By JJ Virgin
You wake up on the wrong side of the pillow and realize that you have ten million things to do at the office. Instead of sitting down to have breakfast, you just grab your stuff and hit the door. Big mistake! We’ve already discussed in previous blogs how breakfast is your most important meal of the day and you should have half your daily calories here because it sets your metabolic tone and fat burning for the day.
This just in: Breakfast also helps you resist junk food!
British researchers have studied the amount of blood flow to the reward center of your brain, which is where cravings start for human being including a yen for potato chips, fries and doughnuts. Volunteers were tested as they watched pictures of their favorite junk foods including cookies, chocolate and pizza. Then the same people were asked to view pictures of healthy foods including fish, salad and veggies. The volunteers who had a healthy breakfast that morning each had the EXACT same response. They looked at the pictures and chose the healthier foods as better choices. Then they were asked to skip breakfast the next day. The results dramatically changed and their reward centers went bonkers. All they wanted was the cookies, chips and junk — the more of it the better.
The bottom line is when you skip breakfast your brain registers that your stomach is empty and your cravings might just make you throw all caution to the wind and go wild on junk food. Take away those cravings with a solid breakfast and you’re fortified in your mind to make better choices.
Oatmeal with poached eggs and berries, anyone?
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Gotta love the effort you put into this blog
This post was very eye opening. The FMRI allows us to evaluate the subconscious impact of choosing to eat or avoid breakfast. Thank you for bringing this study to my attention! Thank you for the work that you do!
Is there any categorical diet that you may endorse for somebody that’s 220 and 6’4?