Skip to main content
Close Close

Congratulations
You're on the list.

Make sure to check your spam folder so that our emails are always delivered into your inbox.
xo, Kourt
Give your inbox
and your life

the Poosh it needs.
By clicking SIGN UP, you agree to receive emails from Poosh and agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Free Shipping on All Domestic Orders.
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
  • LIFE + STYLE
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
  • KKB
Poosh
  • instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
  • Shop
  • search
  • search
  • body
  • diy
  • fitness
  • Giving Back
  • health
  • mind
  • Relationships
  • Sexual Wellness
  • soul
This TCM Raw Garlic Elixir Can Help You Get Snatched
This TCM Raw Garlic Elixir Can Help You Get Snatched
This Guided Journal Helps Me Stop Anxiously Overthinking
This Guided Journal Helps Me Stop Anxiously Overthinking
Empowering vs. Enabling in a Relationship
Empowering vs. Enabling in a Relationship
The Science Behind What’s Actually Happening When You Orgasm
The Science Behind What’s Actually Happening When You Orgasm
A Perfect Workout for Your Ovulatory Phase
A Perfect Workout for Your Ovulatory Phase
7 Easy Biohacks You Can Start Doing Right Now
7 Easy Biohacks You Can Start Doing Right Now
  • Adulting
  • beauty
  • guides
  • Hacks
  • style
  • travel
Under $100: Our Favorite Workout Leggings
Under $100: Our Favorite Workout Leggings
How to Get Cloud Skin
How to Get Cloud Skin
Cleaning Hacks That Make Life So Much Easier
Cleaning Hacks That Make Life So Much Easier
Is All Dry Shampoo Bad for You?
Is All Dry Shampoo Bad for You?
Stylist Dani Michelle Shares Her Transitional Dressing Must-Haves
Stylist Dani Michelle Shares Her Transitional Dressing Must-Haves
Poosh Product Picks: Madeleine Rose
Poosh Product Picks: Madeleine Rose
  • decor
  • entertaining
  • kids
  • motherhood
  • Playlists
  • recipes
Kourt’s Favorite Seed Crackers Recipe
Kourt’s Favorite Seed Crackers Recipe
Khloé Kardashian’s Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls
Khloé Kardashian’s Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls
Hormone Healthy Raw Carrot Salad Recipe
Hormone Healthy Raw Carrot Salad Recipe
Must-Have Items New Moms Swear By
Must-Have Items New Moms Swear By
Vegan Armenian Lahmacun Recipe From Kourt’s Incredible Spread
Vegan Armenian Lahmacun Recipe From Kourt’s Incredible Spread
Kourt’s Favorite Cajun Kale Chips
Kourt’s Favorite Cajun Kale Chips
  • family
  • kourtney
3 Salads Kourt is Eating on Rotation Right Now
3 Salads Kourt is Eating on Rotation Right Now
Khloé Kardashian’s Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls
Khloé Kardashian’s Easy Weeknight Slow Cooker Veggie Burrito Bowls
Vegan Armenian Lahmacun Recipe From Kourt’s Incredible Spread
Vegan Armenian Lahmacun Recipe From Kourt’s Incredible Spread
Why Kourt Loves Seed Cycling
Why Kourt Loves Seed Cycling
Kourt’s Favorite Cajun Kale Chips
Kourt’s Favorite Cajun Kale Chips
Kourtney’s Wet Hair Look: The Breakdown
Kourtney’s Wet Hair Look: The Breakdown
What are you looking for?

Menu

  • Shop
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
    • body
    • diy
    • fitness
    • Giving Back
    • health
    • mind
    • Relationships
    • Sexual Wellness
    • soul
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
    • decor
    • entertaining
    • kids
    • motherhood
    • Playlists
    • recipes
  • KKB
    • family
    • kourtney
  • LIFE + STYLE
    • Adulting
    • beauty
    • guides
    • Hacks
    • style
    • travel
  • Newsletter
instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
health

SHOULD YOU Eat Breakfast? 

