Starting with the punchline : we should listen to our own bodies and eat when we’re hungry. Don’t starve yourself but also don’t eat the moment you wake up, whether you are hungry or not. Don’t constantly graze either. If we were meant to graze, we would be cows.
I want to present both sides of the story :
The CON – don’t eat breakfast
A lot of us eat breakfast because we are told that breakfast is good for us. Haven’t we been told to “eat breakfast like a king?”. Unfortunately, almost all the research papers that support this idea have been funded by the cereal, bacon or egg companies.
NY Times summarizes this in a 2014 article.
The Guardian provides a good overview of the evolution of the American breakfast.
Terence Kealy, an Oxford educated biochemist, feels strongly about skipping breakfast. He has written a book “Breakfast is a dangerous meal“. Of course I don’t agree with him about the cheese and eggs.
The PRO – eat breakfast
Adventist Health Study – ” eating less frequently, no snacking, consuming breakfast, and eating the largest meal in the morning may be effective methods for preventing long-term weight gain. Eating breakfast and lunch 5-6 h apart and making the overnight fast last 18-19 h may be a useful practical strategy.”
US Health Professionals study found an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) among men who skipped breakfast and also among men who regularly ate late at night. This may have more to do with nocturnal eating than with skipping breakfast. Nocturnal eating may be a behaviour marker for several other lifestyle characteristics that may be related to CHD, such as watching TV, physical activity or sleep.
Skipping breakfast has also been shown to increase risk of diabetes in men and women.
The data on breakfast are NOT conclusive – see this study. What is clear however is that eating a high protein, high fiber diet is the best breakfast, IF YOU ARE HUNGRY.
The discrepancy of data just goes to illustrate that each one of us has to figure out what works for us and our health and ethics.
There is growing data on intermittent fasting for health. When people eat in a time restricted window (eat for 8 hours, fast for 16), their insulin sensitivity increases and lipid panels improve.
One of the best books about diet that is have read is written by the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hang.
What I do:
Common Sense advice when there is conflicting data:
- Eat breakfast if I am hungry in the morning.
- When I eat breakfast – eat a breakfast high in fiber and protein.
- Avoid processed foods – juice, cereal etc.
- Plant based diet.
- Intermittent fasting.