It may not always be right to eat what we feel like! The first thing we eat in the morning sets forth the course of the day. Certain foods may wreak havoc with your gut if eaten on an empty stomach. Believe it or not, there are some foods that seem healthy, but we really shouldn’t be eating on an empty stomach.
However, we have a list of foods for you to avoid, and some alternatives to ensure your start to the day is healthy and satisfying. Breakfast is usually the meal we have on an empty stomach and it is not just about eating healthy food. The goal is also to understand how to optimize the food we eat to improve digestion and maximize the absorption of key nutrients.
Foods You Should Never Have On Empty Stomach
Foods to Avoid on an Empty Stomach
Avoid Puff Pastry:
Think twice about a continental breakfast. Croissants, usually moist and very rich in fat, might sound like a tempting start to your day, but they contain yeast, a type of microbe that irritates the lining of the stomach that may cause flatulence.
Avoid Citrus Fruits:
Although this may not apply to everyone, citrus fruits such as grapefruits and oranges can irritate an already inflamed lower esophagus (muscular tube connecting the throat with the stomach) and may need to be limited or avoided, especially when having them on an empty stomach.
Avoid Carbonated Drinks:
Soda consumption is one of the leading causes of obesity in people, but even sugar-free carbonated benefits are not recommended on an empty stomach. Drinking them in the morning can damage respiratory passages and reduce blood supply to the stomach, making food digest more slowly, which can cause constipation.
Avoid Spicy Food:
Eating spices and chilies on an empty stomach may irritate the stomach. This can lead to acidic reactions and cramps. They are hot in nature and can trigger indigestion.
Avoid Raw Vegetables:
This one is especially for those who are diet conscious and believe that salads are great any time of the day. Raw vegetables or a salad may not be the best thing to eat on an empty stomach. They are full of coarse fiber which may put an extra load on an empty stomach. They can also cause abdominal pain when eaten on an empty stomach.
Avoid Yogurt:
The primary reason to avoid eating yogurt on an empty stomach is that the benefits of the lactic acid bacteria found in yogurt are rendered ineffective due to the high acidity of stomach acid. Therefore, you gain very few of yogurt’s health benefits when consumed first thing in the morning.
Avoid Sweets:
Eating sugar boosts insulin levels, which in turn significantly increases the load on the pancreas that has just woken up, which may lead to diabetes.
Avoid Tomatoes:
If you are suffering from acid reflux or stomach ulcers currently, avoiding tomatoes is a must. Tomatoes may taste great in our omelets, but they contain very high levels of tannic acid, also increasing acidity in the stomach and worsening your reflux symptoms.
Avoid Coffee or Tea
Although it might be part of your morning ritual, make sure you’re pairing your morning caffeine fix with something else! Consuming tea on an empty stomach can sometimes cause nausea and stomach discomfort. Coffee on an empty stomach can further increase stomach acidity and worsen symptoms of gastritis.
Avoid Bananas:
Bananas are one of the best-known diet foods. It satiates, assists in relieving constipation, and is considered by some health experts to be a superfood. However, bananas contain high amounts of magnesium and potassium which can lead to an imbalance of magnesium and potassium in the blood if you eat bananas on a completely empty stomach. Bananas are a prime example of eating the right food at the wrong time.
