NatNews

While many individuals believe that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” such a saying was originally created in the 19th century by James Caleb Jackson and John Harvey Kellogg as a marketing slogan to sell their new cereal. However, many nutritionists have still stressed the value of eating a healthy breakfast as a way to kick-start one’s day.

Dallas-area resident and registered dietitian Lyndsey Kohn said she usually feels hungry within an hour of waking up and makes sure to have her coffee and something light, such as a piece of avocado toast with an egg. If she’s not hungry by 10 a.m., she knows something is off with her cortisol and melatonin rhythms, which usually means lack of quality sleep, stress levels are higher, or dinner the night before was later or heavier than usual.

“It’s one reason why, professionally, I think breakfast—truly breaking your fast from the day before—is a great indicator for healthy hunger levels, hormone balance, etc.,” she said. “I would call it another self-care tool in your tool chest.”

Dallas-area resident Morgan Fritz said she normally eats breakfast because she feels like she needs to start the day with protein.

“I used to only drink coffee, and to be honest, I don’t really feel a difference, but I have read that starting off with a good breakfast is good for you,” she said.

Other individuals do see more noticeable impacts, though. Dallas-area resident and avid runner Emmanuel Amadi typically enjoys a light breakfast that consists of a large bowl of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries or watermelon.

“This gives me a better metabolism boost until my first cooked meal,” he said. “On hard workout and long run days, my breakfast of choice is a bowl of plain yogurt, nut butter, organic granola, almonds, and berries.”

And while Amadi does believe that breakfast is essential, he said he’s less concerned about when the “important” meal takes place.

“When you wake up, your body requires proper hydration and nutrients for recovery and mental clarity,” he said. “However, I’m a big advocate of quality meals over the timing of meals.”

Kohn said there is no one-size-fits-all eating pattern, so it’s important for individuals to learn what works for them and their schedules and goals. She tries to eat three to four meals and perhaps a snack throughout the day to get 30–40 grams of protein, a complex carbohydrate, a healthy fat, and one or two colorful vegetables. For her, that includes a meal in the morning.

“Not eating breakfast and only drinking, say, a cup of coffee before eating anything can really exacerbate anxiety and GI issues and leads to unstable blood sugar later in the day,” she said. “I would get curious if you aren’t hungry after several hours of waking up and look at your overall diet as well as stress and exercise levels.”

Although Fritz consistently eats breakfast, she said she doesn’t believe it’s the most important meal because she can’t truly tell a difference in her energy levels whether she does or doesn’t eat in the morning. She does, however, make sure that she does not replicate the eating habits she had as a teenager.

“Sometimes I feel like if I eat breakfast, it does make me hungrier earlier, so I bring a protein-type bar for mid-morning snack,” she said. “When I was in high school, I remember eating two literal double-chocolate Pop-Tarts for breakfast—that cannot be the way to start a full day.”

When one does forgo breakfast, it can be tough to balance meals and nutrition the rest of the day. Amadi, who practices intermittent fasting once or twice a week, has found methods for doing so, though.

“On days I skip breakfast, I usually have a big brunch consisting of whole foods—steak or salmon, sweet potatoes, avocado, and some root vegetables,” he said. “I always make up for the carbs and healthy fats by incorporating a mixed fruit bowl and nuts (such as almonds, cashews, and macadamia) for snacks. Also, on days I do double workouts, I increase my protein intake.”

Kohn doesn’t necessarily promote fasting, though she said it can be helpful for some individuals. However, it doesn’t change her being a proponent of breakfast.

“I know intermittent fasting is the new thing now, and there are times when it can be a really powerful tool for health, longevity, and some fitness goals,” she said. “But I do think it changes the language around breakfast and eating consistent meals—hunger is a normal, biological reaction to needing nutrients to power our bodies.”

The ideal time to paint your home is when it’s 60–70 degrees outside. This will ensure that the paint won’t dry too quickly or too slowly.

