The Secrets of Weight Loss (part 1)

                                         
                                      They shouldst eat to live not live to eat. ~ Socrates

 What if I told you there is one meal that can boost your metabolism all morning?

Would you do it?

Would you believe me if I told you that the “secret” to weight loss is about eating more…not less?

I’ll even go so far as to propose there is one meal that can not only help you burn fat, but can help you become smarter, reduce fatigue, and help prevent night time binging.
Think about this…

~You could be a fat burning machine all day long.

~You can create Adderall like focus without taking drugs.

~You can cut your cravings for sugar, salt and fat.

These attributes can all be attained through the addition of one meal…BREAKFAST!

Breakfast literally means breaking the fast.

As we sleep, chemicals in our bodies are at work digesting food eaten earlier in the day. By morning, we are ready to "break the fast" after a period of not eating. The blood sugar (glucose) we need to power our muscles and brains is normally low when we wake up, and breakfast helps replenish it. But if we miss the day's first meal, we start tapping our energy reserves — including what's stored in our muscle. In addition to making us feel tired, missing breakfast is likely to increase the temptation to reach for an unhealthy snack later on and to overeat in general.

Morning is the worst time to skip a meal. For that reason, eating even a small amount within an hour or so of waking is a good idea. Fueling up in the morning can be especially important for children and adolescents, whose metabolic needs are relatively greater than adults.

Yet many American children and adolescents don't eat breakfast. Health surveys have shown that 20% of American children and 32% of adolescents usually miss the morning meal. The unhealthful pattern is not limited to the United States or to children and teens. A review of two dozen studies showed that between 1.7% and 30% of the population in several developed countries, including the United States, doesn't eat breakfast regularly.

Other studies have associated regular breakfast-eating with everything from enhanced memory and concentration to lower levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol to reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

A number of studies have focused on weight control, and researchers have found that breakfast eaters are, on average, thinner than breakfast skippers. Including protein, carb, and fiber in your brerakfast first thing in the morning may curb your appetite during the rest of the day. An interesting study published in 2010 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the breakfast patterns of several thousand Australians in 1985, when they were children, and then about 20 years later, when they were adults. The study participants who reported skipping breakfast both as children and adults were heavier and had larger waists, higher LDL cholesterol levels, and less healthful diets than those who reported eating breakfast at both times in their lives.

The composition of a good breakfast should include carbohydrates with fiber (whole grains, fruits, or vegetables), some lean protein sources such as eggs or yogurt (Greek yogurt has more protein than regular), and some healthful fats such as those in nuts or low-fat cheese (keep to a minimum). A low-fat cheese omelet with a slice of whole-grain toast qualifies as a good breakfast, as does a bowl of high-fiber cereal topped with fresh fruit and skim milk.

Carbohydrates often get a bad rap in diet books, but they are essential in a healthy breakfast. They have been labeled simple or complex, based on the sugar molecules they contain. Another way to classify them is by their effect on blood sugar levels… foods with a high glycemic index get digested quickly and cause blood sugar levels to spike, triggering an extra-large release of insulin to bring them back down. Things such as pastries and sugary breakfast cereals generally have a high glycemic index. Some research shows that high-glycemic foods wind up making people hungry sooner. And high-glycemic diets have been correlated with increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and other undesirable conditions that nobody wants. (Note. The Glycemic index can be cut in half by adding protein to your meal)

Whole-grain foods enable you to have carbohydrates and keep the glycemic index of your breakfast down. In addition to moderating blood sugar spikes… whole grains supply vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, dietary fiber, and other potentially valuable substances. You don't have to look very hard to find epidemiologic evidence for whole grain having protective effects against obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Eating breakfast may be the key we been looking for when it comes to managing our focus, energy, and health. They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step…well… it just so happens that breakfast is the first step in our journey to becoming healthy and wise.