There have been major debates over the years on whether eating breakfast is necessary. With the rising trend of intermittent fasting, more people are opting to skip breakfast. However, if you think skipping breakfast will help you lose weight faster you may be making a big mistake.
Why is it necessary to eat when you wake up? Eating breakfast helps to replenish your supply of glucose after the overnight fasting period. An average person goes without food for as long as 12 hours from the time after you have dinner until you get up in the morning. This means that when you wake up your glycogen stores are low. Glycogen is the glucose that has been stored in your muscle and liver tissues and is released slowly so your blood sugar levels are stable overnight.
When you skip breakfast in order to fast, all of the energy from the glycogen stores is used up, your body starts to break down fat to produce energy. You may lose weight with this method, but you can also experience reduced energy levels and fatigue.
Breakfast also provides other essential nutrients that will help keep energy levels up throughout the day. Eating breakfast restores your glycogen stores, boosts your energy levels and metabolism for the day. It also increases mental performance and reduces fatigue. Most importantly, it keeps you from making poor food choices later in the day due to hunger.
Not all breakfasts are created equal. A morning meal high in simple carbohydrates and sugar will cause your blood sugar to spike, then drop causing extreme fatigue. Stick with lean proteins, whole grains and plenty of fiber to help keep you full until lunch. Eating a healthy breakfast will provide you with the right balance of nutrients to give you an energy boost to get you through the day.
