We've bought the lie that hunger is a bad thing and we're convinced that not eating in the morning will help us to eat less and loose weight faster. But, I'm writing today to encourage you to conside this...
Waking up every day with little or no appetite is a red flag for your metabolism.
Why is This True?
Because our body is running on fumes and there's no gas in the tank. Stress hormones are acting as the fuel which cause lots of issues around good metabolism. We are then NOT performing optimally because we need consistent nutrient-rich, whole, real foods on a regular basis beginning within one hour of waking up - every single morning.
Weight, Metabolism, Hormonal Health, Energy, and Digestion.
These major areas are directly impacted by what, how and when we eat and the goal is to actually want to eat when we wake up.
Restoring our appetite will allow our body to adjust to proper hormonal cues instead of running out of gas.
When we aren't hungry in the morning, it's often a sign of elevated cortisol and blood sugar imbalances.
When these hormones are consistently high, it signals our body to turn off digestion because high stress hormones are telling our body, danger is near and all energy needs to be used to escape. Cortisol is naturally highest in the morning which is a good thing to help us wake up, but when we're under chronic stress, this puts the body in overdrive.
Overproduction of cortisol leads to insulin resistance and an increase in belly fat.
Sluggish Liver.
A healthy liver can hold enough stored glucose for about 8-10 hours until it begins tapping into other means of fuel - typically this means breaking down muscle. If your appetite is non-existent in the morning, this indicates that you're making your own fuel using cortisol for a couple of hours causing more belly fat, slower metabolism and an increase in hormonal problems -UGH!
What Can I Do?
Eat a Small Meal within one hour of waking to signal the body that there's no danger present and no need for the usual rush of cortisol.
Focus on Protein and Complex Carbohydrates. These foods are rich in non-starchy fiber and very supportive to our liver.
Hydrate before Eating. Drink filtered water to help eliminate toxins and boost your cells energy and nutrient absorption.
Support Digestion by adding 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 4 oz. of water to increase digestion.
Coffee with Breakfast. When we drink coffee first, the flood of caffeine causes our cortisol to rise which is like running from the "tiger" all day long= high stress. https://www.janlindquistntp.com/post/breakfast-then-coffee
Drink a Cup of Warm Lemon Water or Ginger Tea. This will boost stomach acid production and improve digestion.
Try a Breakfast Appetizer.
1/2 cup cottage cheese + sliced tomatoes or berries.
1 hard-boiled egg + 1/2 roasted sweet potato.
1/2 cup full-fat greek yogurt + nuts & berries.
1 cup bone broth + 1/3 cup roasted veggies.
Small smoothie with protein powder.
Go Slow.
Remember, the goal is to work toward eating a complete meal in the morning.
But, when we've been drinking coffee without food, grabbing a high sugar energy bar or a piece of toast as we fly out the door, our body has adapted by using the flood of cortisol as fuel.
Our body is always working for us.
Therefore, when we give it a lesser energy source, it adapts. But, by eating a balanced source of protein, fat and complex carbohydrates as fuel - we will begin to feel more hunger and fullness cues. We can then begin to increase the amount of food until we are eating a full balanced breakfast within 1 hour of waking. Changing how, what and when we eat requires us to be consistent and patient to begin to see results. Be encouraged to know that your body wants to operate optimally and when we join this by eating real, whole, foods, we will feel better.
I can help you navigate this process .https:// www.janlindquistntp.com
Thanks, for reading.
Jan
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