Breakfast turns on your metabolism, burning more calories
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EmailQuick, healthy breakfast ideas that will start your metabolism.
People burn the most calories between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. This fat burning state is called “lipolysis.” Most American’s, however eat the majority of their calories between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. This fat storage mode is called “lipogenesis.” By eating breakfast and the majority of calories by 6 p.m., you will match your body’s natural metabolism.
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. To burn more calories between 8 a.m. and noon you need to fuel your metabolism early in the morning by eating. You may think that skipping breakfast saves you calories, but according to studies from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who eat breakfast end up eating fewer calories by the end of the day, compared to people who skip breakfast. The study shows that people who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat at lunch and dinner, and not snack as much to make up the loss of calories the body is craving at the end of the day.
By eating breakfast, you alert your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which is a giant 24-foot long digestive system organ. This digestive organ is in a sense, like a calorie burning furnace. It burns calories as it pushes food through the tract as it metabolizes nutrients and processes food. This “furnace” needs to be started in the morning by giving it food to burn and process.
The best breakfast consists of fruit, whole grains, a bit of fat and some protein. These foods help keep blood sugar stable throughout the morning and provide adequate energy levels until the afternoon meal. Some healthy breakfast food choices suggested by Michigan State University Extension includes:
- Low-fat yogurt with ground flaxseed and granola
- High-fiber cereal, half a banana and low-fat milk or soymilk
- Orange with a whole-grain bagel topped with a thin layer of natural peanut butter
- Scrambled eggs or veggie omelet with a slice of melon
- Low-fat smoothie including ground flaxseed or wheat germ and fruit
- Whole grain pancakes or French toast topped with peanut butter and blueberries.
