“The Most Important Meal of The Day!”
When you wake up in the morning after going 10 – 12 hours without food or drink, your energy reserves are low and your body and brain both need fuel. Your body uses around 1 litre of water during the night through breathing, sweating and your morning visit to the bathroom. So you wake up “on empty” and the 100 trillion cells in your body need water, nutrition and fuel for energy. Your breakfast choice can affect your mood, physical and mental performance, your weight and even your health!
So, what do YOU have for breakfast?
Research suggests that most people who eat breakfast have a ‘meal’ comprised almost entirely of carbohydrates such as cereal or toast. A large number of people also skip this vital meal entirely and end up snacking mid-morning on high-carb foods with little nutrition. Unfortunately, both these approaches lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar and insulin, carbohydrate cravings (snacking) and a drop in energy…..
Carbohydrate Based Breakfast - In the morning, simple carbohydrates (such as sugary refined cereals, white bread, muffins, toast etc) cause an immediate surge in blood sugar, which results in a substantial release of insulin from our pancreas. The insulin removes most of the sugar from our blood, turning any excess into fat. This decreased level of blood sugar results in further cravings for carbohydrates. This vicious cycle constitutes one of the major reasons for diabetes, high blood pressure and extra weight.
No Breakfast - When we skip breakfast, blood sugar drops below the normal level , leading to cravings and a drop in energy.To deal with cravings, we usually revert to snacking on simple carbohydrates, causing a fast rise in blood sugar levels and a substantial insulin emission. The insulin removes most of the sugar from the blood and turns any excess into fat. Our body, now low in blood sugar, experiences further cravings and a drop in energy. This vicious cycle constitutes one of the major reasons for diabetes, high blood pressure and extra weight.
Balanced Healthy Breakfast – A balanced (protein-based) breakfast supplies our body with vital nutrients and energy without increasing blood sugar and insulin levels, and helps to avoid dependence on carbohydrates (and their associated peaks and troughs) during the day. In this way, appetite stays under control, cravings for carbs diminish and our body uses its fat stores for energy.
A healthy and balanced breakfast should achieve three things:
- Rehydrate the body, to replace the fluids lost during sleep.
- Provide the body with sustained energy (not peaks and troughs).
- Provide the body with vital nutrients while also helping to maintain a normal blood sugar level.
The Herbalife Healthy Breakfast Programme from SK Nutrition is a simple 30 day programme for anyone looking to increase their intake of good nutrition every day. It covers the three essential criteria of a healthy breakfast: hydration, energy and nutrition.
Trial the Herbalife Healthy Breakfast Programme yourself for a month FOR ONLY £1.44 PER DAY (£43.20), and if you don’t feel the difference after 30 days, get a full refund (exc. delivery).
All you have to do is drink a glass of water when you get up (with or without our Aloe Concentrate) have a Herbal Beverage (hot or cold to taste) and a shake each day. You can have a creamy shake or a fruity shake depending on your taste.
For a CREAMY Shake – Mix 2 scoops of Formula 1 in 250ml of milk to make a creamy and filling meal full of protein than can keep you going for longer. All of the flavours mix well in milk, especially Chocolate, Cookies and Cream and Cappuccino. Soya milk is a healthier alternative to regular cow’s milk, and doesn’t cause the stomach problems many people have when they are not accustomed to drinking a whole glass of cow’s milk a day.
For a FRUITY shake – Mix 2 scoops of Formula 1 in 250ml of fruit juice (or half fruit juice and half milk) to make a refreshing healthy meal, especially ideal for sports people before or immediately after an event. Vanilla, Strawberry and Tropical Fruit (banana) make the best fruit-flavoured shakes, but don’t be afraid to experiment!
As a single mum of two girls under 5, running 2 businesses – I was eating on the hop, picking off my kids’ plates, and was always too tired to cook for myself in the evening. It’s unsurprising that I was lacking energy in mornings and throughout the day, and felt I was running myself into the ground, getting grumpy, bad skin and afternoon headaches. I realised that I had to take a step to sorting out my diet and Sarah suggested Herbalife shakes. Things changed! With only one shake a day for breakfast, I have more energy generally, look better and have stopped grabbing naughty high carb snacks to get me through the day. It has not solved all my daily challenges, but it is definitely a good place to start. Thanks Sarah!
Nicole, Science of Style
www.scienceofstyle.co.uk
N.B. Limited places are also available on our January 2010 Weight Management Programme if you need to lose weight or just replace some body fat with lean muscle through exercise and nutrition. Please feel free to email for an application form or more information.
