I often get asked what is the best breakfast, especially after exercise. In my opinion, there is only one and that’s EGGS!
After reading The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss in 2010, I replaced my porridge breakfast, which I had been eating for about 5 years, with an egg breakfast and have never looked back.
My research suggests it can help towards a leaner, healthier body by reducing body fat, plus it’s super nutritious.
I’d love to know the science behind it (there is a bit below) but I’m not a doctor, a nutritionist, scientist, nor do I have the qualifications and research to back this article up. I do , have lots of friends and family members who have replaced their usual breakfasts with eggs and have experienced a significant improvement in their body composition and energy levels like I did.
What I eat for breakfast every day:
- 2 scrambled eggs (3 if I’m hungry). Spinach and/or kale and lentils cooked in coconut oil, paprika, turmeric, chilli sea salt and black pepper. Add some fresh garlic if you’re feeling it.
or - 2 scrambled eggs (3 if I’m hungry). 1 juicy tomato, 1 avocado dressed with olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper.
or - All of the above : )
Options
- I sometimes mix option 1 up and add red onion and other vegetables like mushrooms and broccoli.
- On special occasions, I even threw in some cashew nuts. You have to try this! They go all soft and delicious and soak up the flavours from the rest of the dish.
- For the carnivores out there, add some good quality meat to get even more flavour and protein, like chorizo or bacon.
Egg Things
- The only rules that apply here are to make sure it has eggs in and a bit of green stuff. That’s the magic formula.
- Garlic, chilli, herbs and spices are remarkable for burning fat so get involved with them. Experiment with others and let me know how you get on.
- Don’t forget to leave the yolks in! The yolk is where the good stuff is. Mother Nature left it there for a reason. It’s the part that holds all the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and goodness.
- “But isn’t eating too many eggs bad for me? What about high cholesterol?” Come on guys, let’s step away from the where that is absolute rubbish. I eat around 6 eggs per day, I’m fit and am in full health. Like my friend Fi says, “I suggest you use that mushy grey shit inside your skull and do some reading on the subject.” Hey, it wasn’t me that swore, it was her.
- When I tell people what I eat for breakfast, especially the spinach and lentils mix, the vast majority answer with an ‘Ergh!’ Come on, don’t be so small minded that you think stuffing your face with sugar-filled, processed carbs is normal!? This sends the insulin levels high, resulting in carby sugary cravings later in the day and leading to excess body fat. Plus it’s not good for health. Rant over).
- In the western world, we have been conditioned to eat meals like bread, croissants, cereals and porridge first thing in the morning, all of which are heavy on carbohydrates. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting an Atkins-style diet, but start your day with a protein-rich breakfast and you will be pleased with the results. You can eat your carbs later in the day as a second breakfast around 10-11am.
- If I don’t have my eggy breakfast for a few days, my body actually craves it. Give me spinach, eggs and lentils over a cooked breakfast any day!
- Check out my friend Fi Silk’s blog on eggs for breakfast. There are some really great breakfast ideas on there. They are super easy and really tasty.
If you decide to skip the Science Bit, be sure to scroll to the Fascinating Fact below, it’s my favourite egg fact!
SCIENCE BIT
Taken from The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss
- Eggs contain choline which helps increase fat loss.
- Choline metabolises into betaine in our cells (mitochondria), which makes the cell more stable (contributes to mitochondrial redox status).
- If you’re like me, that bit may have been confusing. In short, the choline in eggs turns into betaine once ingested, which makes our cells more stable and protects them against inflammation, potentially protecting us from discease.
- Spinach contains betaine.
- It is incredible for body recomposition. Popeye had the right idea. But don’t worry, you’re not going to turn into Popeye by eating a few eggs and a bit of spinach each morning.
- Spinach also contains phytoecdysteroids, which increases muscular performance and protein synthesis, one of the most fundamental biological processes by which individual cells build their specific proteins. How I wish I had kind of science degree.
- Lentils are a rich and affordable source of protein, with high levels of the amino acids isoleucine and lysine. These branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are noted for their roles in muscular repair, with lysine noted for its effect on glucose metabolism, meaning it helps to process carbohydrates.
– All 3 foods have powerful health benefits eaten separately.
– Eaten together, the result is compounded, because each food magnifies the benefits of the others.
Fascinating Fact
To finalise, I’ll leave you with a fascinating fact about eggs:
They are the only food that contains all 9 essential amino acids in the perfect ratio that the human body requires. Amazing!
“Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. As a result, they must come from food. The 9 essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.“
In order to work perfectly and be utilised fully in the body, each amino acid requires the other 8 in a perfect ratio, the same ratio as eggs provide. Forget BCAA supplements, eggs are the answer.
And that’s it . That’s my egg facts post over.