Breakfast: can its composition stress us out in the morning?
Stress is a sprawling feeling that has its source in different situations encountered on a daily basis… and on the plate?
Several studies have in fact put forward the theory that our diet would play a non-negligible role in the development of anxiety throughout the day, especially during breakfast since it is normally the first meal ingested.
But what is really the importance of this meal in our emotional well-being? And above all, is there specific foods eaten in the morning that promote anxiety?
The influence of diet on cortisol levels
First, food does indeed have effects on our mood. According to Inserm, the human body produces about 95% of serotonin, or “happiness hormone”, in the gastrointestinal part. The “good bacteria” located in the intestine significantly influence its production.
So, people who have high levels of “good bacteria” would experience less anxiety and stress. Inserm also adds that certain foods have the ability to reduce cortisol levels, the main hormone responsible for stress.
The contents of our plate would therefore be a key element if you want to fight against your anxieties.
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The best foods to relieve stress
Not eating in the morning would promote anxiety
The eating habits of the French have been scrutinized many times in various studies. According to the main results of these studies, these are far too sweet. And breakfast is no exception.
Hidden in flavored yoghurts, muesli or even smoothies, does sugar have a link with stress? The answer is more complex than it seems. Alix Le Calvez, psycho-nutritionist, is skeptical. Everything is above all a story of behavior and personality. From what she can observe, “anxious people have a diet that is often more transformed due to lack of time or stress,” she explains.
Because in a stressful environment, anxious people will tend to go for foods that will give them dopamine, that is to say pleasure. According to the expert, the real influence of breakfast on anxiety is not so much the foods that make it up, but whether or not you eat one.
“What is more tiring and stressful is not eating in the morning. In recent years, we have greatly underestimated our nutritional needs, because many diets have been put forward and we think that it is better to eat less. eat, whereas it is rather regulating to eat in the morning”, she develops. Both for hunger and emotions.
Make breakfast a moment of serenity
Breakfast should therefore be a moment dedicated to relaxation, a time for yourself and to take care of your body. It is a meal during which one reconnects to it by the sensations after the night. When we eat,there is an energy and nutrient component, and an emotional component“, advances Alix Le Calvez. Satiety, and all the benefits it provides, therefore also comes with the notion of pleasure.
There is therefore no question for the psycho-nutritionist of eliminating foods in the morning, including sugar. In particular, she points the finger at certain diets that demonize the consumption of sugary products on waking.
“Don’t think in terms of ‘ban, stop’, but ‘add, improve, perfect’“, sums up the expert. Because it is quite possible to develop the composition of your breakfast so that it is more emotionally regulating.
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Fibers, proteins, fats, starches, then sugars: do you have to eat in a specific order to tame your blood sugar peak?
How to compose a breakfast that will not stress us?
Our expert gives some ideas and thus takes as an example a breakfast consisting of bread, jam and tea or coffee: “We can add dried fruit, a piece of cheese, an egg, or even a fruit here so that it is more satiating”. The ideal is to avoid as much as possible an inflammatory diet (which promotes, among other things, stress), that is to say made up of processed foods. And associate all the foods for create a balance.
In detail, it is therefore advisable to favor a source of protein (dairy product, egg, hummus), a source of complex carbohydrates (whole grain products, oatmeal, carefully chosen muesli), a little sugar (jam) and a source of fat. Watch out for the coffee though. “It can maintain a high level of anxiety if one is on anxious groundbecause it will make us more tense, but this is not the case for everyone”, nuance Alix Le Calvez.
In the event that the appetite does not come upon waking, the expert still recommends avoiding skipping the morning meal, especially if you are stressed by nature, because “anxiety does not help skipping meals can even make it worse.” If it’s impossible for you to eat in the early morning, why not try to have a complete snack to go and eat a little later in the morning?
Because, to feel good, even better on a daily basis, it is necessary, according to the specialist, to choose the foods eaten in the morning with attention and, above all… to fill your plate.
Read also:
What can hide behind a lack of appetite upon waking
