Are you guilty of this breakfast habit? Celebrity chef exposes common morning blunders
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Breakfast, often hailed as the most important meal of the day, sets the tone for our energy levels, mood, and overall health.
Yet, many of us are unwittingly sabotaging our mornings with dietary missteps that can lead to weight gain and a host of health issues.
Bridget Foliaki-Davis, a celebrity chef and nutritionist, recently shed light on the breakfast blunders that could be derailing our well-being.
In an eye-opening interview, Foliaki-Davis, 49, pinpointed the pitfalls of the typical morning meal.
'One of the worst things I see is people starting their day with a lot of highly refined carbohydrates,' she said.
These include sugary cereals and starchy foods like hash browns, which can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, leading to a cycle of sugar highs and crashes.
‘They’re starting their day with a sugar bomb literally going off in their body,’ she added.
‘They’re leaving for work and in some cases, leaving for school with sugar levels so high, they’re pre-diabetic.’
This rollercoaster of energy levels not only leaves people feeling lethargic but also prompts cravings for more sugary snacks to regain that fleeting high.
‘But what goes up, must come down and then we come crashing down,’ the chef explained.
‘Then an hour or hour and a half later, we’re back looking for more food to get us back on that high again. The sugar highs and then the following lows cause us to start looking for other sugary foods to get us back up on that high again,’ she continued.
It's a vicious cycle that can have long-term consequences for our health, potentially leading to conditions like pre-diabetes.
But what does a balanced breakfast look like?
According to Foliaki-Davis, the ideal morning meal should be a harmonious blend of fibre, protein, and healthy fats.
‘Protein is going to help to keep you feeling full so will the fibre and you’re going to be giving your body just nutrient-dense food and that’s what your body wants,’ she stated.
‘It wants nutrients and wants things that it can use to fuel itself so it can get through the day without going crashing and highs and crashing again.’
She advocated incorporating vegetables into breakfast for their fibre and protein content and suggested adding healthy fats from sources like avocado, nuts, seeds, and salmon.
The New Zealand-born chef, who has cooked for the likes of Oprah Winfrey, speaks from personal experience.
After suffering a miscarriage, Foliaki-Davis turned to food and alcohol to cope, which led to obesity, fatty liver disease, and pre-diabetes.
Her health issues stalled her career and contributed to alcoholism and depression. However, she managed to turn her life around, lost 35 kg in six months and maintained the weight loss for over six years.
Foliaki-Davis' journey inspired her to develop a no-exercise, food-based approach to weight management, gut health, and mental stability.
She authored digital recipe books and created the ‘28-Day Boost Camp’, an online gut health program that has helped thousands achieve their weight loss and health goals.
The program gained traction during the COVID-19 lockdowns when Foliaki-Davis herself gained weight and sought to prevent backsliding.
‘I realised when it comes to healthy food, a lot of people think they’re eating healthy, but actually, they’re not eating as healthy as they probably should be for their body,’ she said.
‘I wanted to make sure that it was nutritionally balanced and optimising their journey,’ Foliaki-Davis continued.
She emphasised the importance of setting goals and visualising the positive outcomes of weight loss. Her advice is to emotionally connect with your goals, envision the future you desire, and then trust the process.
‘I say to people, when you envision that weight loss, whether it be five kilos or 10 or 50 or whatever it is that you want to lose,’ she shared.
‘Imagine how you’re going to feel when you get to that weight, what you’re going do, where you’re going go, what you’re going wear. We tie into this emotionally so that’s always the first step.’
Have you made any changes to your breakfast routine that have positively impacted your health? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Yet, many of us are unwittingly sabotaging our mornings with dietary missteps that can lead to weight gain and a host of health issues.
Bridget Foliaki-Davis, a celebrity chef and nutritionist, recently shed light on the breakfast blunders that could be derailing our well-being.
In an eye-opening interview, Foliaki-Davis, 49, pinpointed the pitfalls of the typical morning meal.
'One of the worst things I see is people starting their day with a lot of highly refined carbohydrates,' she said.
A well-known chef has shared some common breakfast mistakes that people often make. Image source: Unsplash
These include sugary cereals and starchy foods like hash browns, which can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket, leading to a cycle of sugar highs and crashes.
‘They’re starting their day with a sugar bomb literally going off in their body,’ she added.
‘They’re leaving for work and in some cases, leaving for school with sugar levels so high, they’re pre-diabetic.’
This rollercoaster of energy levels not only leaves people feeling lethargic but also prompts cravings for more sugary snacks to regain that fleeting high.
‘But what goes up, must come down and then we come crashing down,’ the chef explained.
‘Then an hour or hour and a half later, we’re back looking for more food to get us back on that high again. The sugar highs and then the following lows cause us to start looking for other sugary foods to get us back up on that high again,’ she continued.
It's a vicious cycle that can have long-term consequences for our health, potentially leading to conditions like pre-diabetes.
But what does a balanced breakfast look like?
According to Foliaki-Davis, the ideal morning meal should be a harmonious blend of fibre, protein, and healthy fats.
‘Protein is going to help to keep you feeling full so will the fibre and you’re going to be giving your body just nutrient-dense food and that’s what your body wants,’ she stated.
‘It wants nutrients and wants things that it can use to fuel itself so it can get through the day without going crashing and highs and crashing again.’
She advocated incorporating vegetables into breakfast for their fibre and protein content and suggested adding healthy fats from sources like avocado, nuts, seeds, and salmon.
The New Zealand-born chef, who has cooked for the likes of Oprah Winfrey, speaks from personal experience.
After suffering a miscarriage, Foliaki-Davis turned to food and alcohol to cope, which led to obesity, fatty liver disease, and pre-diabetes.
Her health issues stalled her career and contributed to alcoholism and depression. However, she managed to turn her life around, lost 35 kg in six months and maintained the weight loss for over six years.
Foliaki-Davis' journey inspired her to develop a no-exercise, food-based approach to weight management, gut health, and mental stability.
Foliaki-Davis recommended eating a breakfast rich in protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Image source: Bridget's Healthy Kitchen/Facebook
She authored digital recipe books and created the ‘28-Day Boost Camp’, an online gut health program that has helped thousands achieve their weight loss and health goals.
The program gained traction during the COVID-19 lockdowns when Foliaki-Davis herself gained weight and sought to prevent backsliding.
‘I realised when it comes to healthy food, a lot of people think they’re eating healthy, but actually, they’re not eating as healthy as they probably should be for their body,’ she said.
‘I wanted to make sure that it was nutritionally balanced and optimising their journey,’ Foliaki-Davis continued.
She emphasised the importance of setting goals and visualising the positive outcomes of weight loss. Her advice is to emotionally connect with your goals, envision the future you desire, and then trust the process.
‘I say to people, when you envision that weight loss, whether it be five kilos or 10 or 50 or whatever it is that you want to lose,’ she shared.
‘Imagine how you’re going to feel when you get to that weight, what you’re going do, where you’re going go, what you’re going wear. We tie into this emotionally so that’s always the first step.’
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i think I’ll stick to my piece of toast with an egg thanks.
now it’s Yummy yummy yummy love in your tummy.
