But first, coffee?
Hey, how many are not breakfast eaters???
Despite hearing all the advice throughout the years, I am never hungry in the morning. I told myself I am a great intermittent faster and poured myself cup after cup of coffee until lunchtime. Then I would eat.
BUT. I learned I have it all backwards. Intermittent fasting can be a powerful tool in your arsenal for health, but the timing makes a difference in many people. Studies have shown that fasting later in the day is much more impactful. So get up, break your fast with a meal and eat a bigger lunch. Then start your fast from dinner throughout the night. This is a hard swap for many just due to our culture, I know. I didnt want to believe it either. (And listen, if skipping breakfast worked, I'd be a whole lot smaller than I am now!)
When you don't fuel up in the morning, especially with some good protein, and continue to pour coffee in to you...you are literally increasing your cortisol (stress hormone) and taxing your system. Your body stays in sympathetic mode (fight or flight) and you cannot digest well, absorb nutrients, burn fat, or relax appropriately. Wash, rinse, and repeat for many years and you may find yourself with a tanked metabolism like me!
This information mind blowing.
I thought I was being healthy. Yeah, nope.
Here is my simple swap. I am working on delaying coffee for 2 hours after I wake up to work with my natural circadian rhythm and hormones. But some days that doesn't cut it, ya know? At the very least, I wait until after I eat something to mitigate the effects. I really enjoy my nice warm cuppa in the morning, so that ensures I will also eat breakfast, too, to get my motors running. Win-win.
Obviously I have a lot to work on, but you gotta start somewhere. Try making this change and see how you feel after a few weeks. Let us know!
*Did you also know getting natural sunlight in your naked eyes for 15 mins upon waking also stimulates your body to start all its processes and function better? Listen, I'm still learning about how to harness the power of our circadian rhythm. In fact, there is a F R E E course coming up in a few weeks that I'd love to invite you to. If you need to get more from your 24, comment below or contact me for more information.
