Start the day off right

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(I posted this to LinkedIn this morning)

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

I know that may seem like a weird question to ask on LinkedIn of all places, but I promise you it’s not. 

Let me explain. 

I am a Black woman with Type 2 diabetes. I have made great strides in lowering my A1C numbers, and along the way, I have learned a good many lessons about sugar spikes and how what we eat affects not just our blood sugar, but our overall well-being. 

Whether you are diabetic or not, sugar spikes can have a negative impact on your entire day. 

For myself, I notice that when I load up on carbs first thing in the morning, I feel fine for a bit, but as the hours go on, I start to feel low energy and have a hard time focusing and concentrating on the work I need to do. I learned that this was my body crashing after the glucose spike brought on by my breakfast. 

My solution was to stop eating a carb-heavy breakfast in the morning. Carbs come in many different forms, so I had to learn which foods I loved in the mornings cause big glucose spikes. Then I had to eliminate them. 

This meant skipping cereal, oatmeal (I know!), grits (help!), and any fruits that are not blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries (many fruits hide large amounts of sugar!). 

These days, I opt for a more savory breakfast, and I give myself bonus points if I am able to sneak some green veggies in there. 

Enter this delicious breakfast salad you see pictured here. 

This is so simple and so easy to make, yet it leaves me feeling satisfied — not full, which is also important — and because it has a lot of protein and fat, I have the energy I need to get through my morning. 

This plays a huge role in how I am able to work through the day as well. 

We’ve been sold a bag of goods when it comes to breakfast. Cereal, oatmeal, smoothies with fruits other than berries (and fruit juice!) all cause glucose spikes and can have a negative impact on our ability to focus on our work. The other side of that is that starting the day with a breakfast full of carbs keeps us craving sugar and carbs throughout the day, which is another problem. 

Opting for something like this makes me feel a lot better, and I have a great deal more energy throughout the day. I also don’t get as many cravings, which is another byproduct of glucose spikes and having a breakfast full of carbs. 

Something as simple as a bowl of arugula with grape tomatoes, avocado, and two runny eggs (which also serve as the “salad dressing”) keeps me going for hours. 

We have so much to get accomplished each day. 

Starting it off the right way puts us on a more steady footing. 

Have a great Wednesday!

3 thoughts on “Start the day off right

  1. Isn’t it wild how we got sold a bill of goods for decades on cold cereal being the foundation of a filling, nutritious breakfast? Maybe it does for someone, but not me. Savory breakfasts are the best.

    One of my favorite breakfasts is a “power bowl” of roasted sweet potatoes, scrambled eggs, crumbled turkey bacon or turkey sausage crumbles, spinach, and either homemade salsa or sriracha. Super filling and tasty.

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