Back to food basics : Never underestimate what a good breakfast can do for you.

in #food6 years ago

Tell me what you have for breakfast I will tell you who you will be in the months to come! Food has an important impact upon our lives, and the more we do research the more we discover what it brings us, in good or bad!

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But I hear you comin’, my fellow steemians.
“I have my Cheerios every morn’, so I’m fine”. “I skip breakfast because I’m not hungry in the morning.” or “I don’t have time to eat breakfast”. Well… that ain’t a good enough excuse for me, dear.

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Before I dissect these way too common for good kinda questions, let’s get real for a second.

Why is breakfast so important?

Because it’s the first meal of the day, and for your body to properly reboot after sleeping, it needs energy, which comes from food.

The night is like fasting for your body, so feeding him the right stuff to start fresh again is essential.

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What’s technically wrong with my Cheerios? (works with jammy toasts as well)

Cereals, like toast with butter and jam, have a high glycemic index, which means that they will be broken down by our organism so fast it won’t last until lunch time!

No! Just a cup of joe doesn’t count as breakfast!!! Coffee works the same way. Caffeine is released quickly in the organism and its effects wear out as fast as they came.

All that quick fix sugary breakfast makes our body produce insulin, which is definitely not good in the morning. All of that fast breakdown is tiring for our system, which makes us feel tired and hungry, and it’s not even 10:30 yet!

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What does a good breakfast sounds like then?

A great breakfast should be prepared around :

  • Quality protein (no steak don’t worry!), like eggs or full fat greek yogurt.
  • Good quality fat (yes, Fat, you read right!), that means almonds, nuts,
  • A piece of fruit, no juice, the real deal is much better that already made stuff.

That’s it. No need to had more things to it. But I can already hear you :”Frenchy, that’s lovely but the café-croissant combo for breakfast is irreplaceable for me”.

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Well, here are better substitutes :
Swap the coffee for green tea, as it contains some catechins, a brilliant antioxidants to prevent cancer.
As for the croissant, you can have cereal based produce for breakfast, but choose them with a low glycemic index like leavened wholegrain bread or country muesli, or porridge even better.

If you are use to a sweet breakfast, it will take a little while to get use to the savory side, but then, if the Brits, the Germans and highly successful people can do it, so can you!

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What are the results of a breakfast like this ?

The components of these breakfast will have a slower release into our system, so our energy level will be constant throughout the morning.

This slow release of energy will have you eat less at lunchtime, just because you are not feeling that hungry. Less food for lunch, no slug-feeling time in the afternoon, just lovely constant energy. And then when dinner comes, you won’t need to eat like a family of three.

The circle closes again the following day for breakfast, as you will be hungry again, and that’s normal after having fasted throughout the night. So we repeat the same process :)

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What do I do if I'm not hungry in the morning ?

A lot of people are not hungry in the morning because they are not eating what they should be when they should be doing so. Try having a lighter diner, like a soup with a piece of bread and so for a few days. Your body will be soon feeling hungry in the morning :)

We tend to overeat in the evening, when the biggest meal of the day should technically be breakfast! By swapping the quantities around, our body will fall back into its own natural rhythm.

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But I don't have the time to prepare breakfast in the morning ?

If you don't take the time to prepare your breakfast, you set yourself to fail. I know it sounds harsh, but the first thing you need to consider is what you need instead of what you want. (check out the French Londoner's 3 Pillars to Health for more explanation)

If you need to work on your routine to fit breakfast in, do it! Seriously. I use to be like you, waking up 20 minutes before I had to be at the tube station, skipping breakfast to grab a venti chai tea latte and a doughnut at my local Starbucks, and feeling so freakin' tired when came 10:30 that I was like a kid at school waiting for canteen time!

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It's worth the time investment, trust me. Since then, I have most of my day done by 10:30 and I feel fine waiting for lunch, and taking the salad, not feeling hungry by 3pm that I need another sweet fix...

If you really, really don't have the time, prepare things up in the evening. Like my porridge is waiting in the fridge, ready to be microwaved as I head to the shower. Prepare things up the evening before so, you wake up ready.

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If you like this post, vote for it, re-steem it, and comment on it. And remember, life’s too short not to share good stuff with others! So share with me what you’ve learn from this post, or your point of view on the matter. I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time.

