"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" is a common health mantra for many seniors. They wake up around 5 or 6 AM, have a quick breakfast, and then go for exercise. What they don't realize is that this habit can lead to gastrointestinal diseases.
When sleeping at night, most organs in the body are at rest to ensure they function properly the next day after a day's work. However, the digestive system remains busy at night, working hard to digest and absorb food left in the gastrointestinal tract, only resting in the morning. Coupled with the decline in physical function in the elderly, the digestive system becomes weaker. The stomach and intestines need at least 2 to 3 hours of rest in the morning to return to normal function. If seniors eat breakfast too early, it will interfere with this rest,加重 the burden on the digestive system, and over time, can easily lead to gastrointestinal diseases.
Furthermore, the human body is in a natural elimination phase in the morning. The blood is turbid, and metabolic waste from the previous day urgently needs to be cleared. Eating too early can interfere with this elimination process. Therefore, the elderly should not eat breakfast too early.
Chen Wei, a nutrition expert from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, suggests that it is more appropriate for seniors to have their breakfast between 8:30 and 9:00. After waking up in the morning, they should not get up immediately. It is better to lie in bed for 15 to 30 minutes, then get up and drink a glass of warm water to clear waste from the intestines and stomach.
Regarding what to eat for breakfast, Chen Wei explains that it is best to eat warm, soft, and easily digestible foods. Porridge is particularly suitable, and it's even better to add ingredients like lotus seeds, red dates, Chinese yam, longans, and Job's tears. Oily, fried, dry-hard, and highly stimulating foods should be avoided. Additionally, breakfast should not be excessive to avoid overloading the digestive system, which can lead to a decline in digestive function.