Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last 20 years you will have heard the phrase, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” However, breakfast can be done in many ways and may be the reason your jeans fit a bit tighter and that you don’t feel properly awake until midday. Isn’t it about time that we update this ancient health recommendation, and start following some more specific, real life advice?
Here at YCB, we have spoken with our experts to find out about the common mistakes, and ways to make you feel more energized and balanced throughout the workday.
1) Leftovers from the night before
Breakfast is really your opportunity to charge your body with fuel for upcoming activities during the day. Preferably, the day should start with a clear mind and healthy habits. Believe it or not but leftovers for breakfast can therefore be an option if you’ve had oven-cooked salmon with herbs and a green salad the night before for example. However, if you indulged in a large cheesy pizza for dinner, then maybe the dinner leftovers should be reconsidered as a breakfast alternative.
Nutritionist Martina Della Vedova, recommends that we choose foods that are rich in fibre, antioxidants, protein and consistent of good fats. A healthy and fulfilling option can be poached or scrambled eggs on a piece of whole grain bread and a freshly made green juice.
2) Extra half hour in bed over breakfast
Stop pressing the snooze button and head to the kitchen for some brekkie, your body will thank you for it!
Many people consider it to be unthinkable to go 6-9 hours during the day without food, even though this is exactly what we do during the night. Breakfast is the time to re-energize your body, after the digestive system has had its long, deserved rest. Skipping breakfast would mean making this fast unnecessary long, and can also lead to overeating later in the day.
“You may find yourself craving fatty and sugary food, as your body is looking for an instant energy hit, instead of more balanced options. By letting the body play catch up with calories, you can find yourself eating way more late at night than actually intended and this will more likely be stored as fat than used as energy in your body”, explains Shona Wilkinson, Nutritionist at SuperfoodUK, the online shopping destination for all things health and wellbeing.
3) Eating wholegrain cereal everyday
Unprocessed whole grain is a great carbohydrate as it is packed with nutrients. However, eating the same meal each morning may not only be a dull start to your day, but it can prevent you from sustaining a healthy diet.
“As with anything in life, our daily meals need to have a good balance. Our beloved breakfast, should therefore sustain of a balanced amount of protein, fats, carbohydrates, antioxidants and fibre. By starting the day with larger amount of carbohydrates, the body starts to increase the production of the blood sugar controlling hormone, insulin. This can set you up for unhealthy cravings throughout the day, where you find yourself indulging in chocolate cakes and sugary bars, without really understanding how it happen. In the long run, this behaviour can set conditions for chronic blood sugar imbalances and development of diabetes,” explains Martina.
“As the word implies, carbohydrates are nutrients that require water. Therefore, the more carbs we eat, the more water the body will assemble, which will not only slow down the digestion system, but can contribute to weight gain and stiff joints”, adds Martina.
4) You leave it to the last minute
Busy mornings can mean that many of us neglect eating a proper meal and instead grab a coffee on the go as a substitute. This habit may not only be the reason you don’t feel properly awake until midday, but those sugary lattes can also add further to your love handles. “If you struggle to find time during the week, it can easily be prepared during the weekend by making large jar of protein rich granola. Roast some oats, add various seeds such as pumpkin and chia, crunchy hazelnuts and dried dates for that extra energy boost. Then during those busy mornings, simply add a scoop to Greek yoghurt and fresh fruit, and your morning meal can be ready in minutes, but will keep you energised and satisfied throughout the entire day,” advises Cassandra.
5) Eating straight from the cereal box
“Crockery is not just good manners as we have been taught, it is also a tool to measure food quantities. In fact, we don’t just eat with our mouths and stomachs, the visual part is crucial since our eyes prepare our bellies on what to expect. For instance, using smaller plates is good way to control your portion size and using coloured crockery will help the brain give to register how much food we actually have on the plate,” advises Martina.
6) Protein, what protein?
