Dharitri Ganguly
While breakfast is often called the most important meal of the day, eating the wrong food for breakfast can set you up for a day of energy crashes, brain fog, and intense sugar cravings. So here are 5 things that spike your blood sugar and put a heavy load on your digestive system.
Sugary breakfast cereals
Most "healthy" or "whole grain" boxed cereals, are heavily processed and packed with refined sugar. Eating a bowl of the same causes a rapid spike in blood glucose levels. The body responds with a massive insulin surge to clear the sugar, leading to a sudden energy crash just a couple of hours later.
You will feel sluggish, distracted, and incredibly hungry well before lunchtime.
Store-bought fruit juices
While a glass of juice feels like a fresh, healthy way to start the morning, but packaged juices removes the insoluble fibre from the fruit. Without the fibre to slow down digestion, you are essentially drinking concentrated fructose/fruit sugar.
It hits your liver and bloodstream instantly, spiking your blood sugar.
Flavoured non-fat yogurt
Yogurt, an excellent source of protein and gut-friendly probiotics, but the flavoured, fruit-bottom varieties are hidden sugar bombs. The "low-fat" or "non-fat", they usually add massive amounts of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup to restore the flavour and texture.
Instead, opt for plain, full-fat Greek yogurt and sweeten it yourself with a few fresh berries, a few slices of banana, apple or pomegranate or a light drizzle of raw honey.
Pastries, muffins, and white bread
Croissants, commercial muffins, and white bread are breakfast favourites, but they offer very little nutritional value to start your day. Made from refined white flour, these foods lack fibre and protein. Bakery muffins are high in calories and trans fats, acting essentially as cake in disguise.
They digest incredibly quickly, leaving your stomach empty and your energy drained shortly after eating.
Fried, heavy, or excessively spicy foods
Heavy, deep-fried breakfasts, like pakoras, pooris, or highly-spiced curries, can severely disrupt your morning productivity. Your digestive system, which is just waking up in the morning, for it breaking down high amounts of saturated fats requires immense energy, diverting blood flow to your stomach and leaves you feeling physically exhausted.
Also, eating highly acidic or spicy foods on an empty stomach can trigger acid reflux, heartburn, and stomach discomfort that lasts all day.