Aren’t you hungry in the morning? You may be suffering from chronic stress

There are two types of people in the morning: those who wake up hungry and could devour anything, and those who make the mere thought of food nauseous. But is it (really) a problem not to be hungry in the morning?

While it’s not uncommon not to crave breakfast, it could be related to his way of life and especially to stress. “When we sleep, our body is in a nocturnal fast where it must use the glucose reserves stored in the liver, in order to maintain glycemic balance. This only lasts for about eight hours, and once these stores are depleted, our adrenal glands release hormones such as cortisol which help manipulate blood sugar (by breaking down muscle) to keep us going.”explains nutritionist Cara Rose to Stylist.

But stress can indeed delay or reduce appetite hormones, and even more so when it comes to chronic stress. “Cortisol helps us get up and running in the morning, but ironically chronic stress can lead to reduced cortisol in the morning, which can impact appetite and energy levels.”continues the nutritionist.

But is it necessarily the fault of stress?

In some people, this lack of appetite is not the result of chronic stress. but rather higher levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Produced at high levels at night, it can take one to two hours or more to recover to its lowest level to allow eating and drinking.

It is also to melatonin that are due the morning sickness that causes you breakfast. “If you’ve ever had a glass of water when you woke up and felt nauseous, it’ll be because your body is still going from melatonin-dominant to cortisol-dominant and waking up.“, says Natalie Burrows, a nutritional therapist, always at Stylist. A phenomenon that can be part of the natural sleep-wake cycle (slower) in some… or correspond to high levels of stress in others.

A large meal the night before (high in carbohydrates or refined sugars) can also have an impact and (logically) reduce your hunger the next morning.

Is it “serious” to skip breakfast?

If in practice it is not “serious” to skip breakfast and it is finally normal not to be hungry in the morning, it is important to take care of replenish your body all day. “Delaying eating can contribute to poor blood sugar control later in the day”, continues the therapist. Finally, some medications to be taken in the morning require you to eat at the same time (at the risk of suffering from nausea, dizziness or other digestive disorders), check the instructions before taking the slightest risk. On the other hand, if your lack of appetite is linked to other symptoms, it may be best to talk to a healthcare professional.

Nevertheless, eating breakfast can’t hurt your body. A good balanced first meal should consist of the essentials trio carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, either a fresh fruit, a vegetable or animal protein and a wholemeal or cereal bread. All accompanied by a hot drink to drink last. To stimulate hunger, eliminate sources of stress (including coffee) and get into the habit of eating even small amounts.