Why Optimising your Breakfast will Supercharge your Health (Part 1)

You probably remember being told as a child that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’.

Well, it turns out that there is some truth to this. Obviously, we don’t want to put a ‘health halo’ on breakfast and ignore our needs for consistent nourishment throughout the day. But, in my experience, when we optimise our breakfasts, we lay the foundations for great overall nutrition; we give ourselves a head-start on the road to supercharging our energy & wider wellbeing.

When we eat carbohydrates at breakfast, we provide our body with glucose (energy), which helps to fuel our muscles, brain & other bodily systems for the day ahead.

Opting for complex, unrefined carbohydrates at breakfast (e.g., wholegrain bread, oats or simple wholegrain cereals) is a great way to do this. This is because we absorb the glucose more slowly from these products than we would from white carbs or sugary items, supporting steady energy levels throughout the morning.

The steady energy levels mentioned above also support focus & mood.

Ever experienced an 11am crash and felt like you needed to grab a cake/coffee to get you through your next meeting? In many cases, a nourishing breakfast could help to alleviate these crashes, promoting focus, positivity & productivity throughout the morning.

Adding a portion on healthy fats to our breakfasts (e.g., avocado, nuts, seeds or extra virgin olive oil) not only supports steady energy levels, but is also great for our brain health, owing to the essential fatty acids which they contain. 

So, if we want to turn up to work feeling positive, motivated & focused – prioritising a nourishing breakfast is key.

What we eat (or don’t eat) in the morning sets the tone for the day – both mentally & physically.

Mentally, if we skip breakfast or grab a slice of toast as we’re walking out the door, we may feel less inclined to nourish ourselves throughout the rest of the day. Through our actions, we have silently told our minds that nutrition isn’t a priority today – and this may negatively influence our decision-making throughout the day when it comes to lunch/snacks/dinner, possibly without us even realising.

Physically, our bodies are also affected by what we eat for breakfast. A balanced, nourishing breakfast will help to regulate our blood sugar levels and hunger/fullness hormones. This means that we're more likely to feel satisfied and less likely to experience cravings. So, making healthy choices throughout the rest of the day will require less ‘willpower’.

In particular, protein is a macronutrient which is associated with increased satiety levels (the feeling of fullness). So, a portion or two of protein at breakfast is a great way to level-up our plates (e.g., eggs, beans, tofu or some lean meat/fish). 

...What have I missed? Part 2 coming soon!

And if you’d like a helping hand in taking the first few steps towards optimal energy, stress management & wider wellbeing, I’d love to help. Simply schedule a free catch-up (linked at the top of the page) & we'll discuss exactly what you're looking for.