In health preservation, breakfast is considered the most important meal by many experts, but in reality, it is often treated poorly by us, and the mistake of not eating breakfast or eating it incorrectly can lead to kidney deficiency and stomach damage. Certain types of breakfast can cause the body to gradually deteriorate.
With the fast-paced rhythm of life, many people skip breakfast or hastily drink a quick box of milk. Women, not wanting to gain weight, often skip breakfast, while men sometimes just grab a cup of coffee. In the short term, there may be no issues with the body, but over time, not eating breakfast can lead to kidney deficiency and spleen and stomach damage. The immune system needs continuous regeneration; lacking nutrients is like building a house without bricks, mortar, or cement.
Risk of menstrual disorders and lower back pain.
Dr. Ly Gia Nang, director of the Phuc Thien Traditional Medicine Clinic, has observed that women who skip breakfast for a long time are often prone to menstrual disorders. Men may experience issues with sexual function, nocturia, lower back pain, and other symptoms of kidney deficiency.
The reason is that when nothing is eaten in the morning, blood sugar and blood pressure will be low, causing the body to think we are under stress and start secreting cortisol and adrenaline. This prolonged state can lead to kidney deficiency. Skipping breakfast can also cause the spleen and stomach to become reversed, making food taste bland and increasing susceptibility to colds or muscle fatigue.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the human body has 12 meridians, each with a peak activity time. The stomach meridian is from 7 to 9 AM, the spleen meridian is from 9 to 11 AM, and the heart meridian is from 11 AM to 1 PM. All are related to breakfast; skipping breakfast can easily lead to nutrient deficiencies affecting the meridian and heart function at noon. As a result, symptoms such as weak heart, arrhythmia, and dizziness may appear.
Clinically, it is often seen that patients who skip breakfast to lose weight eat very little during the day, consuming little rice or starchy foods. Such diets can affect cardiovascular health.
7 types of breakfast foods harmful to health
Breakfast is essential, but there are 7 types of food that are not suitable for breakfast.
1. Foods high in fat.
After fasting all night, we should not immediately eat foods that are too high in fat, as they can cause indigestion. Examples include fried dough sticks, burgers, fried chicken, or French fries. Dr. Ly Gia Nang emphasizes that coffee is also a high-fat food; for those with poor digestion, drinking it in the morning can further harm the stomach, as coffee stimulates the stomach to secrete acid.
2. Drinking milk on an empty stomach.
In the minds of many Vietnamese, milk is a nutrient-rich product that is good for health, and in the past, only sick people were allowed to drink milk. However, this depends on the type of milk and how it is consumed. Many types of milk on the Vietnamese market contain too much sugar.
Natural milk mainly contains lactose in very low amounts and has a bland taste. However, since most Vietnamese have a sweet tooth, manufacturers have added sugar. This is a danger because sugar is known as white poison and can weaken the immune system and natural health, which will be analyzed in more detail in another article.
Additionally, it is important to note that after the age of 6, the amount of digestive enzymes that help absorb milk in Asians, including Vietnamese, decreases significantly. This is why many people experience bloating or mild diarrhea after drinking milk. Drinking milk on an empty stomach, when digestion is even poorer, can exacerbate this.
3. Meals high in sugar and starch.
For example, eating rice, fried noodles, radish cakes, bread, or dumplings. If you often consume starch for breakfast, over time, it can lead to fatigue syndrome, a heavy body, inflammation, or cerebral hemorrhage. Moreover, when consuming too much, starch will be converted into stored fat. The key point is that Dr. Nang suggests it is best to add vegetables, eggs, and meat. Vietnamese pho and bun are highly regarded by nutrition experts for their harmonious combination of carbohydrates, noodles, and vegetables, and are often served hot and moist, making them easy to digest. However, it is also necessary to avoid pho shops that use too much MSG and seasoning powder.
4. Foods that are too sweet.
Learning from Western habits, many people have breakfast with toast topped with chocolate, jam, or peanut butter, along with black tea, milk tea, and other sweet foods. Eating overly sweet foods for an extended period can easily lead to phlegm syndrome.
5. Ice-cold drinks.
Drinking iced beverages in the morning increases dampness in the body. Examples include iced soy milk, iced milk tea, and cold tea. In traditional health preservation, it is noted that one should eat and drink warm to protect qi and blood.
6. Cold salads and green smoothies.
The common property of fruits and vegetables is that they are often cold; salads and green smoothies made from fruits and vegetables are naturally cold as well, unless we understand the properties of the food and how to combine them. Otherwise, it is best not to overuse these dishes for breakfast. It is advisable to choose calming fruits and vegetables for breakfast, such as guava, apples, and bananas. If you want to make juice, it is best to consume it at room temperature rather than taking it out of the fridge and using it immediately.
7. Overusing processed foods.
Processed foods like sausages, protein powder, and whey protein. To gain muscle and lose fat, some people only eat protein powder or whey protein in the morning, resulting in anemia. In contrast, eating meat can help absorb protein and supplement nutrients like iron. Dr. Ly Gia Nang states that the majority of reasons for skipping breakfast are due to sleeping too late or dieting. Therefore, you can only eat protein or fat for breakfast.
If you are not full, you can add a little starch, but do not eat starch all day. Otherwise, it will lead to failed weight loss.
Pay attention to breakfast timing.
Breakfast is best eaten before 9 AM, as from 9 to 11 AM is the time when the spleen meridian is most active. The function of the spleen meridian is to transport nutrients to all parts of the body. According to the doctor, those on a 16-hour weight loss diet need to pay special attention to this.
"Some people skip breakfast and only eat from noon to 8 PM. This is not good because there are no nutrients for the spleen and stomach to transport when they are active. Breakfast should be moved earlier to between 10:30 AM and 6:30 PM. Those who are used to exercising in the morning should wait until their heart rate and breathing return to normal, then wipe off the sweat before having breakfast. Especially if breakfast is eaten within 30 minutes after exercising, it will not easily lead to obesity. This is because exercise can increase muscle sensitivity to insulin and prevent carbohydrates from food from turning into stored fat after waking up.
Do not forget to drink a glass of warm water before breakfast to help warm the stomach and promote bowel movement; about 100 ml is sufficient. Do not drink too much water at once or more than necessary, as it can also cause indigestion. Some people, while losing weight, drink too much water to increase the feeling of fullness. On the contrary, it increases pressure on the kidneys, harming the intestines and stomach, affecting absorption, causing muscle atrophy, and malnutrition.
Another very important point when having breakfast is to eat with a cheerful mood; do not do other things while eating or think about gaining weight or being afraid of food. This is good for the stomach and intestines. Today's health topic will conclude here.