Remember the old adage: “Breakfast is the most important part of the day.” So true. Or remember when your parents said “Eat your food!” Been there. It’s important to eat your three square meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Never deprive yourself of food. Remind you that you should be eating three meals a day or you can eat several smaller meals throughout the day, but don’t forget to eat! And eat right!

I can be such a fool and ignore my body when I’m working. Don’t do this! When I’m managing a store it can be a little stressful (I say little because I can handle stress) at times and sometimes I skip meals. Again, don’t do this. Skipping any meal isn’t healthy at all. Check out the article below:

I saw this article on MSN and found it very informative and relatable.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/18-scary-things-that-happen-to-your-body-when-you-skip-a-meal/ss-BBLnba6?li=BBnb7Kz#image=1

1. Your blood sugar decreases (No surprise here! If I skip a meal, then I will notice a difference in myself and sometimes I get a headache because I don’t eat and the glucose levels are low. It may not hurt to check your blood sugar if even you don’t have diabetes. Any levels between 80-100 are normal, but below 80 you’re asking for trouble!)
2. Loss of water weight and muscle (Losing muscle in your body isn’t good. You want strong muscles not weak muscles. You can really hurt yourself if your muscles become weak. Losing water in your body is also not good. Eat your meals and stay hydrated.)
3. More fat buildup (Oh, damn! Yes, fat tends to buildup and your waistline will hate you for it.)
4. Increased waistline (Speaking of that, skipping meals will not help you lose weight because there’s still fat buildup in your body! If you want to decrease your waistline, then get out and exercise and eat healthier!)
5. Low metabolism (This is me! My metabolism used to great until 21 came and went. This typically happens to the best of us, but taking care of yourself and eating your meals will help!)
6. Calories don’t burn easily (You didn’t expect those calories to burn off by skipping meals, right? No! The only way to burn calories is by physical exertion. Cue working out or taking a walk or doing something.)
7. Cue the nasty stress! (Been there! Who amongst us doesn’t get stressed and even more stressed when they’re under the gun at work, or at home. Stress for me, makes me nauseous and I can’t eat. Take a break from your stressors and eat your meal. Easier said than done, right? Yes, but it can be done.)
8. Increase risk of diabetes (Again, blood sugar spikes and fat buildups!)
9. The same with heart disease (Again, with diabetes and stress, too!)
10. Bad breath (Surprising this can happen when there are bacteria growing in your mouth. Yes. It can still happen even after you’ve brushed your teeth three times a day. Bacteria still grows in your body!)
11. Hungry at later times (This is me! Pushing back meals is a big no-no. Eat your meals at regular times and stick to them. Again, easier said than done. If you push off your dinner until after 7pm, you can get a craving for the munchies after dinner. Been there!)
12. Brain shuts down (Why, my brain, why! Why can’t you shutdown when I want you to like when it’s time to go to bed? Skipping a meal can cause brain fogs for me and a hard time concentrating because there’s no food in my system and that’s all I think about.)
13. Weak muscles (Again, cue the loss of water weight and muscles)
14. Weak immune system (Same thing with the bad breath. Not eating your meals can cause you to become sick or worse…develop an eating disorder. For me, I have binge eating disorder. Isn’t the Triple Threat Disease just great!)
15. Bloated stomach (Been there so many times! I hate stomach issues especially when you’re gassy and bloated like a lead balloon. Who doesn’t like to be at work or elsewhere and you feel like you’re going to explode like a volcano. It does help to eat foods that prevent bloating in your stomach and also take (if needed) anti-gas or other stomach medicines that you can buy in store at the grocery or pharmacy.)
16. Hair and skin go bad (Sometimes I will notice that my hair will look fried even though I wash it on a routine basis. Sometimes my skin will get a little irritated and itchy or sometimes get the occasional pimple, but your skin is one of the most important organs of your body.)
17. Cue the yawns (It’s funny how eating a large meal makes you sleepy. Not eating a meal can make you sleepy, too! Weird, right? Your brain gets sleepy when you don’t eat or drink. So take care yourself and eat!)
18. Mood swings (Again, me! Just like when you don’t drink your daily cup(s) of Joe, you’re not a happy camper. I look and feel worse than “The Nun”. I give that ugly looking lady a run for her money. I will turn into a full on bee when my tummy is screaming and growling for food.

So to make a long story short, take good care of yourself! Eat your meals, take a break and relax. I know that working (this is includes being a parent, too!) can be a little too much, but do what you got to do and do it. Establish a regular meal schedule just like a regular sleep schedule and stick to it. Keep a sleep and meal log if you have to. Keep track of times of when you ate and what you ate. You may be surprised by the results and your body and your mental health will thank you for it.