by Jill Jackson

Created on: March 01, 2009   Last Updated: March 03, 2009

Sugar is the body's preferred fuel. In the body, this sugar is called glycogen and it's derived from the foods we consume during the day. We also store glycogen in our livers and muscle cells as a kind of emergency backup. This glycogen is what's ultimately converted into energy in the cells and our cells use that energy 24/7 even while we sleep with approximately 30% of that energy going to our brains. Now, 30% may not seem like a lot but, there are seven organ systems in the body. The brain is just one organ within an organ system and it gets almost ONE THIRD of all the energy consumed. The remaining 70% has to be split amongst the other six organ systems.

By morning, most people have gone at least the time they've spent asleep without eating. On average, that's about 6 hours. And, depending on when the last meal was, it could have been even longer. So, blood sugar is very low and the body is basically running on whatever glycogen reserves are left in the liver. The body is, literally, starving for sugar. Additionally, because sugar is our preferred fuel, our bodies are incredibly efficient at processing sugar. So, you'd think that giving the body a couple of donuts and a big, sugar-filled coffee is a good thing. But it's not.

If you start the morning with a high-sugar meal - especially very simple, refined sugars - that sugar hits the blood stream and sets off alarm bells. Remember, the body is very efficient at processing sugar, so that means that donut is going to be broken down into glycogen almost immediately. This will cause the sugar levels in the blood to zip from 0 100 in a matter of minutes. Now, the body LOVES balance, and that sudden influx of sugar throws things out of balance. When the body registers that there's a sudden, tremendous increase of sugar it releases a LOT of insulin to compensate. Insulin is a hormone that allows the cells to absorb sugar. So there's all this insulin floating around, which is causing the cells to absorb the sugar and convert it into energy as quickly as possible. And all that sugar is converted very quickly. The body is happy, for a while, until that energy source runs out. And since the body is so efficient at processing its preferred fuel, that energy source runs out in a very short time and, to compensate, your body prompts you to consume more sugar.

So the result of eating straight sugar for breakfast is an immediate blood sugar spike which causes a sugar rush, resulting in increased insulin, followed by the inevitable crash that sets you back to your pre-breakfast levels. So you have an energy deficit and the rollercoaster starts again.

The key to avoiding this roller coaster is to eat a breakfast with a good balance of proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins slow the rate of absorption for the carbohydrates, and if you eat a complex carbohydrate (like whole grains), that slows the rate of absorption even more. This means no sudden sugar spikes, a steadier, controlled release of insulin, and no crash.

So, the next time you grab a quick breakfast, forget the donuts and the sugary breakfast bars and try some of these protein-rich alternatives:

Cottage Cheese with fruit: While the fruit has sugar it also has fiber and vitamins and the cottage cheese has 16g of protein per serving.

Icelandic Sky: this yogurt-like milk product has zero fat and up to 16g of protein per serving. Depending on region, skyr can be found in specialty stores like Whole Foods.

Sandwiches: Eggs, peanut butter, ham, whatever you want to use as filling, combined with high fiber bread is a recipe for breakfast success.

The important thing to remember is that what you have for breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day so it's best to start of balanced.

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