Breakfast: The Critical Meal

Posted August 24, 2010 in Nutrition Tip 8 Comments »
Dr. John Berardi
John Berardi

Since the late 1990’s Dr. John Berardi has published 8 scientific abstracts; 15 scientific papers and textbook chapters; presented at nearly 50 scientific, exercise, and nutrition related conferences; and published countless articles online.

His first articles at Testosterone Magazine so many years ago, provided me with the basis for everything I know about nutrition today. Now I will turn some of that knowledge over to you in the form of Nutrition Tips written by Dr. Berardi himself.

Today’s Topic – You Gotta Eat Breakfast

I can’t tell you how many people I talk to, who want to either lose fat or gain muscle, that when it comes down to the most important dietary question of all, they let me down. But they’re not just letting me down, they’re letting themselves down in a a big way.

So, what is the most important dietary question…

What do you eat for breakfast?

Some common responses are:

  • I don’t like to eat breakfast.
  • I don’t have time to eat breakfast.
  • Eating breakfast makes me sick.
  • A doughnut on the way to work.
  • A piece of toast with butter.

I would rather hear that you stopped by McDonalds to get a breakfast sandwich with meat, cheese, and egg, instead of not eating at all or eating just an apple or eating just a piece of toast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You start the day off right with the foods that will wake you up, give you energy, stop nighttime catabolism, and keep you going until lunch (or brunch).

An ideal breakfast will contain a little of everything: whole grains, fruit, protein, calcium, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. If you can even find a way to work in veggies, more power to you. I recommend a veggie or spinach omelet or Low Sodium V8 juice.

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Whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat, sticking to your diet really takes dedication and discipline. Make sure you eat right at the most important meal of the day and you’ll be off to a good start.

Let’s see what JB has to say about it:

Tip: The Critical Meal

“Breakfast is a critical meal.

After a catabolic overnight fast, a balanced breakfast helps to regulate blood sugar, helps to regulate energy balance, and helps to control late-day cravings that lead to overfeeding. Be sure to include a serving or two of lean protein like an egg white omelet (throw in a yolk or two), some cheese, some dairy like plain yogurt or cottage cheese, some lean turkey bacon or sausage, or even a protein shake on the side.

Men should be shooting for 30-50 grams of protein and women should be shooting for 20-40 grams of protein in this meal.”

See Also

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8 Responses to “Breakfast: The Critical Meal”

  1. Also, the nutrients provided by egg-whites loses its potency without the yolk of the egg being added into the mix. The whites also have BARELY any of the magic found in the yolks themselves.
    The yolk contains more than eighty percent of the vitamins and minerals, iron, potassium, folate, selenium, vitamins A B and E.

    No point eating just the whites IMHO.

  2. Brett, I’d seriously recommend you ditch those raw egg whites, or at least seriously reduce their quantity. Raw egg whites are not good for you and cause a Biotin defiency.

  3. You’re right, breakfast is the important meal of the day. If you didn’t eat right, you will starve the rest of the day.

  4. I’ve tried a million different things for breakfast. I’ve been able to dial it in as such (and I know it needs work).
    -12 liquid egg whites (raw)
    -1 multivitamin
    -2 flaxseed 1000mg softgels
    -24 almonds
    -1 cup of chocolate milk

    The eggs are a pure and immediate source of protein, while the flaxseed and almonds act as (good) fats.
    The carbohydrate source has always been hazy to me… I find chocolate milk great as a ‘chaser’ for the eggs, and from what I understand it’s a simple carb so it will burn off by my next meal. Should I swap the simple carb for a complex i.e. 24g carbs from oatmeal?
    I workout in the evening if that helps. (trying to maintain low BF and feed my muscles)

  5. Breakfast is very important and even if it is just as simple as a protein shake something is better than nothing.

  6. I have to have breakfast. If I tried to skip it, I’m sure that my body would revolt. Breakfast = thwarting an uprising. 🙂

  7. I like my breakfast meals… I feel like crap if I don’t eat enough or at all. One thing that gets me going after working out in the morning is some kashi cereal along with a medium granny smith apple and some Greek Yogurt… I never knew how much protein was in some Greek yogurt until looking into chobani brand. 18 grams of protein for 100 cal and no fat… brilliant. Get you some breakfast… mm

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