behaviours around food. Remember, if you are starting to feel as though you might be developing a difficult relationship with food, there are places you can go to and people you can talk to for support.
In conclusion, breakfast may not be the most important meal of the day but it’s still important and not eating breakfast or fasting can be healthier for some people. Overall, do whatever makes you feel healthiest and happiest and remember to be safe!
