What if I told you that transforming your breakfast can literally transform your day?!

I know that sounds like a big claim, but hear me out! When you start your day with a pastry or any high carbohydrate meal (especially those with added sugars and processed fours – think bagels, cereal, sweets), you are just strapping in to start your day on the “blood sugar rollercoaster”. See my graphic below to visually follow the process. If you want to have sustained energy throughout the day, less cravings, and improved body composition (if that’s something you are working on) then keep reading!

You eat that carb-rich meal upon waking or on your way to work and pretty quickly your blood glucose (blood sugar) spikes. In response to this, insulin is released from the pancreas in the first TWO minutes of eating. (This hormone response is key to preventing ones blood sugar from spiking too high.) After about 10 mins, the body releases a steady flow of insulin to deal with the blood sugar levels in the blood. To keep this simple, its easiest to think of insulin as the signal with opens the ‘door’ on the cells to allow the glucose into the cell and out of the blood. But if you have eaten more sugar than your body can utilize, you store this excess energy (glycogen) as fat. Note that when you eat sugars right before or during exercise, your body can handle more sugar. Carbs are like kindling on a fire and ready to be used up right away; however, consuming them with a good ratio of protein and fat will blunt this blood sugar response.

Once high, blood sugar will begin to drop. This is where the pancreas and liver work together to bring your blood sugar back up and when you start to have cravings again for more sugar! If you repeat the cycle with that mid-morning donut, this cycle will repeat itself. This can continue all day…the sandwich (that’s mostly bread) for lunch, the bowl of pasta for dinner…you get the picture! This keeps the adrenal system in a constant state of stress. Add that to your already emotionally stressful day (work, kids, family, etc) then you enter a chronic stress situation which can really start to impact your health!

So what’s the solution?
A protein rich breakfast (but you knew that was coming)!

What does this look like? Ideally, you want to try and get 30-40 grams of protein at breakfast. I know this sounds like a lot, and some of you are thinking, What??
But try it for a week and tell me that those mid-morning and even your mid-afternoon cravings do not start to subside! In fact, try and target 30-40 grams of protein at each meal and see how it impacts your day!

My favorite approach is basically eating a dinner for breakfast by making enough dinner the night before to have left overs. Another great solution is a big batch of breakfast hash with ground meat or sausage & sweet potatoes which can be reheated all week. But if your just getting started, a protein smoothie can be a good tool. I like using a beef isolate or bone broth protein (some are chicken based) with minimal ingredients. Here is a link to access my online dispensary where I have a list of my recommended protein powders.

Need some inspiration?
Here are some 30 gram protein ideas:

• Breakfast hash with 4 oz ground pork, beef, lamb or chicken + 2 eggs and a side of gluten free avocado toast
• 1 cup of greek yogurt (if you tolerate dairy) + 2 Tbsp almond butter and 1/3 cup of berries – or collagen powder stirred into yogurt of coffee/tea (10 grams)
• Dinner leftovers with adequate protein
• 2 sausage patties, 2 eggs and gluten free toast
• A smoothie (don’t go too heavy on the tropical fruits – focus on berries , some greens, and even some veggies like cauliflower and zucchini) with 30 grams of protein powder blended in

I can’t wrap this up without noting just how important SLEEP is to how well we regulate our blood sugar. The next time you get a poor nights sleep, pay attention to your sugar cravings. I personally crave sugar every 2-3 hrs after crappy sleep! Tools for better sleep is a post for another day, but there are a lot of good things out there. It’s usually just a matter of DOING them!

If you want to geek out some more on the ins and outs of blood sugar regulation, please also read two of my older posts: Why is Blood Sugar So Important to my Health and Blood Sugar Regulation – does it really impact the Endocrine System?

Want to learn more?
Grab a copy of my FREE “Athlete’s Digestive Troubleshooter“ guide today!

If you still don’t know where to begin, reach out! This is where an I can help support you and guide ways to make healthy swaps and support you in your journey. You might also need strategic supplemental support along the way based on your bio-individual needs. Click HERE to book a free Discovery Call Today!