Thank you to Nicki Campbell, from Life without Limits, for our Guest Blog:
We are what we eat. It really is a simple as that. Food is our fuel, our only energy source. What we eat determines how we feel, how we think, how we perform, our energy levels, our ability to focus, to move and our ability live to live a life free of health niggles or issues – a life without limits.
If food is this powerful, it makes sense for us to become so much more considerate and aware of what we eat. The best starting point is to consider how we are fuelling our body to start the day.
I’m guessing most of us want to be able to function well at work, to maintain focus throughout the day, to ensure that our mood is even and that we are resilient to the stresses and strains that can be chucked our way.
So how about if setting yourself up for the day with a breakfast that would enable all of this? How about if that was possible? How cool would it be if it were that simple?
The good news? It is! For everyone, even if you don’t usually eat breakfast.
By breakfast I simply mean the meal that ‘breaks’ your ‘overnight fast’. What time this is, is irrelevant. The first meal you have, sets you up for how your body will respond over the rest of the day.
We know that one of the biggest things that affects our energy, mood, productivity and focus is the varying fluctuation of our blood sugar levels. Unfortunately we have been led to believe that by eating small amounts on a regular basis, we keep our blood sugar levels raised, and this is beneficial to us. But in fact, it’s actually not. Eating regularly, particularly carbohydrate dominant food, creates a lot of metabolic instability, in the here and now, this affects energy, mood and performance, over time this leads to a number of health issues.
We really need to be aiming for more balance and stability by eating less often, with the right combination of protein, fat and carbohydrate to maintain balance in our blood sugars. The more our blood sugars rise and fall, the more up and down our energy, mood and focus.
Surprisingly to some, the food that helps maintain this balance are not the foods that give us sugar it’s actually foods that don’t give us sugar, or don’t convert to sugar – foods high in proteins and naturally occurring fats. So, starting the day with a protein rich breakfast it’s one of the best ways to create metabolic balance.
Swap your cereals, toast and fruit juice, for an omelette, or some grilled bacon and avocado, or smoked salmon and wilted spinach. Or how about full fat yoghurt, with some seeds and nuts topped with berries.
Thanks to Anto Meneghini for this image
Ditch the toast – mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach or berry fruits for example will give you all the carbohydrate you need, as well as punching a pack of nutrients to start the day. Many on the go breakfasts can be made from these ideas too.
Thanks to Wesual Click for this image
Keep it simple, find something that works for you and give it a go and see. It will take a few days for your body to get used to the difference. Try it for at least a week, and just notice what changes. I’d love to hear your feedback.
For further health, nutrition and lifestyle tips feel free to connect with me:
Or call me to book a FREE no obligation chat to explore how I can help you take some steps to develop some impactful daily health habits. If nothing else, I will guarantee you go away with ONE thing you can start today, that will make a difference.
