Well another day and another simple tip. We all know how important the first meal of the day is: BREAKFAST, so I am amazed how many people just skip it. Reasons I have heard in clinic:
- I just don’t have time
- It makes me feel sick eating early
- I am trying to reduce calorie intake
- I forgot
My usual reply which is my sensible tip number 3: Don’t skip breakfast – remember that blood sugar rollercoaster.
By now I have explained that to start with the most important part of eating well is trying to get your blood sugars under control, which trigger your stress response (fight or flight). If you don’t know what I am talking about please read my previous newsletter: Sensible tip number 2: Eat little and often. What we may find after a couple of months of eating three meals and two snacks daily depending on the individual you may be able to reduce the snacks, but not breakfast.
Why eat breakfast?
- Helps fill you up.
- Avoid the rumbling tummy mid-morning
- Resist the temptation to snack on less healthy foods.
- Helps you feel more alert and energetic.
- Helps you concentrate and think more clearly, literally wakes up your brain.
In a on a well-conducted cohort study it was found that people who consumed 22 to 50% of their energy at breakfast had the lowest BMI compared to people who consumed only 0 to 10% of their energy at breakfast. They put forward some possible biological reasons why this might be the case, including a theory that skipping breakfast results in increased levels of insulin (controls sugar intake) when food is finally taken in. They say that this increased insulin may lead to increased fat storage and weight gain.
Insulin resistance is the name given to when cells of the body don’t respond properly to the hormone insulin.
Insulin resistance is the driving factor that leads to type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and prediabetes.
The role of insulin is to allow cells of the body to take in glucose to be used as fuel or stored as body fat. It also means that glucose is more likely to build up in the blood and this can lead to too high blood sugar levels. If your body keeps having to produce high levels of insulin to control blood sugars it can become insulin resistant. When the body becomes resistant to insulin, it tries to cope by producing more insulin. People with insulin resistance are often producing too more insulin than healthy people.
If you find it really difficult to eat in the morning, have a smoothie. If you don’t have time cut up what you want in the smoothie the night before and put it in the fridge. Have it stored in your smoothie maker (if it fits) in the fridge or transfer the ingredients to your blender in the morning and it will be ready before the kettle boils? Or why not try overnight oats?
I have a few recipes on my website, in the recipe section.
Please do not make any changes to the way you eat unless advised by a health professional.
Fiona Waring
Dip Nut, BSc.(Hons), MSc PHN, ANutr
Nutritional Therapist
M: +44 07957 267 964
eatyourgreens@fionawaring.com
‘Registered with the Association for Nutrition – www.associationfornutrition.org
Protecting the public and promoting high standards in evidence-based science and professional practice of nutrition.’
