🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Survey results from the Hunan Nutrition and Health Food Association on 200 white-collar workers in Changsha show that over 40% do not regularly eat breakfast or almost never do. A recent survey on breakfast habits by nutritionists reveals that 35% of white-collar employees start their day on an empty stomach. Nutritionists express concern: breakfast is closely related to human health.
Harms of Skipping Breakfast
· Sluggish reaction, low work efficiency: Breakfast is the primary energy source for brain activity. The body’s main energy comes from carbohydrates. After waking up, the brain and muscles consume glucose (blood sugar), lowering blood sugar levels. If no meal is eaten or a low-quality breakfast is consumed, insufficient glucose remains available, leading to fatigue, lethargy, irritability, difficulty concentrating, mental dullness, dizziness, and blurred vision—impairing work and study performance.
· Impacts adolescent development: Adolescents are in a growth phase requiring proper nutrition. Skipping breakfast leads to hunger around 9–10 a.m., causing dizziness, weakness, poor concentration, pallor, cold sweats, or even fainting—hindering learning effectiveness and directly affecting physical development.
· Increased risk of obesity: To control weight or lose weight, one must eat three regular meals daily. Do not assume skipping breakfast reduces calorie intake and aids weight loss. Nutritionists confirm that breakfast foods are least likely to turn into fat. Skipping breakfast often leads to overeating at lunch and dinner. Japanese sumo wrestlers, who skip breakfast and eat only lunch and dinner, become obese.
· Induces constipation: Regular mealtimes trigger the gastric-colonic reflex, promoting bowel movements. Habitually skipping breakfast disrupts this reflex, potentially causing constipation.
· Cause of duodenal ulcers: During sleep, the stomach still secretes small amounts of gastric acid. Without breakfast until noon, the stomach remains hungry for long periods, leaving excess acid unneutralized—potentially leading to duodenal ulcers.
· Risk of malnutrition: The human body requires over 40 nutrients, all obtained from diverse foods. Chinese nutritionists recommend consuming at least 20 different types of food daily to meet nutritional needs. Many essential nutrients come from breakfast. Thus, skipping breakfast easily leads to nutrient imbalance or deficiency.
· Promotes gallstone formation: Long fasting periods at night reduce bile secretion and alter bile composition, decreasing bile acids and increasing cholesterol deposition in the gallbladder. Chronic breakfast skipping reduces bile acid production, and elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk of gallstone formation.
Five Key Points for a Scientific Breakfast
· Optimal timing: Medical research confirms that 7–8 a.m. is ideal for breakfast, when appetite is strongest. The interval between breakfast and lunch should be about 4–5 hours. If breakfast is earlier, portion size should increase or lunch should be advanced accordingly.
· Drink water before breakfast: After a night’s sleep, the body loses fluids through urine, skin, and respiration, resulting in physiological dehydration. Simply eating a regular breakfast cannot adequately replenish lost fluids. Therefore, upon waking, drink 500–800 ml of cool water immediately—this satisfies physiological hydration needs and cleanses organs, enhancing organ function and preventing disease.
· Appropriate caloric intake: Nutrients in breakfast should account for about 30% of daily total. For nutrients often insufficient in lunch and dinner—such as energy and vitamin B1—breakfast should provide extra amounts. Ensure balanced coarse and fine grains, meat and vegetables, to optimize the ratio of the eight essential amino acids in proteins, achieving nutritional complementarity.
· Cooking method matters: Consider individual physiology, appetite, and taste preferences. Prefer hot congee, hot oatmeal, hot milk, or hot soy milk. Avoid cold coffee, iced tea, or cold milk. Limit fried foods.
· Balance acidic and alkaline foods: Many people eat steamed buns, fried foods, and soy milk for breakfast, or eggs, meat, and dairy products. While these are rich in carbohydrates, protein, and fat, they are all acidic foods. Excessive acidic foods can shift blood pH toward acidity, disrupting the body’s acid-base balance and potentially causing calcium deficiency. Including alkaline-rich vegetables and fruits helps achieve dietary acid-base and nutrient balance. Professor Li Huiming, Department of Nutrition, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University