Eating Breakfast For Accelerated Weight Loss & Optimal Health

In today’s fast-paced environment with hectic work and family dynamic a real challenge, the idea of eating a nutritious breakfast it usually pushed aside. Fact is though that chowing down some much need A.M fuel is vital it is to not only losing weight but to your overall health as well.

From the time you were a little kid, I’m very confident your parents, teachers, and media educated you on the importance of eating breakfast. Deep down we know it’s the most important meal of the day. Reason is because a balanced breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period and replenishes your supply of glucose, which is your body’s energy source that’s broken down and absorbed from the carbohydrates you eat. And that’s not all…

Some More Simple Science

A balanced breakfast provides other essential nutrients to keep your energy levels stoked throughout the day. And that’s key because in the morning, after you have gone without food for as long as 12 hours – which is your fast, your glycogen stores are low. Glycogen is the glucose that has been stored in your muscle tissue and liver where it is released slowly overnight to keep your blood sugar levels stable.

Once all of the energy from the glycogen stores is used up, your body starts to break down fatty acids to produce the energy it needs. Without carbohydrates, fatty acids are only partially oxidized, which can deplete energy levels. Eating breakfast restores your glycogen stores and boosts your energy levels, as well as your metabolism for the day.

The Problem

It's very common these days for individuals to skip breakfast though. And when clients first come to us, more often than not, that’s the case. So, I ask them, “when you were growing up, did your parents feed you breakfast?” They say,” of course!” I ask why? And they answer that they needed it to have a healthy start to the day and have energy. I say, exactly! And you see the light bulb go off in their head. And do you feed your kids breakfast? “Of course, for the same reason.”

So, if this is so obvious, why do some people do the opposite? The problem they state is all too common, and I’m sure it will resonate with you – not enough time, too tired to bother, wanting to spend a little extra time in bed, no readily available breakfast foods in the house, etc., etc.

The Solution

It’s important for you to put yourself and your health at the same level of necessity and importance as the ones you love. Make sense? When your breakfast is on point you’ll get a healthy dose of a significant proportion of your day’s total nutrient intake in the form of essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients right out of the gate.

And those can only be gained from food, so even though your body can usually find enough energy to make it to the next meal, you still need to top up your vitamin and mineral levels to maintain optimal health and vitality.

Getting The Right Nutrients For Optimal Health

Breakfast also offers the opportunity to eat foods fortified with nutrients such as folate, iron, B vitamins and fiber. When it comes to fiber, read labels and choose foods with at least a few grams of fiber per serving. A good source of fiber has 2.5-4.9 grams of fiber per serving. An excellent source has 5 grams or more per serving.

When it comes to kipping breakfast, extensive research in America, North America and abroad has found many unhealthy results: a heavier bodyweight than those who eat breakfast, a diminished mental performance and focus which lowers an individual’s learning capacity, as attention and interest in learning becomes reduced.

Those who eat an inadequate breakfast are more likely to make poor food choices for the rest of the day and in the long term. Skipping breakfast also leads to a less nutritious diet and poorer eating habits than people who eat breakfast as they are likely to be hungry for snacks during the day. Lastly, going without breakfast becomes more common as you get up there in age, which is another obstacle to have to overcome later in life.

Snack Attack

People who skip breakfast tend to nibble on snacks during the mid-morning or afternoon. This can be a problem if those snacks are low in fiber, vitamins and minerals, but high in fat and salt. Without the extra energy contained in a healthy breakfast, some people feel lethargic and turn to high-energy and high calorie foods and drinks to get them through the day.

If you do skip breakfast that wasn’t originally intended, try a nutritious snack such as fresh fruit, yoghurt, a low-fat muffin or a whole wheat sandwich to help you through that mid-morning hunger in a pinch. Our eLifestyle meal plans in our 7 Day Weight Loss Kick-Start offer all of the balanced options you’ll need to make easy breakfast choices, so not to worry.

Re-Booting A Slow Metabolism

So why are some people just not into breakfast, even though they have no restrictions on time or any other excuse? Some people, my clients included (in the beginning that is), have found that they don’t even like the thought of food first thing in the morning. If this is the case, it’s generally an indicator that your metabolism is slow, especially because you just fasted over night as you slept and should be ready for food. An active metabolism will have effectively burned off the prior day’s final meal and will be actively ready for a reboot of energy.

I know there is so much to consider when you are embarking on a new path of eating well and looking to lose weight. And if it were easy no one would need any assistance or guidance. We have so much understanding and compassion for where you’re at in your journey, so my best advice is to stay the course and you’ll be greatly rewarded. We’re here for you all the way!