“Whoever starts the day well is halfway through the work,” says a proverb. It is also true when it comes to power supply. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast protects you from many risks, including cardiovascular risks. The reassurances also come from the United States, where numerous studies have found a relationship between different bad habits and the choice of going without the first meal of the day. We talk about this topic with Professor Daniela Lucini, head of Exercise Medicine at Humanitas.
Whoever skips the first meal of the day eats more
Studies published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology have shown that people who skip breakfast are more likely to ingest more calories at lunch and dinner, drink alcohol and eat unhealthy foods more often outside the home. Examining the eating habits of 4,052 people, none of whom had heart disease, the researchers divided the subjects analyzed into three groups: those who usually consumed a hearty breakfast, those who were used to starting the day with a reduced amount of food and those who missed the first meal of the day altogether. What emerged was that those who missed breakfast throughout the day introduced on average more calories, drank more alcoholic beverages and were more likely to develop a smoking habit. All this in a worse clinical picture: with higher triglycerides and blood pressure and a higher value of “bad” cholesterol.
The importance of planning at the table
While there is evidence of a connection between skipping breakfast and not eating healthy food, it is also shown that the best way to avoid behavior that relates to the most common risk factors for heart disease is to act early.
To eat healthy or lose weight you cannot help but plan what we are going to eat. Being guided by chance leads to eating more and often eating very caloric and nutritious foods. Reserving breakfast as the possibility to ensure a good nutritional intake allows you to control your appetite and not to arrive to lunch or dinner overly hungry.