Breakfast Is Very Important

Today’s breakfast: roast beef and sweet sesame biscuits. 

Whenever we talk about dietary therapy, everyone tends to focus on what to eat. But in fact, what is even more important is having good eating habits. One of the most important principles is: eat well in the morning, eat enough at lunchtime, and eat less in the evening. 

Yet most people nowadays do exactly the opposite: they either skip breakfast or make do with a cup of coffee, have a light salad for lunch, and then enjoy a big, heavy dinner in the evening. 

According to the TCM theory of the circulation of qi and blood through the meridians and organs, qi and blood become concentrated in different organs and meridians at different times of the day, helping them carry out their physiological functions and clear away accumulated waste. These periods are referred to as the meridian circulation times. 

The circulation time of the Stomach Meridian is from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. This is therefore the most important time of day for eating, because it is only through eating that the stomach can properly begin its normal physiological activity. 

But some people say, “I don’t have an appetite when I get up in the morning.” Why is that? 

One reason is that they had a big dinner the night before. By the evening, the stomach has already finished its work for the day and is essentially “off duty.” As a result, the food consumed at night may remain stagnant in the stomach instead of being properly processed. 

When so much food remains in the stomach, it is no wonder that there is little appetite the next morning. Moreover, according to this traditional view, the food may ferment in the stomach and produce undesirable substances. This is why some people wake up with belching and noticeably bad breath. From a TCM perspective, these turbid or foul substances are also considered an important factor contributing to dental problems. 

Some people say, “I’m too busy in the morning. I don’t have time to make breakfast.” 

Actually, with a little planning, it is entirely possible. 

For today’s breakfast, I baked the sweet sesame biscuits last night and marinated the beef with seasonings in advance. This morning, I first put some millet on to cook as porridge. After washing and getting ready, I simply put the beef in the pan to roast. The whole process took no more than 15 minutes.