Monday, June 20, 2016

#Breakfast: the most important meal of the day

Break the Fast
You slept for 6 to 8 hours. You wake up and you are hungry and want to eat or you are in a rush and decide to skip breakfast and grab something quick on the way to where ever.  What is the best decision for your health?  While sleeping you are fasting – that’s where the word came from: “break-fast”.  Your sugar levels are low. Unless you drink liquids at night you are probably dehydrated (which speeds up aging – and that is a future blog).

What not to do:  grab a cup of caffeine coffee (or cola).  Caffeine may give you a boost but it also lowers your blood sugar levels. It is also a diuretic which doesn’t help dehydration.  A donut or bagel or any food sweet or starchy and high in carbohydrates will eventually lower your blood sugar even more. Then, you will either be starving at lunch time or get that mid-afternoon fatigue (or both happens). If you do this often it will be like a merry go round that you can’t stop.  What to do?

Protein, good fat, whole grain

Add protein powder
Break the cycle.  You need protein for breakfast: eggs, cottage cheese, meat or fish. Protein will keep you full, and will not lower your blood sugar. If you drink smoothies, add protein powder. A little fat is also needed: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, peanut butter, cheese, and even butter --  but no hydrogenated fats (a future blog will tell you why).  Fat slows absorption of carbohydrates into your blood stream and slows the lowering of blood sugar. So have a piece of whole grain toast or a bran muffin or a piece of fruit. The fiber in the whole grain, bran or fruit also slows down absorption of carbohydrate. Fat fills you up – your brain is geared to stop being hungry when fat is eaten. (good fats and oils is a future blog).

The Best Breakfast = protein + fat + fiber + carbohydrate (in moderation).  If you eat them together the carbohydrate and even the caffeine will have less of an effect.  And having a good breakfast will help cut your appetite later in the day. So wake up and eat up – a good breakfast.
To Your Good Health


4 comments:

  1. what do you think about hemp protein for people with plant bases diets?

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  2. Hemp protein contains all of the essential amino acids so it is a "complete" protein. It is low in the amino acid lysine. But you can get lysine from beans, lentils and nuts if you eat a plant based diet.

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  3. Thanks for the reminder! I slip into coffee for breakfast modes and I end up feeling awful. I love the egg in the avocado idea. I'm also reminded that I love an avocado smoothie in the summer. Avocado, milk, a bit of agave and ice. Thanks for explaining the science of it!

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  4. Dear U: the avocado shake sounds good -- maybe a little protein powder in it - whey or hemp protein is good. Enjoy!

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