I was curious so I asked a group of my Mama CEO friends if they ate breakfast in the morning and if not, what stops them.
I got the usual
“I have no time.”
“I eat it but I usually grab easy unhealthy carb foods.”
And we can all relate to those. Having time could very well be the most common reason I hear.
But they also mentioned two others that I want to focus on today.
“I’m usually not hungry in the morning.”
and
“I feel more nauseous than hungry most mornings.”
These may be as common but they are not talked about as much. I like them because they let me geek out on nutrition a little.
You may think that your lack of hunger is your body telling you that you don’t need it. But it could be telling you something else. Here are 3 reasons to consider.
1. Your digestive juices are low.
Your digestive juices include things like hydrochloric acid and enzymes. And these juices not only help you digest your food but also help stimulate your appetite. You want your digestive juices to be plentiful so that you can digest your food.
If you are not hungry for breakfast (or other meals) or are hungry all the time, that’s a clue that something’s awry with your digestion. Warm lemon water first thing in the morning can help stimulate your production of hydrochloric acid and aid your digestion.
Feeling nauseous could very well mean your digestive juices are strong and eating can actually relieve the nausea as your body puts those juices to work.
2. You ate/eat dinner too late at night.
Depending on your lifestyle, eating late may be your thing but it may not be a good thing for you. It takes our bodies time to digest our foods.
The problem is that when you are sleeping your body is focused on other things like repairing and rejuvenating cells, tissue, and organs and not digestion. If your body has to digest a huge meal, it will do so less efficiently and the repairs and rejuvenation won’t be as effective either.
You may wake up still feeling ‘full’ because your body is still sluggishly working on digesting your dinner.
Having dinner between 5 – 7pm is best. This lets the digestive process begin long before you lay down to bed.
3. Your body has adapted.
Your body adapts to your environment. If you don’t eat breakfast then your body will eventually get use to it and you won’t feel the need. Again, this may be your thing but not the best thing for you.
I had a client who ate very little in general. We were reviewing her food journal and I said ‘Have you considered eating more…” and was going to say something specific like nuts and seeds but she cut me off and said ‘I should eat more, shouldn’t I? I just don’t get hungry.’ And that brought the conversation in a totally different direction. She was a yoga instructor and had a serious meditation practice and had trained her body to do without. Once she started eating more she was amazed at how much better she felt.
Retraining your body to EAT breakfast may prove to be your thing after all. You may notice your energy, mood, and focus improve.
If any of these stop you from eating breakfast, then you’ll enjoy the free 5-day Breakfast Challenge I’ve created for you. I address all these concerns and more.
The recipes take 5 minutes to prepare – maybe 10 minutes if you have little ones vying for your attention. All the breakfasts are well-balanced, meaning they contain protein, carbs, fats and fiber. They are all gluten- and dairy-free and I provide a good variety – only one recipe contains eggs (and I give substitution ideas for you non-egg eaters). I also give you some of the reasons why I picked certain foods. We’ll do a little prep to get your body ready for breakfast. Plus, you get community support to rally you through.
Give breakfast a try. I’ll provide the recipes, reminders and tips to make it easy for you. Your body will thank you for it.
Say yes to the Breakfast Challenge by clicking here! It’s free.
Thank you for your valuable input Sara Barry, Kim Creigh, Joanna Byrne, Tricia Frank, Deb Blum, Megan Clarke, RB Fast, and Anastasia Hendryanto. You guys are awesome!