By Poosh
share on pinterest share on facebook share on twitter Share on Flipboard share by email
 Photo credit @naydiadminatouch
@naydiadminatouch

Growing up, we were told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, then again, we were also told that there would be terrible consequences if we didn’t wait an hour after eating to swim and that it was illegal to have the interior car lights on while driving, so … we’re a little skeptical. 

“The research pendulum continues to swing back and forth in respect to whether or not it is ‘better’ to eat breakfast versus skip it. For every study that supports eating breakfast, there is an equal and opposite study showing the alternative as being superior,” says Rachel Swanson, MS, RD, LDN. The details that really matter—things like, was this in metabolically healthy subjects or metabolically unhealthy subjects with multiple comorbidities? What did the breakfast consist of in the first place?—don’t typically make it into the headlines, she says. 

This makes it very confusing for those of us just trying to be healthier. So, how important is it to eat breakfast, anyway? We investigate. 

There are many benefits of eating breakfast …
“I’m a big proponent of eating a balanced breakfast,” says certified holistic nutritionist Caroline Johnson. “Generally speaking, within two hours of waking up is ideal to support a healthy metabolism. After fasting overnight while we sleep, our bodies need fuel to start the day. Eating a balanced breakfast that prioritizes protein and fiber-rich whole food sources to maintain a balanced blood sugar will help you feel fueled, focused, and energized.” She adds that for women, a quality breakfast can help maintain hormone balance, which is important for our overall wellness in addition to things like promoting regular cycles and maintaining energy. 

… But context is everything 
“Never assume a strategy for one person is equally effective for another,” says Rachel. She gives the following examples from her practice: 
“Client #1: An elite athlete—a wide receiver in the NFL. I would never recommend he skip breakfast.
Client #2: A successful CEO—mostly sedentary and diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Skipping breakfast feels easy to him and thus a perfect strategy to help reduce total calorie intake.
Client #3: A do-it-all mother burning the candle at both ends, always fatigued and prone to hypoglycemia. For her, starting the day with a balanced breakfast is ideal.”

breakfast-1
@domsli22

Consider what you eat versus when you eat
Fasting on its own isn’t a guarantee of better health. “It’s more important to consider what you are eating,” says French biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, founder of Glucose Goddess. “We have to think about several factors, the most important one being: how are you going to break your fast? What are you going to eat first during your day, whether at breakfast time or lunchtime?” In other words, if we skip breakfast, will we be able to make a healthy choice for lunch, or will we be so hungry that we demolish a cookie (or three)?

Rachel says she generally does prefer that people eat breakfast … unless breakfast consists of foods that are refined, processed, and sugary, like conventional cereals, white bagels, and pastries. In that scenario, she suggests, “you’d be better off” skipping breakfast. Jessie agrees, adding, “Breakfast that is sweet and creates a glucose spike will not set us up for success—in that case, skipping it and going straight to our savory lunch is probably best.” 

There can be benefits to skipping breakfast 
“Skipping breakfast is a strategy that some find both easy and practical in their efforts to compress their eating window,” says Rachel. This can be referred to as time-restricted eating, the purpose being a defined feeding-fasting period. “It can also be an effective strategy to control or reduce total caloric intake.”

However, she adds that “people largely conflate the benefits of skipping breakfast, when in fact those benefits are a result of the calorie deficit that this imposes.” So it’s not so much about skipping breakfast as it is reducing the overall calories we eat. “If you skip breakfast because it’s easy and it helps you achieve your health goals—whether that be for the goal of compressing the eating window, a strategy employed for weight loss, metabolic health, or otherwise—then great! Otherwise, there are many alternative strategies to select from,” she says. 

breakfast-2
@naydiadminatouch

All three experts generally recommend that we eat breakfast …
The consensus among the experts is that in general, they recommend eating breakfast—as long as it’s a balanced breakfast. “This recommendation is about optimizing around biological processes linked to our innate circadian rhythm—our internal clock, or sleep-wake cycles. We know that digestion, metabolism and hormone secretion … are most efficient in the morning,” explains Rachel. For some people, a balanced breakfast helps with appetite regulation and intake for the rest of the day, she adds. 

