Breakfast. What's the big deal?

Let's talk a little about breakfast. We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day yet it is often skipped or missed because people run out of time in the morning. So, what is the big deal about breakfast? Can a solid breakfast really make or break your fitness goals?

Let’s start by dissecting the word ‘breakfast’. When you take it apart you find two words with an all-important hidden message. Break – Fast. I can hear your wheels spinning on this one! That’s right, breakfast is the meal that breaks the fast that your body goes into each and every night when you sleep. When breakfast is skipped, your body continues to fast until you eat later in the day.

Your brain needs fuel to function at its peak. This fuel comes in the form of glucose derived from food and is needed to walk, talk and perform all other activities. When you skip breakfast your brain is forced to work extra hard in breaking down stored carbohydrates or to turn fats and proteins into usable forms of glucose. Eating breakfast has been proven to improve concentration, increase your problem solving capabilities, enhance overall mental performance and even boosts your memory and mood.

Your metabolism will go into ‘famine’ mode. Three to four hours after you eat, your metabolism shuts down and acts as if it needs to store food. This is a great function to have if a famine were to break out, leaving you without food for days. Since this is likely not the case for you, it is pretty annoying when your body starts packing on the pounds in an attempt to protect you from starvation! Eating breakfast communicates with your body the fact that you are healthy, well fed and not in need of extra fat storage.

So the better question is: What options do we have for a paleo breakfast? Breakfast seems to be associated with cereal, toast, bagels, English muffins, waffles and sugar laden foods. Breakfast doesn't have to equal grains! I think a lot of people also get stuck in a breakfast rut making the same dish every day. My biggest tip is to get used to seeing breakfast as fuel – it’s just another meal! And who wants to start the day off with a big sugar crash?

Breakfast options are endless but here are a few suggestions:

1. Let's  start with the most obvious bacon and eggs
2. Bacon, eggs, avocado, mushrooms & tomato
3. An omelette with your choice of meat, vegetables and of course – egg yolks as well as whites
4. Make a frittata with your favorite veggies and meats (Sweet Potato Frittata)
5. There’s nothing like steak and eggs for breakfast!
6. Scrambled eggs mixed with diced bacon and avocado
7. Soft boiled eggs and wilted spinach
8. Lots of nations wake up to soup – make a soup with bone broth – or try coconut milk and leftover meat and veggies
9. Smoked salmon and fried eggs for a great protein boast
10. Smoked haddock with poached eggs and wilted spinach
11. Egg muffins – cook these up with your favourite veggies and meat in a big batch – and help yourself from the fridge all week
12. Almond Meal Porridge
13. Banana Vanilla Pancakes
14. Pork breakfast sausages and eggs
15. Sweet Potato Pancakes
16. And of course leftovers

Just remember to be creative, options are endless. 

Adapted from the Paleo Network