Sugary breakfast cereals in bright packages line the grocery store aisle. Powdered sugar, coffee creamer, and sticky syrup are all staples of a restaurant breakfast. If your breakfast consists of more sugar than nutrients, you may be setting yourself up for failure all day. While sugar should be avoided throughout the day, sugar for breakfast is definitely worth avoiding.
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Sugar cravings all day. Most prepackaged, on the go breakfast foods are empty sugar bombs. Many cereals, pastries, and donuts lack any protein or healthy fat and instead contain only simple carbohydrates and sugar. Some studies suggest that there may be more sugar in a children’s cereal than in cookies. When you start your day with more sugar than nutrients, you have a tendency to continue unhealthy habits into the rest of your day. Your blood sugar levels increase and then quickly fall. Your brain interprets that message as a need for more sugar. The constant rise and fall of blood sugar throughout your day makes your body feel hunger. You can spend your entire day chasing that sugar high resulting in many empty calories and no satisfaction.
Sugar makes your weekday anxiety worse. Unless you’re one of the few people that hits the ground with confidence and calm on weekday mornings, a sugary breakfast could exacerbate weekday stress. Your body has to work harder to counteract spiking blood sugar levels caused by excessive morning sugar. The end result is a nervous, jittery feeling and for people already prone to anxiety or depression you could be starting your morning on the wrong foot. That sugary donut pastry is only making your morning more stressful than it already might be. If you have trouble getting out the door without feeling frazzled and stressed, eliminating sugar from your morning meal may help.
Morning brain fog. Whether you start your day with class or work, it’s essential that your brain be ready to learn, remember, and function when you start your day. Your morning meal may be limiting your brain’s ability to function. Researchers at UCLA found that sugar impedes your brain’s ability to learn and remember. If you want to be productive in morning meetings, it’s best to skip the sugar for breakfast and eat real food instead.
Skipping sugar doesn’t mean skipping breakfast. There are many high quality foods that can and should be part of a healthy routine. A healthy breakfast that contains fiber and protein can fuel your day with enough energy to tackle important tasks early in the morning. Eggs, almond butter, and plain Greek yogurt are excellent sources of fiber, protein and healthy, long-lasting energy.
What’s your go-to weekday breakfast that always works for you?