Ever questioned the current protein hype on social media and why is seems so important? The reason is not only that protein is a crucial nutrient to build body mass, but protein-rich foods are also known for being more satiating than carbohydrate-rich foods. In other words, they fill you up quicker and make you stay satisfied for longer. “This works because the body reduces the release of appetite simulative hormones and it seems to slow down the process of emptying the stomach. The result is that you’re likely to eat less over the course of the day, making it easier to control your weight,” explains Nutritionist Cassandra Barns.
Needless to say, it is important to start every day with plenty of protein and to make sure you get enough, a plant based protein powder can be recommended. “It is easy to digest and adds extra flavour to your breakfast, without adding those extra calories. It can easily be used in smoothies or shakes, and also used in meals thorough the day like savoury stews and soups. I’d recommend Natures Plus Almond Protein (£40.50, naturesplus.co.uk),” adds Cassandra.
7) Eating only fruit for breakfast
Fruit is a fantastic food in many ways: it is highly nutritious, contains fibre, antioxidant, minerals but is also rich in flavour and visually beautiful to look at. “Despite fruits many perks, the downside is its richness in sugar, which we all know is not good in too high quantities causing insulin swings and unstable blood sugar levels. Consequently, you might want to reconsider only eating fruit for breakfast and start thinking of mixing it with options like nuts, seeds and yoghurt, to add vital fats and proteins”, suggests Martina.
8) You’re not reading the label
We have all done this mistake: grabbing ‘gluten free’, ‘sugar free’ and ‘low fat’ products, thinking this is the healthiest option. When in reality, that’s exactly what could be standing in your way of losing those extra pounds. “If a food or drink is described as ‘low sugar’, ‘slimline’ or ‘diet’, it will usually contain an artificial sweetener. Research has shown that mood swings and depression can be linked to these sweeteners, and it indicates that people who regularly consume these products tend to gain weight, by slowing down the digestive process and increase appetite,” explains Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading Nutritionist, author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar. A word of advice would be to stay away from the ‘free’ labels and focus on eating natural food, containing ingredients you can actually pronounce.
9) Swayed by a sugary breakfast
It is common knowledge that we should avoid eating sugar for breakfast, the reason being it induces blood sugar highs, followed by crashes, that leaves you hungry mid-morning. But in reality it can be tricky, since its often hidden in food that you wouldn’t expect to be sweet. “Breakfasts that are high in sugar include cereals, white toast, pastries, fruit smoothies, fruit juice and granola”, explains Cassandra. A recommendation is therefor to educate yourself in which breakfast options that are high in sugar, and stay far, far away from them.
10) Watching TV whilst eating
Many of us are guilty of watching TV when having breakfast, but what’s the harm in that? Nutritionist Cassandra Barns explains that watching TV while eating breakfast can result in mindless eating, causing you to not be fully focused on your food consumption. Meaning that when your attention is on your favourite morning show, the mind is having troubles registering what goes into your body. This can lead to the you eating more than if you were concentrating on your plate, accordingly the body’s having troubles understanding when its full.
11) Skip the orange juice and go green
Those fruit juices consumed with intention to start of the day in a healthy way, are in reality often filled with refined sugar and artificial conservatives. “To get a boost of fibre, minerals and vitamins, it may instead be a good idea to skip the sweet juices and add a teaspoon of a ‘Super Greens Mixture’ to your water. This doesn’t only add to your nutritional intake with greens such as spirulina, chlorella, barley and wheat grass, but also help you to feel fuller for longer and more energised throughout the day. Try Natures Plus Ultra Green Juice (£29.25, naturesplus.co.uk)”, suggests Cassandra.
12) You eat on the run
During those busy mornings, you may find yourself trying to eat breakfast while doing ten other things simultaneously. These multitasking habits may create unnecessary stress for your body, along with unhealthy food routines. “When rushing through a meal, your body gets the signal that time is scarce and you are under pressure, which will cause your digestive system to become stressed and operates less efficiently. Make a point to sit down and eat your food as calmly as possible”, Marilyn recommends. Your stressed mind, along with your figure, will thank you.
