The way you start your morning can influence your gut to a great extent, says Dr Saurabh Sethi, a stomach expert trained at Harvard. Several normal breakfast habits, like excessive sugar intake or drinking coffee without eating anything, may look as if they are okay, but, in fact, they can worsen your digestion. Such mistakes may cause the following symptoms: bloating, acidity, inflammation, and general gut unhealthiness. To help you keep your stomach healthy and have a better start to your day, Dr Sethi reveals the habits in his Instagram post that you can change little by little.
7 breakfast habits that quietly damage your gut health and ways to fix them
7 breakfast habits may be quietly harming your gut without you realising it. These common morning mistakes, such as skipping fibre and resorting to sugary and high-fat foods, can cause a bad digestive process, which in turn results in bloating and acidity. The good news is that each habit has a simple solution. By making small and mindful changes, you can turn your breakfast into a gut-friendly, energising start to the day.Skipping breakfast Skipping breakfast creates long gaps between meals, which often leads to acid buildup in your stomach. When your body remains empty for too long, the acid that is produced to digest the food has nothing to break down, and thus it causes irritation, acidity, and discomfort. This pattern, over time, can slow your digestive processes so that you experience a sluggish gut and may feel heavy, bloated, or lacking in energy. Even a small breakfast works to keep the gut active, stable, and fit for the day. The advice is to eat within the first hour after waking if you are not fasting intentionally. Coffee on an empty stomachFirst thing in the morning, having coffee without food may give you a quick lift of energy, but it is the reason why stomach acid can increase, and thus acid reflux, as well as other discomforts, arises. The acidity in coffee, which causes it to be irritating to the stomach lining, is without a doubt the reason for the burning sensations, distension, and even vomiting that occur when coffee is taken on an empty stomach. Over time, this habit will make your gut uneasy, and you will find your mornings more stressful rather than energising. Drinking a glass of water before coffee and having a light snack, such as a handful of nuts or a banana, can prevent the situation of increasing stomach acid.Sugary breakfast cereals & granola Many sugary breakfast cereals and granolas may give the appearance of being healthy, but the truth is that most of them are packed with refined sugar, which ultimately is very harmful to the gut. The problem is that these products cause blood sugar to rise rapidly since they are consumed as the first meal of the day, and therefore, it is the sugar crash that is responsible for the lowering of both energy and digestion. Besides, the high sugar intake leads to gut inflammation that causes the disruption of the good bacteria balance. In the long run, this may result in bloating and general gut unhealthiness, even if the food is ‘healthy’.High-fat bulletproof coffee trendsHigh-fat bulletproof coffee has been a trendy morning choice, but it may not be the best option for your gut or energy in general. The fact that the drink is void of fibre and protein makes it a poor source of satiety; thus, the consumer will be hungry again soon and more tempted to eat unhealthy snacks. What is more, the high-fat content of coffee on an empty stomach may later be the cause of acid reflux, discomfort, and digestive irritation. The best way to make your morning complete and balanced is to eat protein and fibre, such as eggs, Greek yoghurt, nuts, chia seeds, or fruit, along with your coffee. This will give you better fullness, more steady energy, and a healthier start to the day.Breakfast on the go every day Having breakfast on the go every day might be convenient, but it can be detrimental to your digestive system. In stressful situations, like eating while rushing, the body produces fewer enzymes for digestion, which makes the process of breaking down the food more difficult. Over time, this can cause bloating, discomfort, and poor nutrient absorption. When your body is in a hurry, your gut can hardly function properly. The fix is simple: sit down and chew slowly. Even if it is only for a few minutes, taking the time to eat allows your body to calm down; thus, digestion is improved, and you get to start your morning lighter and more energised.Overdoing juices Consuming too much juice in the morning might be considered healthy, but in reality, it does not do any good to your gut. Fruit juices are rich in fructose but lack fibre, which causes blood sugar to rise rapidly and leaves the person feeling hungry soon after. The reason behind the increase in sugar is that there is no fibre to slow down the digestive process and, therefore, the sugar is fermented by the gut, which leads to bloating and discomfort. The easiest fix is to eat whole fruits rather than drinking fruit juice or blending fruits and vegetables to make a nutritious smoothie. This way, you are still getting the natural fibre, which is good for digestion, and you are giving your gut a healthy and satisfying start to the day.Ignoring hydration in the morningMany people do not think of hydration as a matter of the morning; however, it is very important for digestion and gut health. After a long period of time without drinking, the body is in slight dehydration when it is woken up, and thus the gut is in need of water for the following activities: easing bowel movements and waking up the digestive system. Not taking care of one’s hydration may result in slow digestion, constipation, and discomfort throughout the day. The easiest and at the same time the most effective way to fix this is to take a glass of water as the first thing in the morning. This small habit refreshes the body, facilitates digestion, and creates the basis for a healthier, more energised morning.
