«Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you can't skip it!»
Who has not heard that phrase ever? Most likely, your parents have also scolded you for going to class on an empty stomach, or a doctor has recommended that you eat breakfast when you go on a diet, even your coach has not allowed you to play sports knowing that you came without eating. If it has happened to you, we reveal why they have been confusing you all these years.
Have breakfast
It seems quite obvious, but few people have stopped to know the true meaning of breakfast. «Personalized» is the prefix we use to end our fast after sleeping. Can you do a mid-morning breakfast? You can, either at noon or in the afternoon, too. We are subject to some canons where society has taught us to have breakfast in the morning, since it is the first meal we have in the day when we get up; but really you can have breakfast when it best suits your routine.
Since it is usual to have breakfast in the morning after fasting overnight, if you do intermittent fasting (16/8), your breakfast would be lunch or a snack. Remember: des-ayuno = first meal of the day that you eat. Put aside the thought that eating breakfast can only happen in the morning.
Is it the most important meal of the day?
Despite the fact that they have repeated it to us so many times that we have come to burn it into our brains, there is no scientific basis to support this myth. It is thought that it is important to replenish energy levels first thing in the morning, after having spent several hours without anything in the stomach. That is why it is advisable to have a strong breakfast to burn energy during the day and end the day with a light dinner.
As we said, there are no studies that certify that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you have tried fasting, you will see that no power issues, no performance, no grumpiness. From experience, I am one of the people who prefer to have breakfast after training (early in the morning) so as not to feel fatigued during exercise. I even perform much better.
The habit makes the monk, and if you have spent your whole life having breakfast right after you get up, it will most likely be difficult for you to remove this habit. Many people think they are going to pass out if they don't eat or that they won't perform at 100% in class, at work or in the gym.
If you want to have breakfast, go ahead! But if you don't have breakfast, don't be afraid. Listen to your body and assess what feels better or worse for you.