Each time we wake up to a new day - it's a brand new day, dammit! How cool is that? What happened in the past is in the past. Let it go. Move forward. Seize the brand new day!
Check out my blog-post about this called, It's in the wake. and another called, The Power of Letting Go.
We've often heard it said that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," but that has been debunked. The truth of the matter, as medical science research tells us is this - "the first meal you consume in that brand new day, is the most important meal of that brand new day." Please allow me to explain . . .
Most people start their day eating items like this:
Fruit juice
Jam on toast, or muffin, or croissant, or a bagel
Cereal
Coffee (with cream and sugar)
But the thing is, some people practice intermittent fasting and so their first meal feels more like lunch at around 11:00am so this is why we give grace to the outdated concept of an early a.m. breakfast.
Regardless of when you actually choose to eat your first meal, if you create a big glucose spike in your body to start your day, it actually controls your entire new day because that entire day will turn into a wild rollercoaster ride for you. Seriously, it will. Think about the logic in this concept for a moment - your automobile won't start properly, and/or run properly, without "the right stuff in it."
So, what's the right stuff?
Well, not a lot of people realize that there is tremendous power for the human body when you fuel it with savory foods first thing in the morning to start each new day. If you talk for a moment with people who do this and ask them what they eat for breakfast, you will learn that they eat items like this:
Scrambled eggs
Ham and Cheese Omelet
Chicken breast (likely heated leftovers from the night before)
A savory quiche with diced turkey cubes, peppers and some cheese
Coffee (black)
Water
The more I personally study how my own body uses the energy from the foods I eat, the more I realize that this ONE change - moving from sweet breakfasts to savory breakfasts - that I made a few years back, has made all the difference in the world for me. The data on this, from the science and medical worlds, and that we learn from Jessie Inchauspé, is now coming forward to back up why this is the case.
Jessie reminds us that our bodies break down food into a special kind of sugar called glucose, which gives us energy to run, play, and think!
Sure. Right. Most of us know this. When we eat food, our bodies release glucose into our blood. Ok, with that in mind, let's go back to breakfast for a moment - foods like waffles, fruit juice, pancakes with syrup, croissants with jam, muffins and coffee with sugar, make the glucose levels in our blood go up very quickly and at the very start of the new day which is setting up the day for blood sugar peaks and valleys all day long.
It's like turning on your car to start a new day but it has something inside it's fuel tank (other than the very best quality petrol/gas) to make it operate. Your car is going to be pretty clunky all day long, and it may even sputter, sound weird, stall or break down.
Similarly, if we think of our body as a machine, then by eating things like fruit juice, jam and cereal to start the day, we just put really poor fuel in the tank of that machine. Now that machine (our body) will be clunky all day long - brain fog, fatigue, cramps ... the list goes on - until it completely shuts down (sleeps) and starts another brand-new day - hopefully with much better fuel, if you choose better food for breakfast tomorrow, that is.
This is why some days we feel good (we started with a ham and cheese omelet and black coffee) and why some days we feed bad (we started with waffles, maple syrup, orange juice and coffee with cream and sugar.)
Haven't you ever wondered why some foods make you feel full and energized, while others leave you feeling hungry and tired? It's all about balancing your blood sugar, which in turn lowers your insulin - and with lower insulin, your body will naturally begin to lose fat over time.
All this is like riding a rollercoaster every single day!
When we eat the sugary fuels for breakfast, we feel super energized and happy in the moment (and for a little while after) because of the effects of a sugary breakfast on our dopamine level, but it doesn't last very long. After a short while, the glucose level drops pretty quickly, just like coming down the rollercoaster, and this is when we feel tired, cranky, and, of course, hungry again!
Let me rephrase, "all this is like riding a glucose rollercoaster every single day!"
In other words, the machine (your body) burns that poor sugary fuel, and moves forward, albeit in a clunky way throughout the day, and then it needs more fuel to function forward further.
OK, so we know that a savory breakfast is the way to go but what is the best way to function forward further after having a savory breakfast?
Moving forward into the day, Jessie explains that the order in which we eat our food is just as important as what we choose to eat. It might sound a bit strange, but let's dive into this concept and discover why it really matters!
If we eat certain foods in a particular order, we can keep our glucose levels stable and make them last longer to fuel our body through the day. This, my friends, is more like riding a merry-go-round instead of a rollercoaster! It just feels like an easier ride all around.
The subsequent meals after breakfast and how to eat them
Protectors: The first group of foods we should eat are the "protectors." These are foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They are full of fiber, which helps slow down the release of glucose into our blood. So, when we eat protectors first, our glucose levels rise slowly, just like climbing up a gentle hill on a merry-go-round. We feel satisfied and energized for a much longer time!
Builders: Next, we have the "builders." These are proteins like lean meats, fish, eggs, and beans. Good fats are in here, too, like avocados, chia seeds, olives and some cheeses. Builders help our bodies grow stronger and healthier. When we eat builders after the protectors, our glucose levels rise a little bit more, but still not too quickly. It's like picking up the pace on the merry-go-round!
