What you eat for breakfast plays a major role in how you feel throughout the rest of the day. Ultimately, making healthy decisions each morning is a crucial part of keeping your body healthy overall—not only on a day-to-day basis, but also long-term. The wrong foods can set you up for chronic inflammation and serious health risks over time. In fact, there’s one breakfast mistake that health experts warn against if you want to keep inflammation at bay: having too much sugar.
To learn more about the health effects of starting your day with a sugar-packed breakfast, we spoke to Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA medical center. Find all of her expert insight below!
READ MORE:
The One Type Of Milk You Should Cut Out For Weight Loss–It Causes Inflammation!
These Are The Best Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients To Eat Every Day, According To Dietitians
Dietitians Say You Can Eat These Breakfast Foods Every Day Without Gaining Weight
Having too much sugar for breakfast
Although you may wake up craving something sweet to go with your coffee in the morning, it's no secret that consuming too much sugar can be detrimental to your overall health. And unfortunately, eating sweet foods or adding too much sugar to your coffee or tea first thing in the morning can be especially bad for you. Starting your day with a sugar rush could lead to inflammation and weight gain over time, experts warn.
Many sweet breakfasts come in the form of refined carbs, which Hunnes dubs as some of the worst foods for your overall health. "The least healthy type of carbohydrates to eat are ultra-processed carbohydrates that are frequently found in packaged foods such as Pop-Tarts, energy bars, and pastries," she says. Although tasty, these options are highly inflammatory.
"The reason these types of carbs are [so unhealthy] is because they provide no nutritional benefit, they are often devoid of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds," Hunnes continues, noting that they can lead to "insulin spikes, increases in IGF-1, an inflammatory marker, and increases risk for chronic diseases and deposition (fat storage)" of calories in the body. Yikes!
Luckily, limiting your sugar intake doesn't mean you can't enjoy a slightly sweet breakfast. Hunnes recommends that those with a sweet tooth top a healthy bowl of oatmeal with some fiber-filled fruit, because "fiber can prevent and reduced inflammation by keeping the G.I. track moving." Plus, it's delicious!
Ultimately, while it may be hard to resist those chocolate croissants or some stuffed French toast, kicking your sugar habit–especially when breakfast rolls around—is an important part of keeping inflammation to a minimum.
