Break the Fast

In my earlier years I was one of those woman who got up early in the morning to go for a run or some type of workout on an empty stomach. Little did I know then how detrimental it was to my body-muscles, bones, metabolism all being unnecessarily over stressed because of not eating. I was not fueling, creating this Low Energy Availability state-I was attempting to drive the car on the highway with no gas in the tank. By not eating breakfast before a workout, or not eating anything before or even during the workout, I was putting my body in this stressed state to store more body fat, and break down my muscle in it’s attempt to preserve itself.

Thankfully, now I know better. As we get older using this first opportunity to eat to break the fast from the overnight has many benefits. For women entering, passing, and moving beyond the menopause years, our bodies are losing muscle. This muscle loss starts in our 30’s and continues to accelerate as we age. But we can take steps to mitigate this muscle loss by starting the day with some food-helping to bring down the peak in cortisol that has a spike approximately 30 minutes after waking. Also in the menopausal years the body can start storing more belly fat despite our efforts to “eat well” and exercise. The more belly fat we experience the more we cut back on food the more we exercise-it becomes a cycle, one that gets us no where and causes great harm. But, we can actually help to lose fat, gain or maintain our muscle by eating breakfast. Having food on board first thing in the morning gives us energy to want to be active and hit those hard efforts or lift the heavy weights.

I say we break the fast because under typical eating windows dinner is at 6 or 7pm, a few hours before sleep. The food can be digested before going to bed at 9 or 10 pm. Then the next meal, breakfast, is 10-12 hours later which can be referred to as timed fasting-aka regular eating schedule. We get a better sleep by not going to bed with a body that is still digesting, we wake up hungry, then start the morning properly feeding ourselves to feel good, energized and above all strong.

Breakfast can be simple. Some food is better than no food. A meal of carbohydrates and protein, a little fat. Oatmeal with a serving of hemp seeds (for protein), 1 egg with 2 servings of egg whites and toast, cereal with a protein drink-something digestible, agreeable and tasty so you are likely to actually eat it. A granola with nuts and seeds in it, a full serving of greek yogurt. You get the idea.

Non-fat greek yogurt, coconut cashew granola, blueberries, maple syrup.

If you have not been eating breakfast, start slow. Aim to finish the last meal of your day, dinner, early to allow for the digestion, then wake up hungry. You may eventually want to eat when you wake up hungry. Think of it as training yourself to eat.

Give it a go, commit, see what happens, note how you feel.