Why your Breakfast Could Use a Protein Shake
What is a breakfast without protein? Not much of a breakfast at all.
A lackluster breakfast sets you up for a lackluster day. Study after study shows protein-rich breakfasts are an important health strategy. It takes decades for many to realize what they truly need to eat for breakfast to feel energized for the rest of the day. Why is the first meal not a meal to skip or skimp out on?
Off to a Good Start - Jumpstart your Metabolism!
Rise and shine, it's morning. You've just gone about 7 or 8 hours with no food and a slow, conservative metabolic rate. What is the best thing you can do for your body? Break the fast! Give your body fuel to burn - the right kind of fuel at that. This will speed up your metabolic rate and help you break out of the fasting state. This metabolic boost is the reason why breakfast eaters lose excess weight or maintain healthy weights.
It's plain to see why it doesn't make sense to skip breakfast or take it lightly. Depriving yourself of nutrients and energy in the morning is depriving yourself of food when you need it the most.
Off the Blood Sugar Rollercoaster
Blood sugar control isn't just for people with diabetes. It's important for everyone! Wild dips and spikes in blood sugar levels will ruin your day. Blood sugar highs force your body to store more fat to clear the bloodstream of extra sugar. Remember, it's morning. You need to burn energy, not store it! Blood sugar lows reap you of energy and lead to headaches, difficulty thinking, irrtableness, and food cravings.
Don't let unstable blood sugar levels mess with your metabolism and your mood. A high-quality breakfast can stabilize blood sugar and provide enduring energy. It can keep you feeling full until lunch time.
When your blood sugar levels are stable, your metabolism works smoothly. Your concentration and focus is optimal because your brain has everything it needs. It also prevents your body from going in starvation mode.
What role do protein shakes play in all of this? Your breakfast will consist of carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates. The whey protein found in EnergyFirst shakes slows down the conversion of carbohydrates to glucose, which signals a steady and slow release of insulin. It's the formula for preventing a sudden surge in blood sugar levels.
Off You Go! - Enduring Energy
All this "healthy breakfast talk" is not just about starting off your day on the right track. It's also about staying on the right track for the rest of the day. Your breakfast has the power to do that.
If you haven't had a high-quality breakfast in a while, you may not know what a high-energy workday feels like. If you can imagine a day with no cranky mid-morning slumps and space-outs, no mood swings, and no "blah" moments, then you've come pretty close.
The benefits from breakfast aren't short-lived when you eat the right way. Eating a protein-rich breakfast early in the day brings benefits that last till later in the day.
Protein is considered to be the most satiating macronutrient. A high-protein meal helps control appetite-stimulating hormones, such as ghrelin, and decreases stomach emptying (it takes longer for the meal to leave your stomach). Therefore, it keeps you feeling full and less hungry throughout the day. Studies show that you're also less likely to crave a high-fat or high-sugar snack throughout the day if you include a rich protein source in your breakfast.
Science clearly shows your mood, your weight, and your energy levels begin at the breakfast table. So how can you make the most of your breakfast fuel?
Whey - The Good Morning Protein
A high quality breakfast should consist of high quality protein. Whey is one of the most easily absorbed proteins so it acts quickly. The whey protein used in EnergyFirst shakes comes from grass fed cows that are not treated with hormones, such as rBGH, or antibiotics. We use a minimally processed whey protein isolate that has been cross flow micro-filtered. This process helps produce a fine product with a very high undenatured protein content and retains beneficial whey components, such as immunoglobulins. This process also leaves behind fat, cholesterol, and sugar.
The question isn't only "do you eat breakfast?" It's "do you eat a healthy, high-quality breakfast?" You no longer have to arm yourself with excuses for why your breakfast routine leaves much to be desired. A protein shake is a quick, simple, and nutritious solution.
Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2010 Jul;26(5):393-405
International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 1125-1133
Am J Clin Nutr February 2006 vol. 83 no. 2 211-220
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Ingredients for protein shakes:
Why drink a protein shake for breakfast?
Getting enough protein is essential to our bodies, and there are many benefits
of taking natural protein supplements (like whey protein shakes) as a source of protein.
Whey protein is a particularly good source of protein because it's pure, clean, and one of the most easily absorbed sources of protein there is. In fact, whey protein has the highest biological value (a measure of nitrogen retained for growth or maintenance) of any protein.
Whey protein comes from milk (it comes out during the cheese manufacturing process) and is put through a process that separates out the pure amino acids (all 8 essential amino acids and branched-chain amino acids) and leaves behind the sugar (lactose), fat and cholesterol. No wonder that healthy Miss Muffet is always eating her curds and whey!
You can go to our Whey Protein FAQs to read more about what to look for in a high-quality protein.