Many people think it is best just to skip breakfast, especially if they wake up not feeling hungry.
But if you are trying to lose weight, this approach could be affecting your precious metabolism, throwing out your blood sugars, and increasing leptin.
Read on to find out more, and get my TOP 3 Breakfast ideas for weight loss!
Reasons for low appetite in the morning
Are you struggling with any of these?
- Poor sleep patterns
- Low thyroid hormone – fatigue, constipation, bloating.
- Eating too late at night or snacking through the night
- Weak digestion
- Low stomach acid production – A blood types are prone to this
- Eating the wrong foods – food intolerances
- Eating the wrong combinations of foods – eg pasta, meat and cream at dinner
- Dysbiotic bacteria in the gut – bloating, burping, bowel irregularities
If you are struggling with these issues, book a call and we can help you get back to a healthy appetite with a faster metabolism. ▼▼▼
Leptin and Breakfast
Studies have found that people who do not eat breakfast have a higher leptin level. This may lead to:
- Cravings, especially sugar and carb cravings
- Hunger even after meals
- Weight gain
- Trouble losing weight or quickly gain back lost weight
- Belly fat
- Poor energy levels
Leptin is the hormone, made by fat cells, that decreases your appetite, it’s the “satiety hormone”. When your leptin signals are working properly you feel full longer.
If you eat carbohydrate-dense foods too early in the day, such as sweet breakfast cereals, muffins, bakery items etc., the normal leptin cycle is disrupted. Your leptin will peak too early in the day and will begin to decline too soon. Consequently, leptin will be low in the evening after dinner, and your appetite will increase rather than decrease, leading to after dinner snacking – the bane of every struggling dieter!
2 steps for good functioning leptin:
- Avoid high carbohydrate foods early in the day. Instead of cereal, oatmeal, toast, bagels and other more common breakfast choices, choose a breakfast that focuses on protein, healthy fats, and whole-plant fiber. So no to croissants – awww.
- Never go to bed on a full stomach. You want to have at least 3 hours between dinner and bed. Night time is weight loss time, and you need to have 11-12 hours without food overnight. According to Byron Richards, author of Mastering Leptin, nine hours after finishing dinner your readily available sources of fat and fuel are depleted and fat burning is at its peak.
Have you had your leptin levels tested?
We test it in our hormone diagnostic packages – call us to find out more.
Top 3 Breakfast Ideas for Weight Loss
If you find that your appetite is low in the morning, first step is to have a simpler meal before bed at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Many people have good outcomes kick-starting their appetite by using 1-2 teasp. Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon juice in 200ml warm water upon waking, followed by a 2nd glass of plain warm filtered water.
1. Blueberry Coconut Green Smoothie
In a blender mix these ingredients – Add more water to get desired consistency
- 2 Tb organic ground flax seeds
- 1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tb coconut oil
- 2 large handfuls of romaine or other green leafy vegetables
- (4 cups)2 stalks of celery
- 1/2 cup frozen wild or organic blueberries
- 1 scoop protein powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 300ml filtered water
2. Chia Porridge
Place 1/4 cup of chia seeds in a bowl, cover the chia seeds with 400ml of your favourite milk. (eg, coconut and almond). Stir, ensuring that the chia is covered by all of the liquid and cover the bowl. Leave the chia seeds to soak overnight in the fridge.
- 1/2 Tbspn coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pear, cut and cubed
- 2 Tbspn chopped almonds
- 1.5 tspn ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup of frozen berries
- 2 Tbpsn warm water
- 2 Tbspn coconut yoghurt
- 2 Tbspn shaved coconut
- In a medium sized pan melt coconut oil. Add the chopped pear, almonds and cinnamon to the skillet. Sauté these for 3-5 minutes until the fruit is tender and the cinnamon is mixed through.
- Now heat the soaked chia porridge in another pan.
- In a blender blitz the berries and water until they are nearly liquid.
- Spoon the chia seed porridge into bowls, drizzle with the berry liquid, top with the cooked pear and almonds. Top with shaved coconut and coconut yoghurt.
3. Soft Cooked Eggs with Vegetables
You can make this super easy by steaming extra vege the night before, then heating it in a pan in the morning. Cook 2 x eggs how you like them and serve on top of your vegetables. If you like a topping, make a quick Guacamole by smashing a ripe avocado, adding a squeeze of lemon, and season with salt and pepper, served on top. I use this recipe a lot because it is really fast.
The good news is that leptin dominance is pretty common, and very responsive to treatment.
First step is understanding the driving factors behind a stalled metabolism so we can incorporate a corrective strategy so you get long term results.
If you feel that your diet is hindering your health and weight loss goals, book a free call in now and discuss your options with one of our amazing and highly trained health professionals.
