In today’s fast pace environment a healthy breakfast is often skipped. Or fast food alternatives are eaten in hopes of getting a healthy breakfast.
Consumer Reports did an excellent article on the importance of a healthy breakfast. You can click here to read their article. I wanted to highlight two items and then give you a suggestion.
Healthy Breakfast – Two Items from Consumer Reports
The first item to note about a health breakfast are the benefits that you can potentially obtain if you do this right. Here are the ones listed by Consumer Reports:
It may protect your heart.
It might lower your risk for type 2 diabetes.
It gets you moving.
It might give you a mental edge.
It just might keep your weight down.
But the second item that I noted in their article is this graph. Here’s a picture of it:
This graph comes from the Bath Breakfast Project at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. There were two groups of study participants. One group ate 700 or more calories by 11 am. The other group fasted until after 12 noon, which meant they went without any type of breakfast.
Their blood glucose levels were measured every 5 minutes.
As you can see by the graph, those who skipped breakfast had the biggest spike and drop in blood glucose. It seems that the breakfast eaters improved their insulin sensitivity, which helped them maintain consistent blood glucose levels.
According to the lead researcher James Betts, Ph.D., “Eating breakfast seems to have a ‘second-meal effect.’ It primes your metabolism to maintain stable blood sugar levels after subsequent meals.”
Healthy Breakfast – My Suggestion
Protein is a key component to a healthy breakfast. Unfortunately, most fast food options are extremely high in carbohydrates and fat. I use a pea protein shake mix that is certified organic and vegan. Plus, I combine it with other ingredients to fuel my body. Here’s my basic shake recipe:
Notice that I add Sunflower Butter to my morning shake. This adds a healthy fat with additional protein. When I made this addition to my morning shake, it added an hour or more before I became hungry again.
If you’re skipping breakfast, then I’d suggest this basic shake recipe. It’s easy to make. Takes you less time then waiting in the drive thru line at your locate fast food provider. And it’s more nutritious.
If you’re already eating breakfast, then try to add more protein, while limiting your carbohydrates and unhealthy fats.
These slight changes can make a big difference in helping you get the maximum benefits from a healthy breakfast.
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