10 Foods You Should Avoid Consuming In The Morning

A smoothie or a cup of latte macchiato or iced coffee is what probably pops into your head when you think of a good breakfast. It does sound great, but have you ever thought about whether this is the right way to start your day?

Believe it or not, the first thing you consume on an empty stomach sets the tone of your day. Your breakfast can help you feel energized and refreshed during the entire day. But, it can also make you feel tired, weak, and physically and mentally drained, and it can even make you susceptible to certain health issues. For instance, for some people, drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks first thing in the morning can cause dehydration, heartburn, and acidity.

So, to start your day in a healthy and productive way, you need to become able to determine what foods and drinks your breakfast should include so as to improve your digestive system or prevent any digestive problems and enhance the absorption of nutrients in your body.

10 Foods You Should Avoid Consuming For Breakfast

1. Green Vegetables

Green vegetables, like cucumbers, spinach, broccoli, green bean, artichoke, and asparagus, have a good amount of amino acids. If they’re consumed on an empty stomach or in high quantities, they can cause nausea, heartburn, flatulence, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

2. Pears

Fresh pears have crude fiber that can damage the soft surface of the gastric mucosa (a protective mucous membrane which lines the surface of the stomach) of an empty stomach.

3. Shortcrust Pastry

Foods that contain yeast can irritate the mucosa of your stomach and result in flatulence.

 4. Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain tannic acid which can increase the amount of acid in your stomach. This can irritate your stomach and even increase the risk of developing gastric ulcers.

5. Bananas

Consuming bananas on an empty stomach can considerably increase magnesium levels in the blood, which may have a negative effect on your heart. Moreover, eating bananas first thing in the morning increases the level of triglycerides in the blood.

6. Candies

Consuming added sugars increases considerably your levels of insulin, and this puts additional load on your pancreas, which hasn’t started performing its function yet as it’s just “woken up.” Moreover, sugar can increase your body’s acid level.

7. Spicy Foods

Consuming foods packed with spices first thing in the morning can irritate the mucous membrane of your stomach and cause it to produce more acid. All of this can result in a lot of digestive conditions.

8. Fermented Milk Products

The hydrochloric acid (HCl) that your stomach produces destroys the lactic acid bacteria which is present in fermented milk products. Lacto-fermented foods are known for their ability to improve brain and cardiovascular health as well as bring immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cancer-fighting benefits to your health. So, consuming such foods on an empty stomach offers insignificant benefits to your body.

9. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits, like citron, orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon, and mandarin, are a good source of fruit acids. If they’re consumed first thing in the morning or in large quantities, they can increase the risk of developing gastric ulcers and cause gastritis and heartburn.

10. Raw vegetables

Regardless of the numerous health benefits that fresh raw vegetables have, consuming them first thing in the morning can add an additional load on your stomach since they have crude fiber content. So, if your go-to breakfast food is salad, you might consider replacing it with another food.

4 Drinks You Shouldn’t Consume For Breakfast

1. Fizzy Sugary Drinks

Beverages containing added sugars can overload both your pancreas and liver. They can cause heartburn and more acidity in your stomach. Very sweet smoothies can have this effect on your stomach as well.

2. Fruit Juices

No one can deny that fruit juices are healthy, but there’s one problem regarding their effect on your health. The thing is that when you consume the actual fruit whole, you get to consume all of its nutrients. But, when you juice fruits in a blender or squeeze them, some of their fiber content is lost since you basically isolate the juice from the skins which are high in healthy fiber. This can lead to an increase in the levels of sugar in the blood and cause conditions, such as high cholesterol and diabetes.

3. Coffee

A lot of people like to begin their day with a cup of coffee as it helps them get alert and more focused and energized. But, consuming coffee first thing in the morning may increase the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which can cause some people to get gastritis.

4. Cold Drinks

Many nutritionists recommend consuming warm water (plain or with lemon) first thing in the morning, and they’re right. Nevertheless, most people tend to have a nice cup of iced coffee or cold juice on an empty stomach in the morning, which is not a good way to start the day. Namely, consuming cold drinks for breakfast can harm the mucous membrane of your stomach and slow down your metabolism, while drinking warm drinks speeds up your metabolism.

Foods You Should Consume For Breakfast

1. Berries

Being a rich source of fiber and antioxidants, eating berries for breakfast improves your metabolism, makes you feel satiated and it may improve the function of your blood vessels and memory of older adults as well.

2. Buckwheat

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a seed and it’s packed with fiber, which can greatly protect your digestive system. Fiber also helps you have bowel movements regularly and it prevents constipation.(1)

3. Eggs

Being packed with nutrients, protein, and cholesterol, consuming eggs on an empty stomach helps you feel satiated for longer and considerably lowers your daily calorie intake.

4. Oatmeal

This food forms a protective layer around the mucosa of your stomach that keeps hydrochloric acid from damaging the stomach walls. Moreover, oatmeal is a rich source of fiber which helps lower the risk of diabetes, promote satiety, and decrease the levels of cholesterol in your body.

5. Nuts

Eating nuts first thing in the morning regulates the pH value in your stomach and enhances your digestive system. Moreover, it makes you feel satiated for longer.

6. Watermelon

Not only will eating this fruit first thing in the morning help you stay hydrated during the entire day, it may help lower your cholesterol levels and improve your cardiovascular health thanks to its component lycopene.

7. Cornmeal Porridge

This food helps your body get rid of heavy metals and harmful toxins and it makes you feel full for longer.

8. Honey

Eating 1-2 teaspoons of honey for breakfast gives you energy and improves your mental health by increasing your serotonin (“feel-good” hormone) levels and the activity of your brain.

9. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are packed with fiber which allows you to feel full for longer and reduces your daily food intake. They may also enhance your heart health and regulate your levels of blood sugar.

10. Flaxseed

Flaxseeds are packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. They have numerous health benefits.  They enhance sensitivity to insulin, decrease blood sugar levels, and lower cholesterol in blood vessels. 

CONCLUSION

When choosing what you’re going to eat for breakfast, make sure you don’t choose foods or drinks that can slow down your metabolism or that can lead to some digestive disorders. Instead, try to eat foods that are high in nutrients and that can help your digestive system and metabolism run smoothly and properly.