Three out of ten Koreans skip breakfast (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency statistics). Sixty percent of people in their 20s skip breakfast. Even having a simple breakfast can help you start the day energetically and also aid in maintaining long-term health. In particular, it is good to consume plant-based foods such as nuts and beans.

 

◇The easiest way to stay healthy, eating breakfast

 

Eating breakfast allows you to start the day with a clear mind.

 

If you skip meals, the brain does not receive enough fuel in the form of glucose, leading to decreased activity and a reduction in reasoning, concentration, and cognitive abilities. Emotions also become unstable because the appetite center and emotional center become excited.

 

A study at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain found that simply having breakfast can reduce behavioral problems caused by anxious emotions.

For long-term health, it is better to eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast first increases the risk of diabetes. When fasting for a long time, regardless of what you eat after lunch, blood sugar and insulin levels tend to rise more significantly. Blood sugar spikes are a major factor that increase the risk of diabetes. A study at Hanlim University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital found that people who did not eat breakfast were 1.26 times more likely to be in the pre-diabetic stage compared to those who ate breakfast.

 

The prolonged fasting state increases the secretion of appetite-stimulating hormones, which also causes a significant pleasure in the act of eating itself, and this is problematic. It increases the likelihood of binge eating during lunch and dinner, and repeated binge eating can lead to obesity. A study from Harvard University in the United States found that the group that skipped breakfast showed increases in snack intake, eating speed, waist circumference, weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels compared to the group that ate breakfast. Even if one resists binge eating, becoming accustomed to maintaining bodily functions with fewer calories can lead to a decrease in metabolic rate, resulting in adverse effects.

 

◇Recommended nuts, whole grains, beans, and vegetables

 

In the morning, it is sufficient to eat a simple meal and maintain an empty stomach. When choosing meals, it is better to consume plant-based foods such as nuts rather than animal-based foods like eggs. An analysis of 37 studies by the German Diabetes Research Center found that replacing one egg with 25-28 grams of nuts could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 17%, type 2 diabetes by 18%, and early death by 15%. Replacing 50 grams of processed meat with legumes such as chickpeas reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 23%, replacing it with 28-50 grams of nuts reduced the risk by 27%, and replacing 30 grams of processed meat with whole grains reduced the risk by 36%. A handful of nuts is about 30 grams, and 50 grams of processed meat is roughly equivalent to one sausage or two slices of bacon. Additionally, replacing 50 grams of poultry with 30 grams of whole grains lowered the risk of developing diabetes by 13%. Replacing processed meats, eggs, cheese, butter, and yogurt with avocados also appears to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

 

If you want to enhance brain function on the day, choose foods that require a lot of chewing. This increases brain blood flow and improves circulation. Examples include dark green vegetables like spinach and kale, nuts, and apples. It is recommended to have your meal before 8:30 a.m. A study from Northwestern University School of Medicine in the United States found that people who eat their first meal before 8:30 a.m. have lower insulin resistance compared to those who eat at other times, which helps prevent diabetes. Insulin resistance refers to the decreased effectiveness of insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar.

 

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Breakfast should be eaten before 8:30 a.m.

Then I guess I'm eating well before going to work.

 

I can't wake up late on weekends, though. Haha.