is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
Breakfast is the first meal of the day that activates the digestive system after the overnight fast. It does not matter WHEN you eat, what is more important is WHAT you eat.
You can break your fast at noon, 2 PM, 3 PM, anytime you eat your first meal for the day is your breakfast.
The first thing you eat will affect 2 things:
Hunger hormone
Gut bacteria
So if you eat the wrong foods as your first meal, this can set the stage for:
Cravings
Low Energy levels
Mood swings
You must must get it right with your first meal because the wrong foods also impact gut health.
If you want:
Better energy
More focus
Weight control
Great skin
Better digestive health
It all starts with healthy gut bacteria and therefore, the right foods choice is important.
Here are three popular breakfast foods that are NOT as healthy as marketers would like you to believe and therefore, I want you to be aware of them.
Yogurt
A 6 oz. container of yogurt should have about 13 grams of sugar, anything more would be too much, and anything past 20 grams would be a NO
Beware of yogurts that claim to give you probiotic benefits. When yogurt is pasteurized, many of the good bacteria are killed in the process, and whatever is left is usually not enough to make a noticeable difference
Stay clear of yogurt that contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is a chemical that is not recognized by the brain. When we eat foods that the body does not recognize, it turns into FATS and that is not what most people want.
HFCS confuses our hunger hormone - GHRELIN (tells us when we are hungry) and Leptin hormone (tells us when we are full). If both hormones are disrupted and confused, you don't know when you are full, you just keep eating and eating
Whole wheat/wheat bread
Toasts are common place at the breakfast table and if we you are trying to make healthy choices, you chose wheat to whole wheat. The dark side is that many popular brands contain HFCS. Therefore, you want to become vigilant and start reading labels and stay away from those with HFCS.
Cereal bars
Cereal bars have become a popular and convenient breakfast food, They are marketed as healthy options. Again, the dark side is that they are frequently loaded with sugar and HFCS. Please read the labels before purchasing.
What should you use
Food contains the building blocks for our cells and tissues, therefore it is important to start your day off o the right way. Here are a few wholesome examples that can set you up for more energy, less cravings and better weight management.
Morning Smoothie
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup yogurt
1 tbsp Sprouted Ground Flax Seed
1/2 banana
handful spinach
1 cup frozen mixed berries
Add all ingredients to blender, blend until smooth
Millet Cereal With Apricot Apple Compote and Warm Coconut Milk
Ingredients: For the illet 1 cup millet 2 cups water
For the Copote 1 apple (diced) 8 dried apricots (diced) 2 cinnamon sticks Freshly grated nutmeg (about a 1/4 teaspoon) 1/2 cup of boiling water Coconut milk (warm)
Blueberry Chia Porridge
Ingredients 1/2 cup chia seeds 2 cups cold soy*/almond/rice/other milk 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Oatmeal with almond/rice/coconut milk with your choice of berries and nuts, maple syrup to sweeten.
Scrambled/boiled eggs
