Timing is everything — especially when it comes to eating breakfast. It’s important to ensure that what you’re eating is healthy but when you eat is also crucial. Mornings vary for many people, whether it involves a workout, a long commute, or sleeping in — there’s a science to breakfast and how you go about it can affect your health.
Women’s Health Magazine recently chatted with Theresa Shank, a dietician based in Philadelphia, about the best time to have breakfast and how your morning routine affects those times. Shank recommends having breakfast within two hours of waking up.
Photo: Eating With Emma
“Eating within this window sets the pace for a healthy appetite and stabilized blood sugars throughout the day. Once we’re awake, our bodies need to speed up and break out of a fasted state,” shared Shank with Women’s Health.
Photo: Hannah Bronfman
While the two-hour window is important, if you have health conditions, shortening the time window is important. When you eat within the window, you’re ensuring that your blood sugar is at a healthy level and your glucose levels are balanced.
If you’re a morning workout person, it’s important to learn whether your body functions better while fasting or feeling full — this will determine whether you eat before or after your workouts in the morning. Whether you’re fasting or feasting, keeping the meal within a 1-2 hour window before or after your workout is essential.
Photo: Good To Know
According to Good To Know, researchers have pinpointed the best eating time to be at 7:11 AM, but it’s alright to change this up if it’s your day to sleep in. It’s important to remember that breakfast doesn’t mean having every breakfast food on IHop’s menu — things such as yogurt, fruit or an egg in the morning will do the trick. If you’re often in a rush to get out of the house to make it to work, meal planning can be a life-saver.
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