Breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day.
Whether you start off in the early hours, or you go through an intermittent fasting plan and only start chowing down at noon, you need that first intake in order to really get things going.
Traditionally, breakfast is considered a lighter meal, relative to the other 3 meals you would normally have.
But what is the importance of starting light? And what’s the importance of breakfast as a whole?
The Importance of A Good Breakfast
Breakfast is essential because right after you wake up, you’re dealing with a serious energy deficit. You should ideally have slept for about 7-hours a minimum. Best believe your body is actively burning calories during that time.
That means you need to replenish your stocks as soon as possible, although you can totally workout on an empty stomach after waking up.
As a rule of thumb, you want to keep your breakfast as light as possible while still meeting your energy demands.
That’s because digesting food takes up energy, the energy you could spend on getting yourself into a productive groove.
Breakfast Foods To Avoid
In order to maximize your productivity and long term health, there are a few foods you should try and limit or exclude from your breakfast menu.
Some of these will shock you since they are commonly deemed healthy and are traditionally associated with breakfast.
Try and avoid the following:
-
Granola especially with dried fruit
-
Refined starch bread including “brown” bread
-
Fruit juices, even fresh squeezed
-
Fried foods and trans fats
-
Flavored yogurts
-
Excess sugar, especially refined
The reason you want to avoid these foods is simply that they sit high on the glycaemic index. That means they spike your blood sugar levels fast which can have an impact on your insulin sensitivity over time.
This leads to an increased risk of unhealthy weight gain.
This article will look at the food you should include for the opposite effect.
Top 6 Breakfast Foods For Healthy Weight Loss
Salmon
Salmon is a great source of protein as most fish would be.
Aside from this, fatty fish such as salmon is a great way to get your daily dose of omega 3 fatty acids.
These essential fatty acids are important to your general health but are especially great for your heart and circulatory function.
This blood flow booster is a great way to get you pumped for the day ahead.
Avocados
Avocados are a healthy fat powerhouse. As you might know, fat has an energy yield of more than double what you get from carbs or protein.
Despite this, fat has often gotten a bad rap as something that makes you…well…fat. But the truth is, with the right kinds of fat, you can actually help your healthy weight loss plans.
Avocados are also a great source of potassium, an essential mineral salt important for your fluid and electrical balance. Potassium is necessary for balancing the effects of excess sodium.
Eggs
Eggs are a great complete protein source, always a bonus for a healthy breakfast.
Besides the amino acid abundance, eggs contain a high concentration of good cholesterol.
This cholesterol, known as HDL, is essential in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
It helps shunt out the bad LDL cholesterol to the liver where it is repurposed as bile salts.
HDL also helps with the release of nitric oxide to the bloodstream. This molecule promotes healthy vasodilation, allowing for increased blood flow and decreased blood pressure.
Plain Yogurt
Yogurt is a healthy source of protein and some fat. It also contains calcium since it’s a dairy derivative.
Yogurt is also an amazing source of probiotics. These little gut bacteria live in the colon, forming an ecosystem of microbes with many essential benefits to your body.
Look out for yogurt with live active cultures for probiotic support.
Seed Mix
Seeds are a great source of fiber. That’s important for three reasons.
The first reason is the fact that fiber is necessary for proper gut health, especially when it comes to waste removal.
Secondly, fiber helps control and balance the uptake of sugars into the bloodstream. This helps maintain healthy insulin sensitivity, sustained energy release and a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Lastly, fiber is prebiotic, meaning it nourishes the good gut bacteria we just mentioned, aiding them in their useful function.
Another good reason to load up on seeds such as flax, sunflower, and pumpkin is because of their essential nutrient profile. This profile includes many vitamins and minerals as well as unsaturated fats which are healthy and essential.
Fruit Salad
Fruit salad or any whole fruit for that matter is a great way to start the day.
Opt for these instead of fruit juice. Even the freshest of fresh-squeezed fruit juice has a high glycaemic reading.
That’s because fruit juice, while it may have a similar enough nutrient profile to whole fruit, is lacking the fiber component which would normally limit the blood sugar spike.
Whole fruit has your fiber needs covered while providing the same nutrients and of course taste, as a fresh juice blend.
Conclusion
Having a healthy nutritional start to the day is tantamount to having a productive day in general. Always start your day off with hydration if you really want a natural boost.
It also doesn’t hurt to supplement your vitamins and minerals.
Share this post
