Do you find yourself always running late in the mornings? Do you typically have just enough time to get out of the house only to be reminded by your growling stomach that you forgot to eat breakfast??? Are you finding yourself pretty low on energy throughout the day most days??
If the answer to ANY of these questions is YES.... I am here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way!! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...as you have probably heard MANY times before!! But what you may NOT have heard is WHY???!! So let me try to explain it quickly so hopefully it makes more sense!
Our bodies are probably one of the most efficient machines you will ever see, BUT that machine is still very delicate and requires consistent maintenance and the proper fuel to run efficiently every day! So let's think about it this way.... When you get in your car, will it move anywhere without any gas in it??? Probably not right?!! Unless, of course, you have an hybrid but even then it still needs to be recharged at night to get it to start in the morning. So your body, which has been fasting for the past 6-10 hours (depending on the last time you ate and how long you slept) has pretty much ZERO fuel in it when you wake up!! This machine, however, is so awesome that it will still run on no fuel...for a little while anyway!! But the way it does this is by slowing down your metabolism to conserve the fuel reserves remaining in your system which results in you not being hungry. This sounds like a good thing right???
WRONG!!!! A slower metabolism means not only loss of appetite, it also means less calories burned and lower energy production throughout the day!! This also means that it will need to find fuel from somewhere else, and the quickest place to get it from will be your muscle stores! So now not only are you are losing lean muscle, you are burning a lot less calories so this triggers your body to store FAT because it doesn't know when that next meal is coming!!!! AKA ....STARVATION MODE!!! Doesn't exactly sound like something you want to do does it?? Honestly, most of us have already got quite enough fat hanging around without adding to the collection!! LOL
But all is not lost!! You don't have to sacrifice your sleep or extra time in the morning to get that metabolism running!! You just need to plan ahead a little and the reward will more than pay off in the long run!! One of my favorite meals, for example, that I like to make to help me out in the mornings, is Overnight Oats!! It is quick, delicious, and packed with nutrients to help me boost my metabolism for the day! It can be made tons of different ways and gives great energy to help you tackle the day!!
The recipe below is a guideline and can always modified. The types and amount of fruit used based on your personal preferences.
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup - Organic Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup - Milk (I prefer Light Vanilla Almond Milk but any low fat milk works)
3 oz. - Yogurt (I use non-dairy Coconut Vanilla Yogurt)
1 Tbsp - Organic Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp - Raw Sugar or Coconut sugar
1 Small handful of Blueberries/Strawberries (any fruit you like)
1/2 Banana
1-2 drops of Organic Maple Syrup or Raw Honey
Instructions:
Layer ingredients in this order: Rolled Oats, Chia Seeds, Yogurt, Sweetener, Fruit of your choice to a mason jar (should have a lid). Then add milk to the jar, close lid tightly, and shake to blend. Place in the refrigerator overnight (at least 4-6 hours) and enjoy!!! It can be eaten directly out of the fridge or can be heated for 2-3 minutes and served warm. YES!! That is it!!! This recipe usually yields two servings per jar for me because it is so filling, but it can technically be one serving if you are HANGRY in the mornings!!!! LOL Either way.... I hope you enjoy it!!
