The Importance of Breakfast (Weight! Don’t tell me!)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Glucose is essential for the brain and is the main energy source. People who do not take breakfast are going to have lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. (from http://www.healthmad.com)

The first thing many people do when they want to lose a little weight is to skip breakfast and skimp on lunch. Then they go crazy at night and chow down with too little time left to metabolize those calories before sleep. Skipping breakfast causes the body to go into a “starvation mode” which slows the metabolism, contributing to weight gain.

The American Dietetic Association says breakfast is the most important meal of the day.Despite the healthful benefits, breakfast may be the meal that is most often neglected or skipped. Eating breakfast not only aids in weight management, it fuels the body to help provide energy, better concentration and problem-solving ability throughout the day, according to the food and nutrition experts at the American Dietetic Association.

Forty years of breakfast related studies show that jump starting the day with breakfast benefits everyone — children, teens and adults. “Eating breakfast is very important for the brain and the body first thing in the morning”, said Los Angeles registered dietitian Gail Frank, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “Breakfast skippers often feel tired, restless or irritable in the morning.” (http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/breakfast2.shtml)

If you want to maintain a good weight, the first thing to do, is to adjust the “when” of your eating rather than the “what.” Of course you want to eat healthier foods, but many people try to eat better while continuing bad habits about WHEN they eat. Changing the “what” often needs to be addressed with patience and study, so get going with this simple when approach right off the bat and you will be in better shape for the long haul.

Of course there are some breakfasts that are healthier than others, but the important first step is to eat one!

The land of Milk and Honey

A long long time ago, I began to listen to the rumors I heard about milk. It’s supposed to be “good” but for many it is “bad.”
Allergies to dairy are incredibly common.

So I tried -

Soy milk - It tastes okay, but sits in my stomach and takes forever to digest, often giving me gas and indigestion.

Now we hear not so great things about soy. Well, it was no surprise to me and my tummy.

Rice milk - Not as difficult as soy, but still a little weird in the digestive world. Also there are a lot of ingredients - things
to stabilize for “freshness” in the long term.

Almond milk - I found this easier to digest, delicious, but lots of ingredients with weird names, again probably for shelf life.

So what is the answer?

Well, I don’t have answers, but I do have suggestions. Read more »

The importance of timing your water consumption

We all know it is important to drink plenty of water. 8 glasses a day is the popular specification. However did you know that there is a time to drink and a time not to drink?

Most people only remember to drink water when they sit down to a meal. The problem is that this is exactly when you should not over consume your water!

Water should be drunk up to 20 minutes before a meal (iced water - at least 30 minutes; avoid when possible) so that it is absorbed before you start eating, because too much water in the stomach inhibits digestion!

If you think about it it makes a lot of sense: Your stomach senses what is being eaten and puts forth the proper digestive juices for that food.

If you have a lot of water in your stomach, it will inhibit its ability to sense its contents and send out the right stuff to digest it. The digestive fluids get diluted and can’t do their job.

You CAN sip some water (not iced) during meals. As you become more body aware, you will notice what is enough and what is too much.Try not to do more than sip water for up to two hours after meals. Become aware also of your schedule. After breakfast has digested, make sure you get in a few glasses before lunch, etc.

More on this subject when I cover “Correct Food Combining“