Breakfast is the most important meal of the day- but it’s less about WHEN you eat it and more about WHAT you choose to put on your plate.

You’ve probably heard that you must eat breakfast first thing in the morning in order to rev up your metabolism. But guess what? Your metabolism is already revved up when you wake up. You’ve spent the whole night burning a lot of your stored carbohydrates, so your body is in prime position to start using some of your fat for energy. (Remember that the body uses carbs as energy first and that you have to get through most of those before it will start burning fat). That’s why I’m such a huge fan of intermittent fasting. When you wake up and don’t eat right away, you are allowing your body to continue to burn fat as energy. And what’s better for your metabolism than that??? Once you eat, your body switches from using it’s own stored energy to using the new food energy you’re putting in your mouth. Make sense?

So the first strategy for fat-burning is to Intermittent Fast. But the second strategy for fat-burning is this:

When you break your fast: Eat fats first, carbs later!

When you DO decide to eat breakfast (break your fast) - at whatever time that may be for you - you can encourage your body to stay in fat-burning mode by choosing higher fat and protein foods (think foods like eggs, avocado, butter, unsweetened full-fat yogurt, coconut, high-quality bacon or sausage). At this point your body will switch from using your stored body fat as energy to using the new food you’re putting into your mouth as energy BUT your body is still in a fat-burning mode. It’s using fat for energy.

Once you introduce significant carbs into the mix, you will switch over into sugar-burning mode! The body always wants to use carb energy first. By saving your carbs for a little later in the day, you are training your body to get really good at burning fat. When your body is efficient at burning both carbs and fat for energy you become metabolically flexible and THAT is a sign of a healthy metabolism. Most people are perpetually stuck in sugar-burning mode and that’s why there’s so much stored fat on the body.

Aim for fats and protein at breakfast and you’ll be well on your way to metabolic flexibility. I love adding greens like spinach and arugula to my break fast. Leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables are not significant in carbs and so they are a great addition to your plate.

You don’t have to do this every day. I do it about 3-4 times a week and on the other days I enjoy sweet potatoes or banana pancakes for breakfast. It’s all about flexibility, my friends! Metabolic flexibility AND lifestyle flexibility. But having this strategy in your metabolic toolbox puts more power in your hands toward achieving the healthy body you desire.

What is your favorite fats first, carbs later break fast? I’d love new ideas for me and the other readers of this blogpost. Please share your favorites in a comment below.

xoxo,

Chelsea