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We’ve all heard that breakfast is “the most important meal of the day”—but we don’t often stop to consider why. Here’s a quick crash course: Because the foods we eat first thing in the morning are also the first to enter our system after a long period of fasting overnight, they are responsible for stimulating the metabolism, balancing the blood sugar, and providing energy. In other words, breakfast prepares our entire system to take on the day.
With that in mind, it makes sense to carefully consider which foods we’re choosing to start our days with. After all, if what we eat directly impacts our physical and emotional wellbeing for the whole day, then it better be high quality. But nutritionists say it’s not just a matter of choosing traditionally “healthy” foods like fruit and yogurt over donuts and pastries; it’s also important to consider how our breakfast influences our blood sugar. Ideally, we want to stabilize it immediately—and keep it that way. The best way to do that? Eating a protein-rich, fiber-filled breakfast that is savory, not sweet.
How blood sugar impacts the brain
Stabilizing our blood sugar first thing in the morning has a host of benefits—and it all starts with the brain. “The cells in our brains are called neurons, and they feel the effects of glucose spikes just like the rest of the body,” explains author and biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, who is best known as @glucosegoddess on Instagram. “Neurons feel inflammation, glycation, and insulin resistance, which can manifest as brain fog—loss of cognitive abilities such as memory, concentration, language or reasoning—increasing the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s. To protect our brain, eating well is very important,” she warns.
Always breakfast, always salty
To control the glucose spikes that Inchauspé refers to, it is essential to always start with a savory breakfast based on protein, healthy fats, and—most importantly—nothing sweet. “If you have sugar cravings, chronic fatigue, brain fog, trouble sleeping, or skin problems, then stabilizing your glucose levels will help,” explains Inchauspé. “Since the vast majority of the population has unstable glucose levels (some studies estimate up to 80% of people), then opting for a salty breakfast can help.”
The ideal savory breakfast
What, exactly, should the perfect savory breakfast include? “A two-egg omelet with feta, cheese, and tomatoes is a complete and balanced meal that will avoid the glucose spike that leads to a subsequent crash and cravings,” suggests Inchauspé, who adds that a meal like that will also keep you satisfied and energized throughout the morning.
But that’s just one example—you don’t have to eat this exact combination for breakfast every day. Any savory breakfast with eggs (or other lean protein, like unsweetened yogurt, tofu, or nut butter), fiber, and healthy fats will do. Whole wheat sourdough toast with tahini and veggies, for example. A savory oatmeal bowl topped with steamed spinach, eggs, mushrooms, and avocado. Or, even a scoop of cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, salt, and pepper.
Sweet relief
This does not mean you need to demonize everything sweet. Life is short, after all! “We don’t have to give up sugar, just learn when and how to eat it with less impact on our health,” advises Inchauspé, who offers plenty of inspiration (and lots of helpful graphs) for doing just that on her Instagram account and website. The main thing is to keep your blood sugar from spiking by learning how and when to eat certain foods.
“When we spike, our mitochondria become overwhelmed and start producing chemicals called free radicals,” Inchauspé explains. “Free radicals harm our cells, mutate our DNA, lead to oxidative stress and inflammation. Sweet spikes do this even more than starchy spikes. Inflammation is the root cause of most diseases—three out of five people will die of an inflammation-based disease.”
No time to do a deep dive into all the research? That’s okay, just take Inchauspé’s simplest advice: “remember to start the day with salt,” she says. And if you really want fruit in the morning, that’s okay, too: “Just eat it in its whole form at the end of your savory breakfast, not at the start,” she explains.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