… But ultimately, the choice is ours 
“If you feel absolutely amazing without eating breakfast, then keep doing you! We are all unique and have unique nutritional needs,” says Caroline. “Regardless of when your first meal of the day is, for optimal health, it’s important that it is savory. Avoid eating sweet foods—that include fruit juices, fruit-only smoothies—when you are fasted. Build your first meal of the day around protein, and that will help your body thrive,” adds Jessie.

Shop our nutrition collection:

Shop Lymphatic Cleanse Tea
Shop Hydration Inner Beauty Boost
Shop Clarify Inner Beauty Support
Shop Adult Chocolate Probiotic Hearts
Shop Lion's Mane + Reishi Mushroom Gummy Bundle
Shop Super Troop Mushroom Gummy
Shop Lion's Mane Mushroom Gummy
Shop Reishi Mushroom Gummy
Shop Healthy Flora
Shop Beauty in a Bottle
Shop Cortisol Balancer
Shop Well Spray Inner Beauty Support
Shop Collagen Inner Beauty Boost Supercharged
Shop Glow Inner Beauty Essential Supercharged
Shop Superfood Honey
Shop Cacao Superfood Honey
Shop Bee Pollen
Shop Royal Jelly Brain Fuel
Shop Propolis Throat Spray (2 Pack)
Shop Soothing Lozenges
Shop Original Turmeric Latte Blend
Shop Matcha Turmeric Latte Blend
Shop Cacao Turmeric Latte Blend
Shop Pineapple Debloat Ade
Shop Nutr Machine
Shop Double Paned Mug
Shop Organic Matcha Bundle
Shop Matcha Gokoro
Shop Abundance Pack
Shop Matcha Bloom Bundle
Shop Matcha Go-To Sticks
Shop Matcha Purity Powder
Shop Energize Tea
Shop Fasting Tea
Shop Glow Tea
Shop Hello Gorgeous Tea
Shop Perform Tea
Shop Sleep Tea + Melatonin
Shop Super Vitamin-C Cocktail
Shop Pre + Probiotic Tasting Pack
Shop Electric Berryland
Shop Little Wish
Shop Shapeshifter
Shop Queen of Cups: Guava Rose Kombucha 6-pack
Shop Living Tonics Taster 3-Pack
Shop Passion Fruit Oolong
Shop Vanilla Mānuka Spice
Shop Coffee Chaga Maple
Shop Watermelon Glow Ade
Shop Blueberry Calm Ade

The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. The opinions and content included in the article are the views of the interviewee only, and Poosh does not endorse or recommend any such content or information, or any product or service mentioned in the article. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.

Up next, be the first to know our weekly content and sign up for our Poosh newsletter.

You may also like...

Go to article The Beauty and Brain Benefits of Eating Flowers
health

The Beauty and Brain Benefits of Eating Flowers

Go to article What Your Nails Can Tell You About Your Health
health

What Your Nails Can Tell You About Your Health

Related Articles

Goes to article This TCM Raw Garlic Elixir Can Help You Get Snatched
body

This TCM Raw Garlic Elixir Can Help You Get Snatched

Goes to article 7 Easy Biohacks You Can Start Doing Right Now
health

7 Easy Biohacks You Can Start Doing Right Now

Goes to article The Self-Care Ritual That Actually Relieves my Pain
body

The Self-Care Ritual That Actually Relieves my Pain

Goes to article A Workout for Your Follicular Phase
fitness

A Workout for Your Follicular Phase

Goes to article How to Tell the Difference Between Dry and Dehydrated Skin
body

How to Tell the Difference Between Dry and Dehydrated Skin

Goes to article Did You Know… Laughing is Good for the Heart
health

Did You Know… Laughing is Good for the Heart

Goes to article What Kind of Sleeper Are You?
body

What Kind of Sleeper Are You?

Goes to article Hormone Healthy Raw Carrot Salad Recipe
recipes

Hormone Healthy Raw Carrot Salad Recipe

  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Accessibility

Keep in Touch

instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
Reviewed by Allyant for Accessibility
  • © poosh, llc
    All Rights Reserved