Nutrient-Dense Breakfast Is a Key to Successful Weight Loss, Researchers Suggest

According to a research reported by Canadian Press, eating a large, nutrient-packed breakfast that provides a balanced ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates can be the best strategy to achieve successful weight loss. A big morning meal that can include eggs, cold cuts, wholemeal breads, healthy cereals, fruits, and even a piece of dark chocolate or a cup of steaming cocoa with milk, helps curb food cravings during the day and can significantly aid in shedding off unwanted pounds.

The new study suggesting that a well-balanced morning meal can contribute to weight loss was reported at an annual meeting of the Endocrine Society. During the trial, the scientists observed two groups of severely overweight, sedentary women with metabolic syndrome, who were prescribed two different diets. Women of the first group were asked to start their day with a healthy, high-calorie breakfast that consisted of their favourite foods; while women of the second group followed a restrictive, low-fat and low-calorie diet. As a result, the women on a “big breakfast” dietary regime lost significantly more weight - about five times as much as did the subjects eating a standard “weight loss diet”.

Leading author of the study, endocrinologist Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz has commented that the conventional protocol for treating obesity, which recommends to consume fewer calories and to increase the amount of exercise, does not take into consideration such natural phenomena as hunger pangs, increased appetite and foods cravings that usually accompany low-calorie diets. Dr. Jakubowicz has pointed out that our bodies, and especially the brain, are naturally programmed for seeking food as soon as we wake up in the morning, in order to replenish calories, vitamins and minerals that we used during the night. If we do not eat breakfast, or if breakfast is insufficient, the brain enters a “starvation mode” and activates a high-alert emergency system that works to conserve food that we eat later during the day. Therefore, even if our afternoon and evening meals are adequate in calories and other nutrients, the body now tends to convert the food into fat tissue, instead of using it for quick energy. However, when a big breakfast is eaten first thing in the morning, the brain does not send emergency signals and we tend to burn more calories during the day, which leads to a successful loss of unwanted weight.

However, in the morning our brain also secretes the highest amounts of the “feel-good” neurotransmitter serotonin, this is why the sensation of hunger may not be strong when we wake up. Later, as the levels of serotonin plummet, we can experience fatigue and food cravings, particularly a desire to eat sweet and fatty snacks, such as chips or candies, in order to boost the production of serotonin and feel energetic again. This can lead to an addictive cycle of constant snacking on sugary “treats”, which will hamper the weight loss process and make us gain more adipose (fat) tissue.

In order to break this addictive cycle and lessen the natural feeling of hunger, a “big breakfast” approach could be your best dietary strategy, said Dr. Jakubowicz. This diet calls for eating a big, calorie-loaded breakfast first thing in the morning. The morning meal should account for about half of your daily calorie intake and should include the following foods: meats, cheese, whole grains, healthy fats, and a small sweet treat, such as a serving of milk chocolate. Such breakfast will increase metabolism and boost the production of serotonin during the day, which should contribute to the weight loss process. A big, well-balanced breakfast will also curb appetite for lunch and dinner, allowing dieters to eat smaller meals consisting mostly of fruits, vegetables and lean meats.

Eating a small, sweet treat at breakfast, together with more nourishing and bulky foods, is necessary to ensure that your serotonin and blood glucose levels remain stable during the day, which will eliminate cravings for unhealthy snacks and lead to successful weight loss.

Tim Ford