Is the concept “save money skip breakfast” a recommended option to maintain health?

The concept “Save money skip breakfast” may sound good for those who are willing to lose weight, save money, and save time spent for breakfast every morning. Practically it is untrue. On one hand, some individuals may find skipping breakfast a wise concept as they may think skipping breakfast would limit their daily food intake and therefore; intake of calories which would help them lose weight and save money while on the other, some individuals may find themselves being landed in the situation of chemical imbalance which may cause their sugar level to dip and blood pressure to rise, difficulty concentrating, headache, faintness, bloating, and acidity, etc.

Looking at the concept “Save money skip breakfast” from the Ayurvedic perspective:

Ayurveda doesn’t recommend the concept “save money skip breakfast” as it aggravates the three Doshas which are Vata (energy of movement), Pitta (energy of digestion or metabolism), and Kapha (energy of lubrication and structure). According to Ayurveda skipping breakfast mainly aggravates one of the types (Subdosha) of Pitta i.e. Sadhaka Pitta which governs the brain and heart and is associated with the digestion of emotions, stress, and life experiences. When Sadhaka Pitta is in balance it brings joy and contentment and when imbalanced it results in irritability and unsettled emotions.

Ayurvedic perspective of the composition of human life and the importance of its different elements:

Ayurveda is the oldest medicinal science and a comprehensive technique to improve life through balance with nature. Ayurvedic discernment has faith in the concept that each individual is a unique combination of the five elements they are; Ether (Akash), Air (Vayu), Fire (Agni), Water (Jal), and Earth (Prithvi). Understanding our body composition is the key to making primed wellness options. We eat food, drink water, and breathe air for our living. Out of these three essential nutrients, Water (Jal) and Air (Vayu) are the two fundamental elements, and food is evolved out of all the five fundamental elements mentioned above therefore; our well-being is predominantly dependent upon all the five fundamental elements of the universe. Following is a brief introduction and significance of these five elements.

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  Ether (Akash):

Ether comes first because it is the subtlest of all five elements. It is the primal space from which a vibration emerges long before it takes the form of sound in the ear. Sound and ether are inextricable therefore; the ear is considered to be the sense organ of ether and the mouth is its organ of action. Both hearing loss and loss of voice are the results of a disruption in the functions of the ether element. The ether element is present in the body as the space between cells. Ether is filled in the hollowness of the empty blood vessels, intestines, and lungs. An etheric person exhibits qualities of imagination, subtleness, and dreaminess.

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  Air (Vayu):

This is the second element and it evolves from ether. When the potential within space becomes dynamic, the outcome is air. It represents the capacity for motion, as a result, all forces and movements occur. As it is the potential of the touch experience in its subtlest form both touch and air are inextricable. Therefore, the skin which senses the touch is considered to be its first sense organ and the hands through which we reach out are its organ of action. We associate air in our bodies with the air we breathe. Since ancient times air has been recognized as the immediate and the most significant source of life which is alike prana (life energy). In Ayurveda, air is described in five forms according to its direction of movement. These are inward movement called prana, outward movement called vyana, upward movement called udana, downward movement called apana, and the force that stabilizes these movements toward the center is called samana. These movements are known as the Vayus and the Pranas. Air is present in the form of motion in our body. Its effect causes our blood to circulate, our breath to move, our nerve impulses to travel, our thoughts to flow, and our joints to propel movement. Disorders of tactile and grasping perception are the results of divergence in the air element. People with a strong air element are active and can move quickly and effortlessly. They are normally ecstatic and whole-hearted.

