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Why Eating Breakfast is Important?
It‘s always been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and whoever said it first was so right! There is substantial scientific evidence to show eating breakfast has a number of benefits – and not just filling you up for the day ahead! Research has shown that eating a healthy breakfast, such as wholegrain cereal can decrease the chances of obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol, as well as helping you lose weight.
So how can eating breakfast help you lose weight?
Consider your body for a moment. You’ve spent the last eight or so hours in bed, so naturally you’re body wakes up hungry! You’re metabolism is quite sleepy and needs some food to wake it up. If you don’t eat any breakfast then your body is still hungry and your metabolism is still sleepy. Simple!
At this point your brain is starting to worry that it’s not going to get food for a long time, which means it has to survive off the fuel you already have stored in your body. Most likely this isn’t much because you haven’t eaten since the evening before, so your clever body adapts by storing this small amount of fuel and allocating less to your system to perform those everyday tasks.
As efficient as this may seem, the problem occurs when hunger takes over and you give your body the fuel it really needs!
Because it’s become used to the routine of going for a long time without food, your body assumes there will be long periods of famine between these feasts, so it sticks to using less fuel, even when you give it more. This means that the fuel that doesn’t get used (which would be a lot at this stage) gets stored in the body – not burned, stored – and that’s how you gain weight. In scientific terms this is when your body lowers it basal metabolic rate, using less energy for metabolism.
If you’re a breakfast skipper then your choices for the first food of the day tend to be higher in calories than those who eat breakfast – for a related reason.
As mentioned, your brain worries that it will starve when it doesn’t get regular food, so as well as adjusting your metabolism to use less fuel, it also sends messages when choosing a type of food for that first meal. Your brain wants lots of fuel in case it has to wait for a long time again, so you’ll crave a high-calorie option, such as a muffin or a bar of chocolate. Again this will lead to weight gain.
So people who eat breakfast have an overall healthier diet than those who skip breakfast.
Having breakfast gets your metabolism running efficiently and feeds your brain so that it does not feel starved. This will help you make healthier food choices and burn up the food you consume, contributing positively to your weight loss strategy.
Good luck!
Patricia Marmion
MSC Human Nutrition & BSc Sport & Exercise Science
The Carb Rating System
Ever heard of the term “low GI”, or “high GI” foods? It gets thrown around a lot in the media but many people still don’t know the importance of the glycemic index.
Here’s the scoop…
The Glycemic Index
Carbohydrates used to be viewed as either just “simple” or “complex.” We only thought that simple carbohydrates were absorbed into the blood rapidly and complex carbohydrates were absorbed slowly. Nutritionists now know that there are several factors affecting the absorption of carbohydrates and by using what’s called the Glycemic Index (GI) we are able to more accurately describe the effect a food will have on blood sugar levels.
What is it?
The Glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate foods according to their impact on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. Foods that are low GI are processed by the body slowly which helps to maintain a more stable level of blood glucose. Whereas foods that have a high GI rating are processed by the body very quickly resulting in a rapid increase in blood glucose. This is usually followed by a rapid decrease in blood sugar levels as the body attempts to level things out. It’s that low you feel after binging on a pack of sweets…
The Glycemic Index ranks foods between 0 – 100. Pure glucose is used as the reference food and has a glycemic index of 100.
Foods can be ranked into the following 3 groups:
So What?
Blood glucose levels effect the way we feel. Low blood glucose causes a feeling of lethargy, dizziness and grumpiness. Irregularly high blood glucose levels result in bursts of energy but again are normally followed by a low. So for steady energy levels it’s important to concentrate on low GI carbs.
Food for Weight Loss
For people trying to lose weight, low GI carbohydrates should also be a priority. Hi GI carbs like sugar also cause stronger releases of the body’s insulin. Not only does this concern those with diabetes and heart disease but it is known as a very powerful fat storing hormone. Whereas low GI carbs release energy slowly so they help people to feel fuller for longer and cause a lower insulin response.
What about exercise?
Consume a low GI meal at least a couple of hours before exercise. This will assist in maintaining energy levels throughout your training session. Whilst hi GI foods and drinks provide rapid energy during or after exercise.
Immediately after exercise, the body is able to rapidly absorb glucose into the muscles. A high GI carbohydrate will quickly boost blood glucose and aid in recovery. The insulin production here will assist the body to draw glucose from the blood into muscle cells. If you want rapid recovery from exercise, this is the time to consume a high GI carb. Like a sports drink or a piece of fruit.
However, if you are exercising for weight loss or exercising at a lower intensity, a recovery meal is not as important and may add unwanted calories.
Some examples?
High GI: Sports drinks, soft drinks, fruit and fruit juices, sweets, chocolate, cakes and biscuits.
Low GI: Grain breads, oats, wheat and muesli cereals, pasta, rice (especially brown and basmati), potato (especially sweet red)
Written by Storm de Smeth
THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT METABOLISM LIFTERS TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
1. Eat breakfast!
And NO, coffee does not count. Studies have shown a direct correlation between eating breakfast and a spike in peoples’ metabolic rates. Also, eating breakfast has been proven to lessen the amount of calories ingested during the rest of the day.
