Bad Morning Habits That Could Ruin Your Day

            When we get up in the morning, we focus on getting ready and getting out of the door as soon as possible. With the rush, many of us may not take the time to start a day on the right foot. We focus on the bigger goals, such as sleeping well the night before, going to the gym, and getting to the place we need to be on time. But the way you start your morning could set the tone for the rest of the day.

            As a morning person, I have found that some of my morning routines leave me feeling gloomy and less productive.

Having dessert for breakfast. Well, I meant to say some of the common staple breakfast food, like cereal, muffins, and waffles. These items are packed with sugars and carbohydrates. While the sugar satisfies our taste buds, it also spikes blood sugar levels. When our blood sugar level starts to fall, which will happen sooner than we would think, it leaves an irritable, hungry feeling. Instead, having a healthy smoothie, not just a fruit, a smoothie consisting of a serving of vegetables, along with protein, healthy fat, and other nutrients mixed in will help us stay fuller longer and this nutritious concoction will help fuel the brain for the rest of the day.

Many of us have been taught that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This is not a cookie cutter rule fit for everyone. For some people, yes, it is but others may prefer not to eat in the morning. Instead of forcing yourself to chow down something for breakfast, a better choice is intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is not a diet, instead it is a way of scheduling meals so you can get the most out of them or in lay terms a “bigger bang for your buck.” Furthermore, intermittent fasting is not only a favorable choice for non-breakfast eaters, it also provides many health benefits, such as better weight control, reduces inflammation, and adhering to it brings down glucose levels. A rule of thumb is to listen to your body, if you are not hungry, do not eat.

Relying on coffee. Although, coffee does have its health benefits, drinking too much coffee can actually bring down overall energy levels. If you are tired in the morning, your target goals should be getting more sleep at night, exercising in the morning to wake up, and / or taking a cool temp shower that will increase your alertness. Also, starting your coffee routine with a splash of cream, instead of a spoon full of sugar, syrup, or other ingredients that have hidden sugar in them, sugar can trick the brain to experience a pleasurable sensation. Of course, humans enjoy this feeling and seek out more sugar, yet more sugar intake leaves them feeling hungry, and they will actually end up eating more food. A cup of coffee has the kcalories that is often equivalent to a meal if not more.

how many of those bad morning habits do you have? Are you ready to start your morning in a good way? Little things matter. Small changes in the morning habits could have an impact on your well being.