You probably thought that losing weight was all about what you ate and how much, but did you know that when you eat makes a difference, too? Of course, not as much as the food you choose or the calories you consume. You may have heard that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. There’s a lot of truth to that, although it’s not that simple. Everyone is different, so for some body types, it can be different.
Eating carbs earlier in the day is important for weight loss.
If you want your best performance right from the start, eat a healthy breakfast. Studies show that if your first meal of the day provides healthy calories, you have the energy for improved cognitive performance, which includes better focus and task performance all day long. These studies are primarily focused on children under the age of 18. What eating your carbs earlier in the day does for everyone, is to give your body time to burn off the energy, rather than allowing it to be stored as fat while you sleep.
Some conditions not only require eating healthy in the morning, but also throughout the day.
If you have diabetes or other health conditions, keeping your blood sugar level is top priority. A consistent pattern of eating with food that maintains blood sugar levels, rather than spiking them, is important. For the rest of us, switching your food intake from late at night to earlier in the day can help benefit your health. If you don’t like cereal or a farmhouse breakfast of flapjacks, eggs, grits, potatoes and bacon, don’t follow the breakfast tradition. Eat your favorite healthy food, such as egg salad, lentil soup or a stir fry with a side of cantaloupe or watermelon. Have healthy breakfast muffins with a hidden baked egg inside, veggie muffins or even a zucchini bread muffin with nuts.
Boost your performance with healthy eating in the morning.
If you simply can’t stomach food the first thing in the morning, why push it. Instead, create healthy snack “breakfasts” to eat mid morning. It can help you from grabbing a quick candy bar or sugary treat from the snack vendor, while boosting your performance. Carrot cake oatmeal muffins with nuts provide great nutrition, so does cheese and herb muffins, without spiking your blood sugar levels.
- Before you exercise, fuel up. Eat some carbs and protein two hours before you workout. PB&J, trail mix or some whole grain cereal sprinkled on top of unsweetened yogurt with fresh fruit can do the trick. If your time is limited, eat a small piece of fruit a few minutes before you workout.
- Don’t forget to drink a bottle of water and hydrate. You should always have a bottle of water at hand and drink it before, during and after a workout.
- Within 45 minutes after you workout, eat a snack bursting with protein and some carbs, such as a turkey wrap with lettuce, spinach, tomato and even some avocado. Your body needs protein to build muscles. Even Greek yogurt with fresh fruit is good.
- Our Body Sculptors online nutrition program offers recipes and help for eating healthy and eating at the perfect time for your body to work most efficiently.