The Hidden Source of Stress in Your Diet

Mornings can be hectic. But if you sometimes skip breakfast, it could be stressing you out even more. When researchers in a brand new  study compared breakfast eaters to breakfast skippers, they found that those who ditched their morning meal were more anxious than people who ate in the a.m. But that’s not all. Those who didn’t eat breakfast also wolfed down more added sugar, saturated fat and sodium. And, amazingly, those habits lingered on into the evening with breakfast skippers inhaling 52% more calories, 73% more saturated fat and 88% more added sugar by night.

How does that work? Turns out, eating early on may help lower your levels of a stress hormone known as cortisol. That’s key because high cortisol doesn’t just make you jittery, it also makes you hungry, especially for high fat, high sugar foods.

If you’ve been stressed lately – and you don’t do breakfast – maybe it’s time to give it a try. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Start with something small like some yogurt, an energy bar or a banana. Who knows? That little preemptive nibble could work a whole lot more calm into your day.