• Agni (Fire):

Ether provides fire the space to burn while air provides fire the capacity to burn. Therefore, the third element is fire which evolves from ether and air. Just as the sun is the generator of energy for the earth, fire is the generator of energy for the body. Fire originates from vision. Vision means the form or color, both of which are the result of perception. This is why fire is the primal form of perception, light, and vision. It provides the light for perception. The eyes are the instruments of knowing through which light is received and perception takes place. Hence, the eyes are considered to be the sense organ of fire. Disorders of visual perception are a result of a disturbance in the fire element of our body. It is through the feet that we act upon what we see. By using the feet, a person can change the direction or intensity of progress based on perception. Hence, feet are the organ of action associated with the fire element. Fire represents light, heat, energy, metabolism, and the power to transform. People with a strong fire element in their body composition are adventurous, brave, confident, optimistic, energetic, and enthusiastic. They are dominant and have leadership qualities.

• Water (Jal):

This is the fourth element that comes into existence from the previous three. Fire causes air to become dense and gives us the element of water. Water provides our body with its basic nutrition. Water protects us against the dissolution of ether, the roughness of air, and the heat of fire. It also pacifies pain and inflammation in the body. Among all the previous elements water is the first element that we can taste. From this perspective, it is the causation of the experience of taste. Taste depends on water for its manifestation and therefore; disorders of the ability to taste are due to an imbalance in the water element in our body. Since the tongue is the vehicle through which the taste manifests, it is considered to be the sense organ of water. The taste buds of the tongue work only in the presence of water or saliva. The organ of action associated with the water element is the urethra. We discharge water in the form of urine through the urethra. Through the male urethra, potent reproductive fluid is discharged from the body. Since water is connected to emotions people with abundant water in their body composition show strong qualities of sympathy.

• Earth (Prithvi):

The fifth element is Earth, since it evolves out of the other four previous elements it contains the extract of these elements. The sky provides earth with the space to exist and air provides earth with subtle movements. Fire is latent within the earth bound by chemical bonds, and water is inherent within the earth as a bridge between gaseous and solid matter. The earth element represents the matter of the universe. It gives form to the human body and all other creations. These structures provided by the earth are the medium through which all other elements flow. Earth originates from the smell. The state of the earth element in the body and the capacity to smell have a special relationship. While the earth element enables smell to be experienced in the body. The nose is the channel through which the smell manifests, so the nose is considered to be the sense organ of earth. Through consumption and excretion, the balance of the earth in the body is regulated. This makes the rectum the organ of action associated with the earth. Disorders of the ability to smell are the results of an imbalance of the earth element in the body. A person who demonstrates a strong earth element is disciplined, reliable, stable, and perhaps persistent.

 In the evolution of elements, ether is the subtlest and hence imperceptible of all. As ether becomes active it evolves into air. Ether and air give fire the space and capacity to burn. Fire causes the air to become dense and form water. This process continues until water gives us the earth element. Consequently, we see that as the evolution progresses from one element to the other, nature becomes denser and hence perceptible. All elements are made of the ether element and are contained in the earth element.

Conclusion:

Though the concept “save money skip breakfast” sounds superficially good as it would certainly save money and time; it imbalances our body composition of the aforementioned five fundamental elements and triggers the situation where the disease process starts Ayurveda believes the fact that almost all diseases, whether life-threatening or not; originate from weak digestion. Below are the different body composition types we must understand so that we can live a healthy and happy life which is certainly more important than saving money.

• Agni (Digestive Fire):

Ayurveda supports the fact that healthy digestion is the key to good health. Our agni or digestive fire is present not only in our stomach but in all of our body cells. It is responsible for the digestion of food, experiences, and cellular intelligence. Our digestive fire is moderate in the early morning hours after sunrise, as the day progresses it becomes strong; it is strongest when the sun is strongest during the day, and thereafter; it starts getting weaker during or near the sunset. So, if we follow the concept “save money skip breakfast” it would mean vitiating our digestive fire and when the digestive fire is compromised, toxins (called ama in Ayurveda) begin to accumulate which blocks the flow of nutrients and energy and starts the disease process. Each of the three doshas – Vata (energy of movement), Pitta (energy of digestion or metabolism), and Kapha (energy of lubrication and structure) has a distinct digestive fire type. We have to understand our type which tells us about the state of our digestion and our doshas. Below is the insight to learn about the state of our digestive fire and how to balance ourselves.