Energizers: Finally, we have the "energizers." These are the starchy/sugary foods like bread, pasta, and rice. They give us quick (happy, dopamine-driven) energy, but if we eat them first, our glucose levels shoot up like a rocket, and then come crashing down. But when we eat them last, after the protectors and builders have been consumed, our glucose levels rise just a little bit and stay stable much longer. This is like gently spinning peacefully on the merry-go-round without any sudden movements!
Think about yourself or someone that you're close to. Do you do this? Do they? Do both of you?
After you leave the house in the morning, you drive through Starbucks for a sugary coffee beverage and a muffin. Your energy spikes! Ahhhh, I'm awake, time to start the day! At lunch, you and some work colleagues head over to a favorite local spot for your favorite cheeseburger on a brioche bun and french fries. While you wait for the server to bring your meal, you sip on a large Coca Cola and some chips/salsa. When the meal comes, it's very much your style to chow down on most of the french fries (w/ketchup) first then tackle the burger while finishing up the fries. Mmmmmm, I love crispy, crunchy french fries with ketchup! I think I'll order another Coke! When you get back to the office to finish the workday, you begin to feel that common afternoon energy crash as you approach 2:30pm-3:00pm. Arrrr, That damn three o'clock crash. I need a coffee break! So, you take a break, head over to the breakroom to make a fresh cup of coffee (with sugar and cream in it) Ahhhh, energy again, time to finish out the day! ... and then after you leave the office, you come home to make dinner, (or someone is there making dinner for you - lucky you!) But, while you're making dinner (or waiting for it) you sip a glass of red wine. Ahhhh, winding down, I love red wine! When the time comes for you sit and dine, you first choose to eat a few bites of the mashed potatoes, then some of your steak (with A1 Sauce) and then some of your green beans. After a few more sips of wine, you finish the potatoes entirely and then the rest of the meal and you think about having that pint of Ben and Jerry's sitting in the freezer as day winds down. Ahhhh, this is living! Ice cream on the sofa after dinner with the one I love.
Is this your rollercoaster every day?
If it is, you can change it buy eating more mindfully and paying close attention to what goes into your body and in what order. Sure, in our culture, most people consume a good helping of "the energizers" first and when they do, what happens? Yep, energy. Ahhhh, I'm awake, time to start the day!
But every time you spike yourself with energizers, you just got back on the roller coaster again. Ugh. It feels never-ending and it can be as simply as this ... next time you go to Amigos Mexican Restaurant & Cantina here in Eureka Springs, order your margarita (and be sure to enjoy it) but don't take one single sip of it until after you've first consumed a full side (approx. 1 cup) of, say, broccoli.
Eating that "protector" first will make all the difference in how your blood sugar reacts and how you crash, or don't crash, after you leave Amigos.
This practice is called mindful eating and it is truly powerful because you're paying full attention to every single forkful and sip you take, keeping track of the order in which you consume the goods in front of you on the table.
So, what happens if you eat more mindfully and pay closer attention to every single meal, every single time?
Mindful eating is gaining a lot of attention these days, and rightly so, here's why...
If you become more mindful about what you're eating and the order you are consuming it, it will make you feel good because you wont have those big energy crashes, along with the side effects that come along with it, like getting cranky, feeling tired or, worst of all, hangry later on.
It is most important to feed your body as if you're fueling a machine. Think about your food as fuel. Start first with the protectors, followed by the builders and then the energizers. Eating in reverse (i.e. having the french fries first) is like fueling your car's gas tank first with regular, then mid-grade, then super premium petrol (gasoline.) That car is sure to operate in a clunky way, so start with super premium at every meal and see what happens!
The Power of Variety
What I enjoy most about Jessie's teachings is that other than breakfast, she doesn't tell us what to eat. She simply reminds us that it's important to eat different kinds of protectors, builders, and energizers and to gain power in the variety of it all. This way, we get all the nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy and strong. Eating the same thing every day can get boring, right? So have fun trying different foods and exploring new flavors!
What to change and what to do
Remember, it's all about riding the merry-go-round of food, not the rollercoaster. So make good choices and have a delicious, balanced meal every day!
Change
Switch from sweet foods during your first meal of the day to savory foods.
Do
Eat in order at every subsequent meal thereafter. First protectors, then builders and finally the energizers.
There you have it, now you know a new way to approach your day, fuel your body and feel a lot better. Try it! I'll bet you keep our energy levels steady, feel much better in a short amount of time, and get healthy and stronger! But remember, this means drinking water with your dinner, and enjoying that glass of red wine after completely consuming your dinner.
Hey, all rollercoaster pics don't have to be images of the sick, the scary and the awful!
Life is a rollercoaster in so many other ways, don't add to it by confusing your body at every meal. Have a savory breakfast and remember that the order is just as important as what we choose to eat. Happiness starts with self-love and feeding yourself well is loving yourself well. ❤️
To learn more about harnessing the power of balancing your blood sugar each and every day at each and every meal, read GLUCOSE REVOLUTION, by Jessie Inchauspé. This International Best Seller will blow your mind and change your life. Email me (jmscurio@yahoo.com) and tell me if it does. I'd love to know.
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