The Telegraph
We’ve been taught at an early age to never skip the most important meal of the day: breakfast. How this manifests itself into our daily lives depends entirely on your lifestyle – some of us, always on the go, opt for a shake, while some of us neglect to eat breakfast at all. Does it really matter as much as we’ve been told to believe? Max Lowery says no.
The 27-year-old former stockbroker-turned-personal trainer gave Business Insider some incredible insight on his theory. “This well-worn saying stems from cereal companies getting you to buy their degraded products back in the early 1900s,” he said. “Their strategies were so successful that almost everyone I speak to on the subject repeats the same two myths: that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and/or that skipping breakfast slows down your metabolism.”
What you consume in the morning and productivity go hand in hand, although that’s not much of a surprise. There isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to support this, but recent studies show that “employees with an unhealthy diet were 66 percent more likely to experience productivity loss than those who regularly ate whole grains, fruits and vegetables.” A healthy diet starts with breakfast, first and foremost. Not only does it affect your productivity, but it affects your energy going into work, as well: “In a survey of 15,000 people in the U.S. and the U.K., employees with poor nutritional balance reported 21 per percent more sick-related absences.”
Lowery is quickly becoming London’s most highly sought after personal trainer. As part of his 2 Meal plan, he skips breakfast but later consumes hearty saturated meals. “I stopped eating breakfast four years ago and I haven’t looked back since. It’s become a part of my lifestyle and I could never go back to eating breakfast again,” Lowery told Business Insider. “Not only do I stay under 10% body fat without counting macros or calories, I have more energy than ever, and most surprisingly, I am less hungry. The 11.a.m. mid-morning energy slump is not normal. This helps keep you on one stable energy level all day long.”
Lowery is the creator of what he calls the “two-meal day”, which essentially skips out on one meal, with breakfast considered the easiest to shed. This taps into a natural fasting period, which leads to many health benefits – according to Telegraph, “These benefits are well-documented and are thought to include a rebooted immune system, more stable energy levels, and even a slowed ageing process. And, most importantly, getting skinny fast: going hungry forces your body to dip into its fat stores for fuel, a process that is entirely natural for the human body but which the modern three-meal day overlooks.”
You don’t need to skip your first meal of the day if it suits your lifestyle – if you find yourself feeling energized and ready to go after breakfast, then you’re doing it right. However, if you’ve been struggling with feelings of loss of productivity and slowing down after 11 A.M., maybe taking Lowery’s advice just might work for you.