• Vata (Irregular Digestion):

Sometimes we feel very hungry and other times we forget to eat. If we are in such a situation then we have Vata type of windy digestive fire that can easily be compromised. We often struggle with gas and constipation. We should eat warm, soft, and soupy foods with healthy fats⁠. We should avoid raw, cold, rough, and crunchy foods.  We should eat slowly and in a pleasant and peaceful environment⁠. We can enjoy spices like cardamom, cinnamon, fresh ginger, ajwan fennel, etc.⁠ Irrespective of the type of digestive fire sitting in Vajrasana (thunderbolt or diamond pose) for 10 to 15 minutes after dinner is recommended to improve digestion.

• Pitta (Hot & Fast Digestion):

If we prefer to eat more frequently and take large quantities of food then we have Pitta type of digestive fire which is too hot. The excess heat burns nutrients in the food, leading us to feel hungry most of the time. We usually struggle with acidity and diarrhea. To balance pitta we should avoid eating excess salty, sour, spicy, and oily foods⁠. We should eat slowly, and relax after eating⁠. As much as possible we should eat cooling foods and spices like coriander, fennel, cilantro, cumin, cardamom rose, etc⁠. Irrespective of the type of digestive fire sitting in Vajrasana (thunderbolt or diamond pose) for 10 to 15 minutes after dinner is recommended to improve digestion.

• Kapha (Slow Digestion):

If we are not hungry for breakfast and prefer hot and spicy foods then we have Kapha type of digestive fire which is a cold and wet digestive fire that leads us to feel sluggish and not hungry in the morning. We often prefer to consume our calories later in the day and snack into the night. People with this type of digestive fire often struggle with bloating and slow metabolism. To balance Kapha we should fast on ginger tea when not hungry get plenty of fresh air and do regular exercise⁠. We should focus on cooked veggies and fresh foods⁠. We should make lunch our largest meal and have a lighter, early dinner before sunset⁠. We can enjoy hot spices such as fenugreek, black pepper, ginger, cloves turmeric, etc⁠. Irrespective of the type of digestive fire sitting in Vajrasana (thunderbolt or diamond pose) for 10 to 15 minutes after dinner is recommended to improve digestion.

How to balance our digestive fire and improve digestion in certain circumstances?

We should pay attention to our digestion, especially during holidays. Chances are likely that our imbalances will show up more as our digestive fire gets tested by irregular schedules of breakfast and heavy meals. 

We must observe our indications, noticing how we feel after eating, our bowel movements, and any coating on the tongue. If we feel heavy, bloated, or tired then notice below how to balance our digestive fire & digestion;  

• ⁠Sip on Ginger tea throughout the day to clear ama (toxins) and boost the digestive fire⁠.
• Get fresh air and exercise, go to a gym, or for a morning walk, or do aerobics. Exercise stimulates digestion and expels wastes from our body⁠.
• Dry brushing with vigorous strokes upward towards the heart to stimulate excess kapha to promote lymphatic circulation and eliminate toxins from our system⁠. If we still feel low then we must consume herbal tea until we feel hungry.

Significant Note:

Following natural healing practices in our lives results in our overall well-being and consequently, nurture our relation with the natural world. Natural remedies are powerful and they could be considered as useful and effective substitutes for professional allopathic medical care and practices.

However, before resorting to any natural healing program, especially when we are on any medications or have any treatment going on for our existing health conditions we must always consult our concerned healthcare experts  so that, considering the limitations of our health or whether we are allergic to certain remedies we can have significant guidance of our health experts.

By adopting natural remedies and believing in their healing power we can enhance our physical and mental health leading to a more balanced and satisfying life. We must respect traditional practices and religiously follow natural healing practices for the benefit of mankind and nature.