why eating breakfast matters - in conversation with chelsey costa

If your mornings look like this: alarm goes off, quickly get ready, drink a quick coffee then fly out the door, only to have breakfast a few hours later than I really hope this blog finds you well. Chelsey Costa, a naturopath, nutritionist, medical herbalist and an active member of the Naturopaths & Herbalists’ Association of Australia, as well as part-founder of wellness page @peppermintandsage_, was kind enough to share her thoughts around this topic.

As a naturopath and nutritionist with a focus in women’s health, I see first-hand the patterns and habits of hundreds of women each year. I see what works and what doesn’t work for women in particular. One common habit I see that often does more harm than good is the habit of skipping breakfast. This is problematic for most women and here are the reasons why and what you should be focusing on instead:

Fasting might not be your friend

By skipping breakfast you are essentially fasting. The majority of the studies done on fasting were done on male subjects and physiologically women have different metabolic needs. Some women thrive on fasting whilst many women do not because it can send your body into survival mode, especially when combined with undereating and over-exercising. Fasting or skipping breakfast raises cortisol levels which is a stress hormone. This means you start your day in fight or flight mode.

Symptoms of high cortisol:

 Feeling anxious

 Brain fog

 Ups and downs in energy levels

 Mood swings

 Weight gain

I recommend avoiding fasting if you are: stressed, have cycle issues, have an eating disorder history, are trying to conceive or have anxiety

A coffee is not breakfast

Just because your coffee fills you up and dulls hunger signals, does not mean it counts as a meal. Coffee stimulates cortisol and adrenaline production- and even more so on an empty stomach = hello stress!

If you are going to drink coffee, it is so important that you do so after eating a meal (to slow the caffeine absorption) and not straight away after waking. It is best if you have been awake for a good 1-2 hours, so your cortisol can naturally regulate itself. This is also when your cortisol is naturally highest and doesn’t need any artificial raising.

“I’m just not hungry”

Many women tell me, “I’m just not hungry” in the morning and struggle to eat. A low appetite in the morning can mean a few things:

» Poor stomach acid or digestive capacity

» A sluggish metabolism

» Stress/anxiety resulting in a heightened sympathetic nervous system

It is not a good thing to have no appetite in the morning, so we want to figure out why this is the case and then address it.

Strategies for the time poor

A busy morning is often used as an excuse to skip breakfast to save time making and eating breakfast. Here are some quick options to save time:

» Overnight oats or chia puddings (made in batches for the week or the night before)

»Pre-packed smoothie ingredients ready to throw in a blender and be ready in 2 mins

»Meal prep options on the weekend: savoury muffins, frittatas, healthy banana bread

Aim for a balanced meal

It is not ideal to just grab whatever you can just for the sake of it. The type of breakfast you have is important too!

» Avoid sugary options, plain fruit, refined carbs like white toast and sugary juice

» Make sure your breakfast has protein: eggs, protein powder, Greek yoghurt or a combination of nuts & seeds and/or wholegrains

So many of my patients report a significant change in energy and how they feel in general when they start to prioritise a balanced meal for breakfast each day. And I am sure you will too!

Chelsey

@peppermintandsage_

check out her page below