Breakfast has long been known as the most important meal of the day. It’s important to make sure that you get a well balanced breakfast when you wake up. Some form of lean protein along with a complex carbohydrate and some healthy fats is almost always recommended for any meal, let alone the first. But since breakfast is consumed on an empty stomach, there are some things that should be avoided.

1. Taking medicine

Some medicines should be taken on an empty stomach, but some not! And you need to avoid doing that. This can potentially result in gastric bleeding, and will also reduce the effectiveness of the medication. The best thing to do when taking medicine in the morning is to wash it down with a large amount of water.

2. Chewing gum

Chewing gum first thing in the morning can result in damaging the stomach lining. The body tends to think you’re eating real food so it releases acid. Acid is what breaks down food to digest it. But since you’re not actually eating, and there’s nothing for the body to digest, the acid begins to break down the stomach’s layer. So try switching gums with natural sweeteners and avoid chewing gum for over ten minutes even after meals.

3. Coffee

Ever felt shaky or weak after drinking a cup of coffee on an empty stomach? That’s caused by boosting your body’s adrenaline levels that can also cause anxiety. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach raises the amount of fluid that your body passes, and can cause dehydration. So try adding some cream or milk into your coffee and the fat will help ease your digestion and set you up for the proper absorption of nutrients throughout the day.

4. Working out

Many people find that training while fasting is better for fat loss. But in reality, having just a little bit of fuel in you can result in a much higher energy output. If you like to do resistance training in the morning, then it’s best to have some sort of carbs (or simple carbs such as fruits) before you train! But if you insist on fasted training then we advise you to do some form of aerobic exercise (such as jogging) instead since it doesn’t require as much energy as lifting weights.