Cereal, a staple breakfast for people up and down the country, has been dubbed ‘one of the worst things you can start your morning with’ by a nutritional expert. The quick and tasty meal, available in a plethora of varieties, is a favourite among children and parents needing a swift start to their day.
However, biochemist Jessie Inchauspe, who recently hosted Channel 4’s Eat Smart: Secrets of the Glucose Goddess, argues that this humble breakfast item could lead to poor food choices throughout the day and potentially serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes. Contrary to popular belief, she suggests that a sweet breakfast isn’t the best way to fuel the body for the day ahead.
According to her science-backed theory, the key to better health lies in controlling glucose spikes rather than dieting. Despite glucose, found in starches and sugars, being our body’s primary energy source, consuming too much during a meal can cause our bodies to release insulin to eliminate it.
The excess glucose is stored as glycogen or fat. A sweet breakfast, while pleasurable due to the release of dopamine, isn’t the best energy source, according to a health expert.
The glucose spikes it triggers “impairs our body’s ability to efficiently produce energy, induces fatigue, and initiates various side effects”. One such effect is that we feel hungry again sooner, and the larger the spike, the greater the subsequent drop, leading to cravings throughout the day, reports the Mirror.
“That breakfast will also disrupt our glucose levels for the rest of the day, so our lunch and dinner will cause larger spikes,” she warns. Instead, Jessie, who boasts over 4.5m online followers and two international, number one bestselling books, strongly advises a savoury breakfast with protein, fibre and fat rather than a sweet one.
So, ditch the sweet pastries, cereal, or fruit juices and smoothies, which cause a significant spike in most people, and opt for something egg-based like an omelette with avocado or cheese and mozzarella. Don’t forget to include a vegetable like tomato, spinach or mushrooms for their fibre content.
Jessie Inchauspe
(Image: Channel 4)
On the two-part Channel 4 programme, she put her theories to the test with individuals battling food-related illnesses and conditions, such as acne and diabetes – a potentially fatal disease caused by excessive glucose in the body. All six participants who had their daily glucose levels monitored and adhered to her advice witnessed significant improvements in their conditions.
Some of those living with diabetes were even able to cease their medication after just six weeks on her plan, having effectively reversed the disease.