Skipping breakfast

Are you a breakfast lover or a breakfast hater? 
Breakfast was certainly the most contentious meal of the day last Tuesday, 7th November, when I was live-on-air again with Kaye Adams on BBC Radio Scotland, discussing the importance of breakfast. 

You can listen back to our big breakfast debate on the BBC iPlayer.
Fast forward to 2:35:22 to hear my interview with Kaye Adams.

Some radio listeners felt very strongly that skipping breakfast helps them lose weight. Trust me, it really doesn't! Read the science behind what actually happens below. I've also written a few words on how you can lose weight naturally

The breakfast challenge
For me, breakfast is the best meal of the day. There is no greater feeling than waking up hungry and tucking into a hearty breakfast such as pimped up porridge or high protein banana bread. I also get excited by breakfast out on the weekends but I realise not everyone shares my enthusiasm... I'm here to challenge that!
 
Shake up your wake up!
Try having one week of my favourite healthy breakfasts and see how much more energised you feel! 

• high-protein-banana-bread
• Pimp your Porridge
• Energy bombs 

Here's five negative things that happen when you skip breakfast
1. Low energy
You’ve fasted all night so your blood sugar is low and so is your energy. You will feel fatigued and find it harder to concentrate at work, be prone to headaches and possibly light-headedness.  Try a having one week of healthy breakfasts and experience how much more energised you could feel!

2. Stimulants
Low energy means we may be tempted to turn to stimulants such as tea and coffee for an energy boost to tie us over until lunch. This triggers 'fight or flight' mode (a temporary increase in energy, heart rate, blood pressure and a surge of glucose in the bloodstream). This artificially disrupts blood sugar balance, triggers the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and creates symptoms of anxiety, stress (when you are probably already stressed) and can even disrupt your sleep later that night.

3. Mood swings
Mood swings due to an imbalance in hormones like adrenalin and cortisol. This increases risk of anxiety and in the long run, can lead to panic attacks

4. Concentration levels
Difficulty concentrating because your brain is not receiving the glucose it needs to function optimally

5. Office Feeders
Ah yes, we are all familiar with the office 'feeder'. The work colleague who feels the need to 'share' their snacks (junk-food) on a daily basis with the team when you really wished they wouldn't bother.

When we skip breakfast, the office sweeties, biscuits, doughnuts and pastries at elevenses become far more inviting when we have fasted all morning and we more easily succumb to ‘filling the gap’ until lunch…

If you are wondering how to lose weight and still eat breakfast, while skilfully boycotting the office feeder, read my blog post: How to lose weight (naturally) without compromising your health and happiness.

Importantly...
Importantly you are skipping an ‘eating opportunity’ to provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally. The focus is far too often on weight loss and not enough on health and wellbeing.
 
Are you a breakfast lover or a breakfast hater? Let me know your thoughts on this hot topic in the comments below and maybe we can settle this age-old debate, for once and for all?!...

Are you prepared to shake up your wakeup and try by high protein banana bread or pimped up porridge?

Maybe you're just not hungry in the morning in which case read this!

Finally, please join me over on Instagram @stellar_health_mary for more health food inspiration.

Discover how to lose weight (naturally) without compromising your health and happiness here