2. Small regular meals
Here’s your word for the day: THERMOGENESIS
Thermo-what-a-sis?
This is the term used to describe the energy used up by your body to process the food you eat. See, eating food burns calories and spikes your metabolism. You just need to make sure it’s the RIGHT type of food. High sugar and fatty processed foods will overpower the thermogenic effect of eating. Whereas high fibre and protein rich foods get your guts working hard, and that burns calories! This gives me a great segue to the next point.
3. Eat Protein, regularly
Some great sources of protein include lean meat, eggs, fish, legumes and nuts.
- Protein has a higher rate of thermogenesis than fats and carbs;
- Protein promotes lean muscle tissue
- Protein doesn’t spike insulin levels like carbs do. Insulin is a notorious fat storing hormone;
- Protein keeps you fuller for longer.
Follow these three simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals.
Written by Storm de Smeth
Top 5 Fitness Myths Exposed!
Have you heard the news?? Apparently the world, in actual fact, is NOT flat… I know it’s hard to believe. Its round and orbits the Sun!
Here are some other outdated myths exposed…
Myth #1 Low intensity exercise burns more fat.
Let’s compare two types of common exercises:
- a long walk
- a short session of sprints
It’s true the long walk will put you into the “fat burning zone” as it is a non-intense form of exercise. And as fat is a slow burning fuel it’s the main source of energy used.
Whereas the short sprint session requires a much faster release of energy, mainly in the form glycogen (basically the sugar stores in your body). This is a quick releasing source of fuel for your body.
So DURING exercise the walk may use fat as a fuel but the secret is in the hours that follow…
Fact: Harvard Laval University conducted a study on this very topic. The test group that completed the 15 week high-intensity training lost 9 times more body fat than the second group that did 20 weeks of low-intensity cardio. Even though the total energy cost of the first group was half as much as the low intensity guys!
The harder you work the more overall calories you burn. We are not saying, however, that low intensity exercise is useless. It’s 100 times better than couch surfing. Just do whatever your current fitness level allows. But be aware the most efficient way of getting your body to burn fat is by huffing and puffing.
Check out my new program aim at just that www.12minutetotalbodyworkout.com.au
Myth #2 Ab workouts get your tummy flat
Sorry to all ab machine salesman! The over developed tummy pud that many Australians are sporting can’t be controlled by crunches, side-bends or sit-ups... sorry guys.
FACT: Ab exercises will only strengthen and tone the muscles underneath that flab. You have to think about muscle and fat as 2 completely different things. Sure, core work can give you that 6 pack… and the layer of chub will hide it too! You’d be much better off concentrating on elements of strength and cardio training to decrease overall body fat.
But to shed that gut work on your diet.
So believe it or not a complete overhaul of your fridge would be a much better exercise for trimming that tummy than a sit-up!
Myth #3 When you stop exercising muscle turns to fat
Wow… the earth IS flat you say?
Fact: Fat and muscle are two completely different things. So, it’s physiologically impossible for one to turn into the other. The truth is that if you stop exercising your muscles will experience atrophy due to lack of stimulation. If you continue to eat the same amount of calories, but without exercise, you’ll also have the pleasure of increasing your body fat. But one cannot convert into the other.
So, what’s the moral of the story? Don’t stop exercising!
Myth #4 Stretching before a work out prevents injury and increases performance
Fact: Stretching after exercise, or at other times, can be beneficial for flexibility and mobility. But some more recent studies have shown that long static stretching can actually decrease strength and stability in muscles, making them less effective, especially during strenuous exercise. Instead, do a warm-up that gets the blood pumping and leave the long stretching for after your workout.
So before you lift weights:
- a couple of light weight warm-up sets
- some dynamic movement e.g. arm circles to warm up the shoulders
Before a run:
- high knees
- butt-kickers
- walking lunges
- some power stretching (4-6 seconds only)
Myth #5 Women bulk up with weights
Ladies, if you’ve got barbell-a-phobia… fear no more! When it comes to an increase in muscle size TESTOSTERONE is the key. Did you know that men have up to 30 times the amount of testosterone than women? To get the massive physique of a bodybuilder you would have to eat like a garbage disposal unit and have a hormonal imbalance (either genetic or synthetically induced, as with steroids). In fact, "strength training will help you lose weight faster and keep it off in the long run," notes Jeffrey Janot, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at South Dakota State University, Brookings. Not only does it give you that great toned look it also elevates your metabolism, making it easier to burn calories, even when you sleep!
If you’ve got the “skinny fat” look (where you’re untoned and skinny but still have some troublesome chubby areas) then you need to hit up the weights room. If you are still worried about adding too much muscle, don’t be. If it was an overnight process, every single guy in the gym would be the next Schwarzenegger. We wish it were that easy! It takes time… a LONG time. So train hard to you get your desired results and simply train for maintenance when it’s achieved.
Don’t spend all your time on that stepper. Get off and try some weights too!
Written by Storm de Smeth |
