Julia Louis-Dreyfus interviewed Ina Garten on her podcast Wiser Than Me. 

Where are my Ina fans?

I find her show to be so relaxing and I’ve learned some great cooking and baking tips.  If you haven’t made her brownies they are amazing and oh so decadent.

Julia asked her what she eats for breakfast.  She replied, “Toast with good French butter and flake sea salt and coffee”.  Then at exactly 10:30, she has a cup of tea with honey.  

Did your mouth water reading that?

Who doesn’t love toast with fancy French butter and salt??

Not to burst your culinary bubble and mine but…

Toast and coffee create a blood sugar spike and then a crash. The likely reason Ina has the tea several hours later is she’s picking herself up from the blood sugar crash.

I heard a dietician refer to this as fake fuel. 

If you’re finding energy from caffeine and cortisol they will have you riding a blood sugar roller coaster.

Cue the sleepiness, low energy, brain fog, moodiness, and reaching for something sugary to pick you up off the floor.

Too often people skip making a nourishing breakfast with protein, fat, and veggies and think that caffeine and toast will fuel them.  

Do you drink coffee on an empty stomach and call it breakfast only to find yourself feeling tired several hours later?

Skipping breakfast or having an Ina breakfast is a stressor on the body. 

While I know that intermittent fasting is very on trend right now it may not be the best idea for women.  Especially women who are stressed out.

Ask yourself are you restricting and dieting or are you fueling and nourishing your body?

I did the restricting and dieting for decades.  I got away with it for a long time but now in midlife, there’s no way I can.

If you’re a toast and coffee gal (or guy - we have some here as readers) I hope you’ll reconsider and make a breakfast that gives you real fuel.

Consuming at least 30 grams of protein within an hour of waking is beneficial for improving circadian rhythm health, replenishing depleted hormones, and maintaining stable blood sugar throughout the day.

A combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fats is ideal as it helps to keep blood sugar balanced throughout the day and can also reduce evening overeating, which is beneficial for both weight loss and overall circadian rhythm health.

People who undereat at breakfast often end up overeating later in the day, which isn't great for optimal metabolic health. 

The breakfast planner received a makeover and update.  You can grab a complimentary copy and make yourself a nourishing breakfast that gives you real fuel to run on. 

Please let me know how your hunger, energy, mood and cravings are when you ditch the fake fuel.