Fitness entrepreneur Sonali Saraogi Singh recently discussed why she believes women should eat within the first hour of waking up. Claiming that delaying food in the morning could disrupt hormones, affect cortisol and blood sugar, trigger evening cravings, and even interfere with sleep, Singh said: “If females don’t eat within the first hour of waking up, they get dysregulation of all of these hormones.” She added that skipping breakfast could leave the body “chasing the fuel” later in the day.

She also recommended prioritising protein at breakfast, saying, “So even 25 to 30 grams of protein at breakfast changes how you run your whole day.”

But does every woman really need to eat within an hour of waking? According to Dt Shalini Bliss, Head of Dietetics at PSRI Hospital, “There is no strong scientific evidence that every woman needs to eat within an hour of waking to maintain hormonal balance.

Instead, overall health depends on several factors, including diet quality, sleep, stress, physical activity and an individual’s metabolic health.

“Some women may do very well to postpone breakfast, while others may be better off taking it earlier, especially if they suffer from weakness, acidity or headache in the course of fasting,” Dt Bliss tells indian express.com.

According to Dt Bliss, high-protein breakfast foods can improve satiety, support muscle preservation and help regulate blood sugar, particularly when combined with high-fibre foods. However, the frequently suggested 25–30 grams of protein should not be treated as a mandatory target for every woman.

Protein requirements can vary depending on body weight, age, physical activity and health conditions. For those looking for practical Indian breakfast options, Dt Bliss recommends foods such as eggs, curd, paneer, dal, sprouts and soy.

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“It’s not necessarily bad for everyone to skip or delay breakfast,” Dt Bliss says. “If you are healthy, intermittent fasting women will typically be able to delay their first meal if they are eating a nutritionally adequate diet overall.”

However, fasting may not be appropriate for everyone. Pregnant women, people who are underweight, those with certain medical conditions, or anyone who experiences dizziness or excessive tiredness while fasting should seek individual medical advice.

As Dt Bliss puts it, “A hard and fast rule of one hour for breakfast is not as critical as the quality and overall balance of the diet that day.”