Dear Health Conscious Reader,
I am writing to you this morning from my study at home. I like to write here in the early morning because I can see the sunrise through my study window.
On my desk there’s a container with some leftover salmon and spinach salad from last night. I pulled it from the fridge for breakfast.
High protein breakfasts are your best bet to get yourself going in the morning. But nowadays, they’re rare.
Do you remember what your parents ate for breakfast? Around my house eggs and meat were the mainstays. They had the right idea.
When the low-fat craze started decades ago, many turned their backs on the breakfast foods enjoyed fifty or sixty years ago. In their place, bread and cereal products took center stage.
Today, millions of people will reach for doughnuts, muffins, bagels, croissants and hundreds of different cereals during their morning routine. The big food makers even claim their cereals are “heart healthy.” That’s good for a laugh.
High-carb breakfasts do the opposite of what a good breakfast is supposed to do.
Instead of feeling alert and energetic, today’s breakfasts make you fat, slow and tired.
Bagels and doughnuts are fun in the morning, but after the initial buzz, your blood sugar will sharply drop. This will leave you feeling tired and sluggish. You’ll also have trouble concentrating. And if you’re busy at the office, that’s bad news.
Don’t forget that spikes in blood sugar trigger a flood of insulin. Do that all the time and you’re on the fast track to obesity and chronic disease.
For breakfast, protein is king. It’s my favorite meal of the day. I try and change it up to keep it interesting, but meat or fish is always the centerpiece of my morning meal.
As strange as it may sound to you, fish is a great breakfast food. The Japanese eat fish and vegetables first thing every morning. They have for over fifteen-hundred years.
To go with the meat or fish, I scramble some eggs and add a leafy vegetable – usually spinach. That way, I get a well-rounded meal; complete with lots of protein, essential nutrients and antioxidants.
When I leave the house, I’m full of energy. And I’ve never missed a day of work for being sick in my life.
If you really need a sugar fix, save it for after you’ve had your protein. The old habits may be hard to break, but you’ll be a lot happier and more productive.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD