“The first thing you put in the mouth in the morning – provided it's food – will dictate all your transmitters for the whole day” – Charles R. Poliquin
With these words, C. Poliquin - one of the most successful strength coaches of his time - points out that the form of energy suppliers taken for breakfast has a major influence on the physical and mental state. What does a healthy breakfast have to contain?
Why protein for breakfast?
A good source of protein with high bioavailability causes the production and release of dopamine, as it contains, among other things, the amino acid L-tyrosine, from which dopamine is ultimately formed. This messenger substance stimulates concentration and blood flow to the kidneys and improves mood 3 . L-tyrosine is particularly high in chicken breast, salmon, whole eggs, pumpkin seeds and walnuts 4 .
The benefits of healthy fats
The second macronutrient at breakfast should be a high-quality fat source , because natural fats provide the brain directly with energy and are not transported to fat stores unless they are consumed in combination with carbohydrates. Various fats are essential in the human organism: In contrast to sugars, they cannot be converted from broken down proteins. On the other hand, many vitamins are fat-soluble and can only be absorbed from food in combination with fatty acids 1 . All naturally occurring fats are important, whether saturated or unsaturated, Omega3 or Omega6. Recommended fats include virgin coconut oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter, fish oil, ghee, cocoa butter, nuts & seeds, or pumpkin seed oil . What is more important is the ratio of one type of fat to the other. You can also see why butter can be considered a superfood here read.
You should avoid these fats
Contrary to the still widespread myth that saturated fatty acids have negative effects on cholesterol levels, the current state of science says the opposite. However, regular consumption of hydrogenated vegetable fats has been shown to cause oxidative stress, which ultimately leads to the formation of plaques (patch-like, inflammatory changes in the blood vessels) 2 .
Liquid vegetable oils are changed in their natural molecular structure by binding to additional hydrogen atoms to produce hydrogenated fats such as margarine. Like temperature-sensitive fats that have been heated too high, this is one of the so-called trans fats. They can be found, among other things, in ready-made products, chips and croissants, which, like margarine, should be avoided.
Micronutrients and fiber are important!
The last two components of the perfect breakfast are adequate fiber and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. On the one hand, the fiber ensures a feeling of satiety. On the other hand, they nourish the probiotic intestinal bacteria, which produce vitamins and support the immune system by, among other things, eliminating harmful bacteria and, on the other hand, rubbing the intestinal mucosa and thus keeping it intact.
In addition, more short-chain fatty acids are formed, which means that fewer putrefactive bacteria are formed, which produce ammonia. Otherwise this would have to be transported via the blood and broken down by the liver 5 . Vegetables in particular contain a lot of fiber, as well as vitamins, antioxidants and trace elements. They are little helpers for the immune system and many metabolic processes, without which the body cannot stay healthy 6 .
However, fruits, with the exception of berries , are not recommended for breakfast despite their vitamin and fiber content. They are carbohydrates because they contain large amounts of sugar, which should be avoided in the morning. This brings us to the next point:
Why a low carb breakfast? Morning carbohydrates have a big impact on blood sugar. So if rolls, oat flakes etc. as well as fruits with a high sugar content are eaten as the first meal, blood sugar rises rapidly because even complex carbohydrates are ultimately converted into sugar. Since the body cannot use everything immediately as energy, the high blood sugar level causes the pancreas to produce a lot of the hormone insulin and release it into the blood.
The insulin essentially gives the green light to the glucose (sugar) in the muscle and liver cells to flow in. In the cell, the glucose is then converted into glycogen, the storage form of sugar. However, storage is limited and is usually already full. The remaining glucose is then converted into triglycerides and stored in the cells as fat.
Do you need carbohydrates for breakfast?
The fat stores have an almost unlimited capacity. In the worst case scenario, sugar is consumed with fat, and the increased insulin caused by the sugar gives the body storage-promoting signals, which leads to the sugar and fat being stored as fat in the cells 1 . However, if only fat with protein is consumed, this affects blood sugar so minimally that it barely rises and the pancreas only releases very small amounts of insulin 7 .
Another factor to consider in this context is the release of serotonin, the happiness hormone, which ensures relaxation and well-being and correlates with the sleep hormone melatonin. Serotonin regulates insulin, among other things. Thus, it is released when insulin is released 8 . Ultimately, this also leads to a feeling of relaxation and sometimes to fatigue. This is exactly why it makes more sense to incorporate carbohydrates into your diet in the evening.
Vegan breakfast options
A healthy breakfast without carbohydrates that takes into account all the components that ensure an energy-rich start to the day could be a piece of meat or eggs fried in butter from grass-fed beef with some vegetables or berries. Vegans can also put together the low carb Paleo breakfast without any problems. Unsweetened plant milk made from cashews, coconut or almonds with fresh berries and kernels, seeds and nuts roasted in coconut oil offers a healthy muesli alternative. This variation fills you up for a while, contains lots of antioxidants and keeps blood sugar stable.
Breakfast substitutes and other alternatives
Since some people find it difficult to eat in the morning due to time constraints or a lack of appetite, the following alternative options are suggested: Eating a handful of nuts or putting them in a blender together with berries and some vegetables can prevent cravings that otherwise often occur in the morning or around midday turn up. If you already have very good stress management skills, you can also find out more about intermittent fasting.
A simple form of this would be to not eat anything for 16 hours and then eat food for the next 8 hours. This could be, for example, from 8 p.m. until 12 p.m. the next day. Fasting, when done consciously and without association with stress, helps the body repair cells by increasing gene expression. In addition, during this time the body does not need any energy for digestion, which is a complex process, and can therefore concentrate on other metabolic processes 9 .
Concrete suggestions for the perfect breakfast
After the physical reasons for a low-carb breakfast described above, it should also be mentioned that the principles of a Paleo diet have proven themselves. As with other meals, potential allergens contained in grains, legumes (including soy) and cow's milk products should not be on the breakfast plan.
Taking all these aspects into account, the perfect breakfast could look like this:
> Scrambled eggs with vegetables and salad or berries (vegetarian)
> Low carb Paleo bread with nut butter and vegan amino acids (vegan)
> Paleo Granola with plant milk or plant yogurt and berries (vegan)
> Beef meatballs fried in butter with vegetables and nuts
> Beef tartare with leaf salad and olive oil - balsamic dressing
> Salmon with avocado
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Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and roasted sunflower seeds |
1 p |
4 people |
preparation |
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25g |
100g sunflower seeds |
Roast in a frying pan without fat until golden brown and set aside |
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1 TEASPOON |
2 tbsp butter or ghee |
Place in a frying pan and melt over medium-high heat |
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½ |
2 tomatoes |
Wash, cut into small cubes, add move back and forth again with a frying shovel |
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3 |
12 eggs Salt |
Whisk well in bowl Add to the tomatoes in the pan and fry over medium heat, stirring constantly |
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1 bunch rosemary, fresh |
Pick off the needles and add them to the pan Spread the scrambled eggs on plates and sprinkle the roasted sunflower seeds over them |
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Low carb muesli bowl |
1 serving (for women) |
preparation |
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½ vanilla cashew yoghurt (e.g. from Harvest Moon, optional natural coconut yoghurt) 3 tbsp berries 1-2 tbsp almonds 1 piece of 95% chocolate, chopped or 1 teaspoon cocoa nibs 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, roasted
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Pour into serving bowl Pour everything over the vegan yoghurt and serve nicely The ingredients can of course be swapped as desired (other nuts & seeds…) |
literature
1 Bütikofer, Markus; Hopf, Zensi; Rutz, Guido; Stach, Silke and Grigoleit, Andrea (2015): Human Biology 1: Basics, Metabolism and Defense Systems. Zurich: Compendio Educational Media.
2 Campbell, Neil A. and Reece, Jane B. (2015): Biology. Munich: Pearson. 8th updated edition. pp. 105-120.
3 Doccheck Flexikon: dopamine. [https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Dopamine?utm_source=www.doccheck.flexikon&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=DC%2BSearch; 02/07/19]
4 U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database. 23rd edition
5 Ströhle, Alexander; Wolters, Maike and Hahn, Andreas (2012): Health effects of fiber. In: Ströhle, Dr. Alexander (Ed.): German Pharmacist Newspaper. Hanover: Leibniz University - Institute for Food Science. 152nd year. No. 31. pp. 40-48.
6 Strunz, Dr. Med. Ulrich (2013): Vitamins: From nature or as dietary supplements - how they work, why they help. Extra: The fatal errors in thinking made by opponents of vitamins. Munich: Heyne Verlag.
7 Biesalski, Hans Konrad (2015): Micronutrients as a motor of evolution. Stuttgart: Springer Spektrum. p. 12.
8 Paulmann, Nils; Grohmann, Maik; Voigt, Jörg-Peter; Bert, Bettina; Vowinckel, Jacob; Bader, Michael; Skelin, Maša; Jevšek, Marko; Fink, Heidrun; Rupnik, Marjan and Walther, Diego J. (2009): The “happiness hormone” serotonin regulates sugar metabolism. In:PloS Biology. Berlin: Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics.
9 Chiappa, Andrea Ciro (2015): Fasting - modern aspects of a classic natural healing method.
