The morning is the start of the day, and we all know that what you have for breakfast directly affects your health. This is a very real issue, but it would be unwise to make certain mistakes...
Three types of food you should avoid in the morning
1. Avoid drinking large amounts of cold beverages: A large temperature difference can strongly stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, leading to sudden cramps.
2. Avoid eating bananas on an empty stomach: Besides containing sleep-promoting potassium, bananas are also rich in magnesium. Eating them on an empty stomach can cause a sharp increase in magnesium levels in the blood, and magnesium is one of the elements sensitive to heart function.
3. Avoid eating pineapple on an empty stomach: Pineapple contains strong enzymes that can damage the stomach lining when eaten on an empty stomach. Its nutrients can be better absorbed only after a meal.
Tip: Also avoid drinking vinegar or eating garlic on an empty stomach in the morning. Drinking vinegar on an empty stomach can lead to excessive stomach acid and harm the stomach; allicin can irritate the gastric mucosa and intestinal walls, causing stomach cramps. Knowing the dietary taboos for the morning, you should take action immediately to find a stomach-nourishing plan that suits you. Here are a few recommendations for you to choose from:
Morning Stomach-Nourishing Soup
Ingredients: 50 grams of red dates, 20 silkworm cocoons with pupae, and an appropriate amount of sugar.
Method:
1. Put the washed red dates and silkworm cocoons in a pot with 800 grams of water.
2. After boiling, reduce the heat and simmer slowly for 15 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid into a large bowl and add sugar to taste.
Effects: Nourishes the stomach and spleen, the soup is sweet and delicious, and moistens the lungs and promotes fluid generation.
Six Wrong Ways to Eat Breakfast
Way 1: "Leftover Breakfast"
Breakfast content: Leftovers, or fried rice with leftovers, noodles with leftovers, etc.
Reason for popularity: Many "moms" in families cook extra for dinner to make fried rice for their children and family the next morning, or simply reheat the leftovers. This type of breakfast is convenient to make, rich in content, and almost the same as a main meal, usually considered nutritionally complete.
Expert commentary: After being left overnight, vegetables may produce nitrite (a carcinogen), which can harm human health.
Suggestion: Try not to eat leftover vegetables; if you use other leftover food for breakfast, be sure to store it properly to prevent spoilage; food taken from the refrigerator must be heated thoroughly.
Way 2: Fast-Food Breakfast
Breakfast content: Various types of Western fast food.
Reason for popularity: Western fast food like hamburgers and fried chicken wings has always been a dietary preference for fashionable people. Moreover, many fast-food chains now offer dedicated breakfast menus, such as hamburgers with coffee or milk, black tea, which are convenient, quick, and tasty.
Expert commentary: This type of high-calorie breakfast can easily lead to obesity, and long-term consumption of fried food is also harmful to the body. If you have Western fast food for breakfast, your lunch and dinner must be low-calorie. Additionally, this type of Western breakfast is nutritionally unbalanced; it is high in calories but often lacks vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients.
Suggestion: If you choose Western fast food for breakfast, add fruit or vegetable soup to maintain a balanced nutritional intake and ensure you get various nutrients. It is also best not to eat it long-term.
Way 3: Traditional Breakfast
Breakfast content: Fried dough sticks and soy milk.
Reason for popularity: Many people have been accustomed to eating fried dough sticks with soy milk in the morning since childhood, guided by their grandparents. They are not only used to the taste but also have an emotional attachment to it over the years.
Expert commentary: Fried dough sticks are high-temperature fried foods, similar to baked cakes, egg cakes, and pan-fried dumplings, all of which have a high oil content. Nutrients are destroyed after high-temperature frying, and carcinogenic substances can also be produced. Moreover, fried dough sticks are high in calories and the oil is difficult to digest. Soy milk is also a medium-fat food, so the oil content of this breakfast combination is clearly excessive and not suitable for long-term consumption.
Suggestion: Breakfast must include vegetables or fruit. It's best to eat fried dough sticks with soy milk infrequently, no more than once a week. The lunch and dinner on that day must be as light as possible, avoiding fried, pan-fried, and stir-fried foods, and supplement with more vegetables.
Way 4: Snack Breakfast
Breakfast content: Various snacks, such as rice crackers, cookies, chocolate, etc.
Reason for popularity: Many people keep snacks at home for unexpected needs. When they wake up in the morning and are short on time, they often grab snacks for breakfast, which is convenient and quick.
Expert commentary: It's fine to eat snacks like cookies and chocolate when you're hungry, but using snacks as the most important meal of the day is very unscientific. Most snacks are dry foods, which are not conducive to digestion and absorption for the human body, which is in a semi-dehydrated state in the morning. Moreover, snacks like cookies are mainly made from grains, which can provide energy in a short time but will soon make you feel hungry again. Blood sugar levels will drop significantly by noon. Eating snacks for breakfast can easily lead to nutritional deficiencies, a decline in physical fitness, and make one susceptible to various diseases.
Suggestion: It is not advisable to replace breakfast with snacks, especially too many dry foods. Breakfast should contain sufficient moisture. If your breakfast is too dry, you can add a cucumber.
Way 5: On-the-Go Breakfast
Breakfast content: Breakfast bought from street vendors, eaten while walking. Moving hands, feet, mouth, and whole body...
Reason for popularity: The mornings of the working class are always rushed, especially for those who live far from their workplace. Breakfast is often solved on the road. Foods like steamed buns, tea eggs, Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), and Jianbing (Chinese crepe) sold at community gates and near bus stops are their first choice. They buy a portion and eat it while walking...
Expert commentary: Eating while walking is not good for gastrointestinal health and hinders digestion and absorption. Additionally, street food often has hygiene problems, and one might get sick from what they eat.
Suggestion: If you choose street food for breakfast, pay attention to hygiene, and it's best to eat it at home or at the office. Try not to eat breakfast on your way to work to avoid harming your health.
Way 6: "Nutritious" Breakfast
Breakfast content: Nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, and milk, but it's missing staple foods that are "not highly nutritious."
Reason for popularity: This type of breakfast is generally popular with women because staple foods are the main source of calories, and calories are the enemy of slender women and those on a diet... So, various high-nutrient foods should be eaten, while calories should be reduced.
Expert commentary: Many people mistakenly believe that staple foods only provide calories and have nothing to do with nutrition. In fact, carbohydrates are also part of nutrition and are extremely important for the human body. Without sufficient calorie intake, the body will automatically break down to release energy. Long-term avoidance of staple foods can lead to malnutrition and weaken various body functions. Additionally, yogurt and fruits that are acidic in taste or have coarse fiber, such as tomatoes, bananas, snow pears, plums, and apricots, are not suitable to be eaten on an empty stomach.
Suggestion: You should increase your intake of staple foods like bread and steamed buns, which are grain-based foods.