Breakfast is the meal a lot of people struggle with - whether it is a timing issue for you or you simply do not feel like eating first thing in the morning.
It is a habit that is worth breaking. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. You have been asleep for the last six to eight hours; no food has been consumed during these hours so in essence you have been fasting. Come morning it is time to break that fast with a nutritiously balanced meal. If you dodge breakfast, the next meal may not be until lunch, resulting in starving yourself for nearly 13 hours.
Common mistakes include:
Skipping breakfast altogether; eating a high-sugar boxed cereal; eating a breakfast bar; carbohydrate on carbohydrate (e.g. jam on bread ); no fruit or veg; no protein or healthy fats, Omega 3, 6 and 9; high sugar smoothie.
Skipping breakfast will have an effect on your energy, productivity, mood, and potentially your weight. “I use Udo’s Oil in my morning smoothie as a convenient way to ensure my body is getting the healthy fats needed to keep me performing at my peak every day,” says Irish Olympian David Gillick.
Eating in the morning releases chemicals to the brain and can also steady glucose levels throughout the day. A recent study from the University of Missouri found that having breakfast, particularly dishes high in protein, increased levels of dopamine, a brain chemical responsible for moderating impulses and reward, which may reduce food cravings and overeating later in the day.
When speaking to one nutritionist, he described skipping breakfast as the sumo diet. Basically you are tricking your body into thinking you are starving it - therefore the next meal you consume your body stores it all as it does not think it will get another meal for the next eight hours. By storing the food, the body does not use it properly and effectively. This can lead to a host of health problems.
“I lead a very active lifestyle, combining sport and work, so it is essential I look after my body and mind, including my joints, muscles, heart and brain. Udo’s Oil is a great source of essential fatty acids, Omega 3, 6 and 9, which help boost my recovery and keeps me performing at my peak,” Gillick says.
Always aim for a balanced breakfast which includes a good source of protein, slow release carbohydrates, healthy fats, and a portion of fruit or vegetables.
Give my morning smoothie a try!
Ingredients:
150ml unsweetened almond milk; 50ml water; 3 tablespoons of Udo’s Oil; 1-2 scoops of One Nutrition Power Greens: cucumber1; beetroot1; a handful mixed fresh or frozen berries; 30g of uncooked porridge oats.
Method
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 20 to 30 seconds until smooth.
Visit www.udoschoice.ie or call in to Susan in Au Naturel to learn more about Udo’s Oil.