The French Londoner


(DISCLAIMER : Please bear in mind that I am no health practitioner and that all changes to your routine should be done under the supervision of a health or medical specialist.)
(Sources for pics : Unsplash.com)

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I don't breakfast because I am not hungry at morning. Listen to your stomache.

why yout dont breakfast. so make you hungry

A good breakfast is low carbs, high fat and moderate protein to fuel you through the day. I void carbs and sugar for my first meal of the day. Eggs and bacon all the way.

Absolutely.
If you are going to have breakfast, it should be low carb.
But, nothing wrong with intermittent fasting.

For sure, cutting carbs from breakfast was a major paradigm shift for me but it worked wonders for energy levels and satiety.

Yeah..same here. On a losing streak now. Lost 22 pounds in 3 months. 10 more to go.

That's great guys! Thank you so much @tagsplanet, @yngskywalker and @supremelongevity for sharing your experiences.

@frenchlondoner, Thanks for this post
Yes, There are umpteen reasons to have a healthy breakfast.

  1. You start your day hungry, you get tired fast. Since your blood glucose levels haven’t been restored to the normal levels, you are low on energy.
  2. And when you get hungry, you grab anything available, sugary or fat laden. So, whoosh -there goes your diet out of the window.
  3. You try to concentrate hard and work on your most important presentation, but your body is like a car running on an empty petrol tank. Your brain refuses to pick up speed and concentration, because you forgot to stock up your body fuel.
  4. Because you skipped breakfast, your mood is low and stress levels high. You are irritable and your team bears the brunt.
  5. You are trying to lose weight since months, but the weighing scale hasn’t budged even one mark backwards. Why? It’s because your body metabolism is going down instead of increasing. Staying hungry doesn’t make you lose. Eating healthy makes it possible.

Definitely! Thank you so much @nanu1 for adding to this post. :)

This is only accurate for people who eat large quantities of carbohydrates which is not recommended.
If you are no longer dependent on sugar, you will not be hungry.
We have TONS of fat on our body. That's energy. so the argument of "stocking up your body fuel" makes no sense. The problem is we do not know how to burn fat because we eat too much sugar.

Thank you for this precision, @supremelongevity. Most people do eat way too much sugar (carbohydrates). I will post about sugar in the next coming days. I would welcome your feedback. :)

Terima kasih postnya
Vhos punya saya @mhdhusein

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.How you do depends on the starting and starting depends on breakfast.

for me breakfast is the most important meal.i agree with you..i do take porridge every morning and sometimes i do cereals

I just learnt something today, most times when I wake up I don't feel hungry. Most times I take my breakfast by 1pm , I am so use to it. All I do is take a cup of coffee. I guess I will start taking my breakfast even if it is just fruits. I don't want my body to be wore out.

I am so glad I could help you @tutufaith. Let me know how it goes and if you need help in you journey towards great breakfasts. :)

3 * Weetabix protein, soya milk, goji berries, sunflower seeds, and a heap of raw oats. Small bit of golden syrup just for kicks. Big protein hit, and doesn't take you ages to eat before work. Weekend, porridge, or waffles :).

Great post! As I am about to change my life, it would be amazing to have a great overall food plan that combines with endurance sports. But...it is so hard to find some solid informations. The internet is just toooo big. Do you have an advice? Seems like you have some knowledge :)

I'm glad I could help you with this post, @philfromhongkong. In terms of advice for food, you have to try different things out for yourself.
Start by replacing bad habits with good ones, such as breakfast, 5 to 6 small meals a day and a great hydration (water mainly), then, as you train you will come across different ways to optimise your nutrition. Mine is closer to an alkaline diet these days, but I started with something close to the paleo diet.
I suggest getting in touch with a personal trainer specialised in the field of your sport to get the right tips, as well as following what makes sense to you.
Let me know how you get on. :)

You are welcome to follow my blog where I will implement thoughts about food as soon as I discovered them. Thank you a LOT for your inspiration :)

Brilliant post. Very helpful tips. I'm also experimenting with food for myself.
But I do think what is good for one person might not be good for another and the other way around.

That's exactly right, @sireastbound. It's all about finding what's best for you. :)

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