Twice each year, our bodies must adjust to time changes and the amount of sunlight we have during the day. Though many people credit (or blame) farmers for the existence of daylight saving time and standard time, they actually did not support the adoption of such a concept when the federal government took oversight of time zones and time changes in 1918. In fact, Benjamin Franklin was originally the brains behind the idea back in the 18th century because he wanted to make more use of the daylight.

In March 2022, the Senate unanimously passed legislation to rid of the twice-yearly time changes and make daylight saving time permanent, but the bill didn’t make it out of the House. Thus, individuals must still endure falling back and springing forward each November and March, respectively, though some research has indicated the negative effects this can have on mental and physical health. For some individuals in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the shorter days create less-than-desirable situations.

Dallas-area resident Jeremy Crum said he wakes up early and leaves his house to go running before the sun rises, so whether he’s doing so through the surrounding neighborhoods or at the gym, when the sun comes out doesn’t affect his mornings much. It’s the early darkness in the evenings, however, that gets to him.

“The sun setting early adds a level of stress to my days because I am an active and hands-on person and do a lot of work and hobbies outside,” he said. “With the sun setting earlier, there is definitely more pressure for time with the compressed daylight.”

For Dallas resident Alexis Derrow, who grew up in Illinois and said she is thankful the sunsets here are an improvement from the 4 p.m. winter sunsets she experienced in the Midwest, the earlier arrival of nighttime doesn’t quite motivate her to be out and about.

“Compared to the summer, with the cooler temperatures and the darkness earlier, I just kind of want to stay home after the sun sets,” she said.

Derrow said she wishes the sun were out earlier in the morning throughout the entire year, as well.

“Because Chicago is on the edge of the time zone, the sun rises between 5 and 7 a.m. all year, and I really like that,” she said. “I love having the early morning sun, especially since my apartment faces east. I feel energized. I’m glad that the sun rises earlier during standard time.”

The time the sun shines during the day isn’t a concern for everyone, though. Dallas-area resident Josh Odegard said that, while the amount of daylight doesn’t impact his mood or energy levels since he only wakes up before the sun rises on Saturdays for the White Rock Running Co-op runs, he has multiple reasons he’s not a fan of the time changes. The first is the immediate one-hour time change itself.

“I usually sleep in on Sundays, but I would prefer that extra hour of sleep that gets taken from me in the spring,” he said. “The extra hour given back in the fall does not make up for it.”

There is not much support for time changes among dear readers. In Crum’s view, regardless of reasoning of the past, the lifestyles of today’s society simply don’t align well with less sunlight.

“I understand the reason for the time change, making the available daylight more efficient with old work schedules,” he said. “I think with modern work schedules typically being all day, it would be nice to be able to come home from work and still have usable daylight.”

Derrow said she also prefers having one time and thinks it would be safer and more logical not to change the clocks twice each year.

“It doesn’t really make sense,” she said. “I don’t even know why we have the time change. Plus, I heard it causes a bunch of problems during the changeover week—accidents and things like that. Let’s just stick to one time.”

Odegard—who, as previously mentioned, is part of Team No Time Change—said that his biggest annoyance regarding the time changes each year is related to his career as a software developer.

“Writing software or web apps that are national or even global is already a big pain in the ass because I have to compensate for time changes across multiple time zones,” he said, “but adding in the extra factoring for daylight saving time, daylight standard time, and all of the areas that don’t acknowledge time changes is super frustrating. For years, some politicians have been fighting to get rid of the two annual time changes, and they have my full support.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

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Monday, November 27: SMU Celebration of Lights on Dallas Hall Lawn
Tuesday, November 28: Mavs vs. Rockets at the American Airlines Center
Wednesday, November 29: Electronic Greetings Day
Thursday, November 30: Tree Lighting at Casa Linda Plaza; For the Love of Words Literary Night at Wayward Coffee; Dallas Zoo After Dark
Friday, December 1: Eat a Red Apple Day
Saturday, December 2: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Knox Street's Holiday Celebration; Klyde Warren Park's Tree Lighting; Reliant Lights Your Holidays at Winspear Opera House; Legacy West Naughty or Nice Holiday Crawl
Sunday, December 3: Grand Holiday Ice Show at the Galleria