Protein and fat breakfasts are gaining more and more supporters and are replacing the classic breakfast rich in carbohydrates. They are especially recommended for people who have problems with carbohydrate metabolism, blood sugar levels, feel sleepy after a meal or have a problem with fat loss despite diet and physical activity. The proposal to reverse the proportion of macronutrients during the day results from the dynamically changing state of knowledge in nutritional science. However, it is not necessary for everyone to replace the classic breakfast with a protein-fat breakfast. It is a matter of individual preferences and needs of the organism.

The phenomenon of protein and fat breakfasts

For many years, nutritionists have promoted the meal plan that is now widely known: a carbohydrate-rich breakfast and a vegetable-protein dinner. Until now, it was thought that the morning was the best time to eat a carbohydrate meal that would provide energy for the first part of the day and awaken the body to action. However, consuming carbohydrate sources in the last meal before going to bed was supposed to promote weight gain and fat deposition.

It turned out, however, that this scheme does not work in the described way for everyone and sometimes it can do more harm than good. Knowledge about nutrition is developing very dynamically, so changes in recommendations every few years should not come as a surprise. Based on the own observations of people from the nutritional community and gradually emerging scientific research, it was found that a carbohydrate breakfast, e.g. porridge with milk with fruit, sandwiches, wholemeal pancakes or millet pancakes is not an ideal solution for everyone, but an alternative for it. there is a protein-fat breakfast.

Reports of the beneficial effects of such a breakfast started appearing several years ago. In scientific studies comparing the effect of a breakfast consisting of carbohydrates and proteins and fats on the body, it was found that protein-fat breakfasts suppress appetite better, give a feeling of satiety for longer, and have a better effect on metabolism. It is often said that a one-size-fits-all diet does not exist. The same conclusion was drawn with regard to breakfasts, because many people feel quickly after eating a classic balanced breakfast.hungry, they develop drowsiness and cravings for sugar.

The body's circadian rhythm and the composition of breakfast

Your well-being is heavily dependent on the secretion of hormones. These, on the other hand, are related to the physiological processes taking place in the body as part of the circadian rhythm. What happens in the body at different times of the day and night also translates into the need for energy and nutrients.

When selecting breakfast ingredients, it is very important to know what processes take place in the body right after waking up. During sleep, cortisol (a hormone associated with stress) is of great importance, as it breaks down triglycerides into free fatty acids in order to use them as a source of energy necessary at night to support life processes. Therefore, it promotes fat burning, but only if the insulin level in the blood is low. Cortisol, insulin, glucagon, and adrenaline are hormones that control blood sugar levels. When blood glucose levels drop too low during sleep, glucagon and adrenaline are released in addition to cortisol to raise sugar. 30-50 minutes after waking up, blood cortisol levels are highest during the day and then gradually decline by evening. If the insulin level is kept low in the morning, the fat burning effect of cortisol is prolonged. However, when insulin levels rise sharply, fat burning is blocked and energy is converted into adipose tissue. This happens after eating simple and complex carbohydrates in the morning when the glucose level is low - the body is then much more sensitive to changes in glycemia and reacts with rapid spikes in blood sugar after eating carbohydrates, and consequently rapid spikes in insulin. A large burst of insulin translates into a rapid decrease in glucose and the feeling of fatigue, drowsiness, hunger and craving for sweet food that appear after a meal.

This situation can be avoided by excluding carbohydrate sources from breakfast and eating your first meal of protein and fats. As a result, the effect of cortisol on fat burning is prolonged and protects against fluctuations in insulin and blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates should be eaten when the cortisol level drops, e.g. from the south. It's good that they also appear in the evening (especially in people with carbohydrate problems). This will prevent your blood sugar from dropping below normal at night.

Who should eat a protein-fat breakfast?

Does this mean everyone should eat protein and fat breakfasts? No, it is not necessary. Classic breakfasts with breadwhether cereals can and should be eaten by people who have no problems with carbohydrate metabolism, and after eating a meal rich in carbohydrates, they feel a surge of energy, not drowsiness and fast returning hunger, people satisfied with their figure and slimming who have no problems with fat loss. A carbohydrate breakfast is also recommended for people who train in the morning.

Protein and fat breakfast should be eaten:

  • diabetes, people with diagnosed insulin resistance, and those with fasting glucose levels in the second half of the laboratory norm - this helps to improve he alth and control sugar,
  • all those who feel heavy, sleepy after eating a classic breakfast, and after 2-3 hours are very hungry and have a rumbling belly; protein and fat breakfast does not cause the feeling of overflow, and the feeling of fullness lasts even 4-5 hours,
  • people who have problems sleeping and waking up (in this situation it is worth checking the level of cortisol),
  • slimming and exercising who, despite following the diet, do not achieve results adequate to the effort put in,
  • exercisers who train in the afternoon or evening.
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The effects of eating a protein-fat breakfast

  • the hormonal economy improves,
  • leveling of blood glucose,
  • the feeling of tiredness disappears after a meal and the desire for sweet,
  • the ability to burn fat during a slimming diet increases,
  • it is possible to eat more carbohydrates in the evening, which is a great pleasure for many people.

Protein-fat breakfast - examples

The product on the basis of which it is easiest to compose a protein-fat breakfast is eggs. You can prepare them in many ways: hard-boiled and soft-boiled, T-shirts, muffins, frittata, scrambled eggs and omelette. The eggs should be supplemented with a large amount of vegetables with 1-2 tablespoons of high-quality fat, e.g. olive oil. The breakfast may include meat and fish, e.g. bacon, cold cuts, smoked salmon, grilled chicken.

People who don't like eggs or if eggs hurt them are in a slightly more difficult situation, but not without a way out. An element of a protein-fat breakfast is often an avocado, which can be stuffed with chickpea and sun-dried tomato paste, and baked or chopped and added to a salad of any vegetables and meat. Cocktails based on coconut milk or chia pudding with coconut milk are an interesting proposition. Coconut milk also tastes good with pureetomato and fried bacon and blended with avocado and almonds.

Nuts are also a valuable ingredient in protein and fat breakfasts. For people who are used to eating sandwiches in the morning and do not want to give it up, low-carbohydrate bread substitutes that can be used as a base for a sandwich are an ideal proposition. These include:

  • "paleo bread" based on eggs and vegetables, e.g. carrots, zucchini,
  • "paleo bread" based on eggs and coconut flour, with a consistency resembling bread,
  • "Oopsie" bread based on eggs and homogenized cheese in the form of flat cakes,
  • sweet potato or pumpkin flatbread with coconut flour.

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Diets