Posted on 04/03/2019 5:55:41 AM PDT by Kaslin
I skipped breakfast again this morning. I won't worry about it.
Yes, I've heard the advice. "It's the most important meal of the day." It balances blood sugar levels, kick-starts your metabolism, stimulates the brain, etc.
A Harvard University study said men who regularly skip breakfast have a 27 percent higher risk of suffering a heart attack. 27 percent!
But I'm not worried, because I now know there's no proof that skipping breakfast causes heart attacks or any other problem.
In my latest video, nutritionist Dr. Ruth Kava points out that just about all the claims about breakfast being especially important are unproven.
Those Harvard researchers actually say it "remains unknown whether specific eating habits ... influence ... heart disease risk."
Strokes and heart attack news persists in part because people who skip breakfast tend to have other bad habits, like smoking.
But the breakfast bunk keeps coming.
Several years ago, the government announced that skipping breakfast may make you fat. Of course, the media jumped on that one. "Missing breakfast tricks your brain into thinking you want higher-calorie foods," says WebMD.
"Far from making you fat, breakfast actually helps activate your metabolism so you start burning fat," says StepToHealth.com.
But it's not true, shows a new analysis by the British Medical Journal.
"They looked on a number of different studies, and they did not find that eating breakfast ... helped people lose weight," says Kava.
The government has backed away from its claim.
Why did researchers and the government get it so wrong?
Partly because eating habits are hard to study. You can't follow test subjects for years, continuously controlling what they eat.
So, many studies are based on what people say they ate. Some people forget. Or lie.
Many of us have been suckered by studies funded by cereal makers. Five of 15 studies mentioned by the government in its breakfast push were funded by General Mills or Kellogg.
"Yeah, well, they're the ones that are interested in having their products sold," says Kava.
On its cereal boxes, Kellogg touted that study that found people who didn't eat breakfast could lose weight by starting to eat cereal or breads for breakfast instead of skipping breakfast altogether or eating meat and eggs.
"Don't get your nutrition education from cereal boxes," says Kava.
In fairness, cereal companies don't always try to spin the results. One study funded by Quaker Oats found skipping breakfast was associated with weight loss in people who were overweight. Instead of ignoring the result, Quaker Oats actively pushed the researchers to publish the data.
Even cereal boxes might be better sources of information than television, though.
"Sesame Street" is more reliable than most shows, but even there, Michelle Obama told Grover he was probably tired because he hadn't had a "healthy breakfast!"
While it's true that a hungry child may not do well in school, Obama tells Grover, "Everybody should have a healthy breakfast."
Not true. You need nourishment, but there's no good evidence it has to come at a specific time of day.
"Eat breakfast if you're hungry. If not, eat a little later," advises Kava.
Of course, the key to good health isn't just to do whatever you feel like doing. Our appetites can lead us astray. Smoking kills. Some tempting foods are unhealthy.
But years of consumer reporting have taught me that moderation and common sense are better guides than the hyped warnings from government and the media.
I do OMAD. One Meal A Day. I eat when I get home from work.
But since I’m only eating one meal, I have to be careful that I get all the nutrition I need in that one meal, which is why I go through a lot of bacon. :)
Most of us would be healthier skipping a few meals. Our bodies are built for feast and famine, not just feast three times a day.
You can if they are in prison...
My schedule is so messed up, there’s no such thing as breakfast, lunch or dinner. I eat when I feel like it, or I don’t. Mostly don’t.
I’m enjoying an all egg white greek omlette at the moment with a cup of “the worlds best” coffee.
Stossel is a pretentious arrogant faux intellectual turd blossom.
Stossel is a pretentious arrogant faux intellectual turd blossom.
Better to snack eat all day rather than dumping a whole load of food in you stomach at one time - well except for T-Day when you just go all out.
Can I have one meal a day that lasts 8 hours???
“Eat your breakfast” has been used to justify all manner of school meal programs.
Personally, I find that if I skip breakfast, I don’t get hungry during the day, but if I eat something, my appetite is stimulated and I’m looking to refill the empty feeling in my stomach all day.
I recommend to everyone that they do a search on “long term fasting”. It is eye opening.
and “long term” can mean everything from a few days to a year (or more). Naturally, for the latter you have to start out pretty darned fat - and be supervised by a doctor.
Actually, for me it’s a three hour window. I get home at six and can eat until 9. :)
The key is that your body has no calorie intake for over 12 (preferrably 16) hours. That’s when it stops using blood sugar and uses fat for energy. It not only causes one to lose weight, but cleans out your whole system. It becomes like a daily detox.
Have you tried uncured pork belly? I bought a package at Costco last week, thinking it was just sliced uncured bacon, and wanted to try it.
It’s in large slabs, about 1” x 1” x 10”. If you want to slice it, put it in the freezer to firm it up.
I cooked a few slices on a griddle in the oven at 400°. For cured thick sliced bacon, I let it go 10-12 minutes. For pork belly, I left it in for 20 minutes, but that rendered out too much of the fat. Add salt, and it tastes just like a pork chop.
Yesterday I cooked one of the slabs. I put it on a rack, then in the oven at 275 for a couple hours. Then cube it up. I’m going to use these as fat bombs. The fat is not objectionable.
I looked up the macros, I think it’s 92% calories from fat.
My morning breakfast...
Oatmeal sprinkled w/cut-up strawberries
Banana chaser on the side
Skim milk
...and coffee (1 cup before and 1 cup after)
:: there’s no proof that skipping breakfast causes heart attacks or any other problem ::
STILL waiting for that death certificate that has “skipping breakfast” as a cause.
I worked in Funeral Service for about three years, probably read 300 death certificates in that time. Nope, no ‘skipping breakfast’.
I pay little attention to those “studies.” Common sense should prevail. It makes sense to eat breakfast before going out to work, or to school.
Also, if you haven’t eaten since supper the previous day, you’re hungry.
I keep a packet of bacon bits in my pocket all day long for 2 reasons. One is for a high protein snack that tastes good. Can you guess what the second reason is?
I’ll check back in later, I have to run over to Dearborn for the day. KEK
Did you save any photocopies of those that had “second-hand smoke” as COD?
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