The Health Benefits of Skipping Breakfast

Skip breakfast? But it’s the most important meal of the day, isn’t it? On the podium of breakfast, dinner and tea – somehow breakfast always takes gold. Trouble is, the notion of breakfast being vital each and every day just isn’t supported by science. In fact, going without breakfast altogether has been shown to have some pretty amazing health benefits. Let’s explore…

Not a Breakfast Person? You can come out of the shadows now!

For years and even decades, it has been accepted that breakfast is essential, not to be missed and not to be underestimated. But what about those of us who simply aren’t hungry upon waking? Should we be forcing down some grilled salmon and scrambled eggs regardless? What will the consequences be if we don’t?

Not eating breakfast is not a taboo or something to be ashamed of! It’s a reflection of our ancestral past, which has ingrained in our genes that we don’t need food first thing to keep us going – it’s simply not a priority!

But I Love Breakfast, What Does This Mean for Me?!

Any wholesome, nutritious and delicious food is good in our books! But the point of this post is to spread the news that you can survive – and thrive! – without breakfast! There are so many benefits to skipping breakfast and to fasting in general, read on to discover more.

The Health Benefits of Skipping Breakfast

So, we’ve established that a life without breakfast is in fact possible! As it turns out, going without your morning munchies could have some amazing health benefits…

• Curb your Calories – When it comes to weight there’s no secret to losing or gaining pounds – calories in and calories out matter. However, we also understand that the type of food you eat has a big impact and maintaining a low carb, high fat approach will always yield results but if calories in equate to considerably more than what you expend, you will gain weight. Cutting out breakfast primes your fat burning hormones to up-regulate and takes away a good chunk out of your calorie intake - weight loss never looked so easy!

• Drive Detox – Going without the constant input of food allows your body the time it needs to rest, rejuvenate and remove toxins. Skipping breakfast has been shown to accelerate the process of ‘autophagy’ – that is cellular cleansing to you and me! Not only does this help to fight off damaging free radicals and prevent disease, but it also helps to reduce the physical and visible signs of ageing.

• Regain Mental Clarity – Studies have shown that going without breakfast can in fact improve cognitive performance. The theory is that because your body does not have to use its energy to focus on metabolising food, it can instead reinvest this energy in improving brain function – boosting memory, concentration and focus. Your brain also works fantastically well on ketones, an energy source that can only be tapped into when eating a low amount of carbs. So when you fast, ketone production starts and hey presto, you’re brain gets a boost of fuel that it thrives on!

So, there you have it, it is possible to go without breakfast and reap the benefits – fast! Skipping breakfast will not only provide you with the positives aforementioned, but will also help you to avoid the not so healthy impact of traditional breakfast foods on our health – croissants, cereal and sugar-laden-easy-to-eat-snacks :)

References

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24847666
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18779282
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15883552
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24847666