How to prevent pre-diabetes or borderline diabetes
Breakfast is an important meal to be consumed daily, as Dr. Hyman states in the following article, however I have used intermittent fasting in the past with much success in controlling my weight. I think practicing IF can be used periodically but it should be done correctly and . . . . when breaking the fast it’s important to eat a proper meal and not overindulge.
For diabetics, having a healthy morning meal means not downing two doughnuts and a latte to wash down your McDonald’s breakfast but a balanced meal to include healthy protein and low glycemic fruits such as a grapefruit or apple or banana.
The Easiest Thing You Can Do for Weight Loss and Longevity
I had a patient not too long ago who struggled to lose weight. A quick look at her food journal revealed why. To save calories, she skipped breakfast and simply sipped on coffee or one of those “skinny lattes” that actually contain a good bit of sugar.
She’s not alone. “I hate breakfast,” many patients candidly reply. That’s unfortunate, since studies show breakfast can reduce hunger and cravings, improve cognition, and reduce your risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Eating upon waking brings your blood sugar levels back to normal, kick starts your metabolism, and sets you up to be on an even metabolic keel for the rest of the day. So break your fast every morning. It will make you healthier, give you more energy through the day, and help you lose weight.
Want to Gain Weight? Skip Breakfast
The old proverb “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a pauper” now has some scientific muscle behind it. Many of us think that if we skip breakfast we will reduce our overall calorie intake for the day and lose weight.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Not eating breakfast means you will eat more the rest of the day. One study among healthy lean women found skipping breakfast impairs insulin sensitivity and leads to weight gain.
If you want further proof, look at sumo wrestlers, who never eat breakfast. They wake up, and the first thing they do is start exercising vigorously. This combination of skipping breakfast and then training really hard for five hours means that by the time they get to eat, they are starving. As a consequence, they overeat.
Something very similar happens when you skip breakfast, work through lunch, and finally return home in the evening: You eat everything in sight. You feel stuffed, sick, guilty, and regret ever entering the kitchen in the first place. I see a definite pattern among patients who skip breakfast and then experience evening hunger and cravings.
A recent study found that almost 3,000 people who lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for six years ate breakfast regularly. Only 4 percent of people who never ate breakfast kept the weight off.
The only difference between the two groups was that the group who lost weight ate breakfast and the other group did not. They both consumed the same number of calories and the same types of food. It turns out that it’s not only the type of calories you consume that determines losing weight and maintaining weight loss, but the time of day you eat as well.
Why Most People Do Breakfast Wrong
Does skipping breakfast and eating a large meal just before sleep sound familiar? It should. It’s the American way.
We consume most of our daily calories shortly before bed. We rarely eat breakfast. We hardly make time to eat during the day, and by the time we get home we are literally starving, we often consume more than we need and then go to bed or sit in front of the television or computer while munching on more snacks. Then we do the one thing that guarantees to make us gain weight: We go to sleep. No wonder we are looking more and more like sumo wrestlers every day.
Equally bad are those who make breakfast dessert. If you eat empty calories from refined foods (such as doughnuts and sweet rolls) and sugars, you will tend to eat more overall. You would never eat ice cream for breakfast, but many cereals, toaster concoctions, muffins, and other things that pass as breakfast — even “healthy” choices — contain as much if not more sugar. You’re essentially eating dessert.
So eat breakfast, but do it correctly. Bypass the cereal aisle and whatever vitamin-fortified concoctions that carry a healthy halo and try to pass off as a smart breakfast.
Studies show protein-rich breakfasts can improve satiety and reduce evening snacking. Another showed a protein-rich breakfast helps reduce your hunger hormone ghrelin and increase cholecystekinin, which signals your brain to stop eating. Protein-rich foods like eggs, nut butters, a protein shake, or whole grains with nuts steady blood sugar and reduce metabolic fluctuations later in the day.
A Fast, Easy, Blood-Sugar Stabilizing Breakfast
Among the countless duties that confront us in the morning, many people struggle to have time for breakfast. That has always puzzled me, since you can make a healthy omelet with plenty of colorful vegetables in minutes.
If even that seems too much, or you’re just not that hungry in the morning, try a breakfast smoothie. You can pre-prep it the night before so the whole thing takes maybe 10 minutes the following morning. Here is my favorite smoothie recipe that provides protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, and major flavor in less time than it takes to order a designer coffee.
Breakfast Smoothie Serves 2-3
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 4 walnuts
- 3 Brazil nuts
- 1 large banana
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup water
- Combine all of the ingredients in an electric blender.
- Blend on high speed until smooth (about two minutes). If the shake is too thick, add more water until you reach a thick but drinkable consistency. Serve chilled.
What strategies do you employ to prioritize breakfast and get a nourishing, fast meal to start your day? Share yours below or on my Facebook fan page.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, M.D.
Original post found at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/the-easiest-thing-you-can_1_b_6289102.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
P.S. Remember . . . . the easiest way to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet and incorporate consistent activity into your daily lives. Eating a healthy breakfast is a good way jumpstart your metabolism each morning. Follow Dr. Hyman quick fix morning meals suggestions and after a while you can adjust it to fit your lifestyle.
P.P.S. Visit How to Prevent Pre-diabetes for information on doing the proper activity to help prevent pre-diabetes and live a healthful life.
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