Breakfast: breaking our fast from not eating all night.

It’s recommended to eat within an hour of waking as your blood sugar and insulin levels become regulated and your metabolism ‘wakes up’ by initiating thermogenesis. You are also feeding your brain which can help elevate your mood, improve clarity, memory and cognitive ability. 

Some people do intermittent fasting so perhaps won’t eat first thing in the morning, although you can work with your client to find times which suit.

It is suggested to start the day with protein rich foods rather than all carbohydrate (such as toast or cereal) which is the usual breakfast for most people. This is due to protein being more filling, taking longer to digest resulting in more energy for a longer period so less likely to snack. In contrast, high carbohydrate meals can give a quick burst of energy due to a glucose hit, which is often why people like to eat toast and/or cereal plus it’s fast and easy. It’s also worth noting that a high carbohydrate breakfast releases serotonin which makes us feel more relaxed and sleepy.

Coffee is many people’s drink of choice upon waking, however, it’s not as needed as we may think. Upon waking we have naturally high levels of cortisol which helps arouse us and get us up. Coffee can interfere with this, therefore the ideal option is a glass of water upon waking as it rehydrates us after not drinking anything all night and then coffee a couple of hours later as cortisol begins to decrease.