What is the BIG deal with breakfast?

You wake up, rush out the door, and completely forget to eat breakfast.  Not a problem, in fact, you are not even hungry this morning.  Then, two hours into your morning routine, you are starved.  Grab a donut, over eat at lunch, and snack throughout the day.   By dinner, you reason with yourself that there is no reason to start eating healthier now and dive into another slice of a deep dish pizza.  Sound familiar?  What started this train wreck of a day??... Let's start from the beginning with breakfast; yes, the most important meal of the day!  

There is a recently identified hormone, known as gherlin or the natural hunger hormone.  Gherlin is a hormone that is produced in the stomach and sends a signal to the brain that "you are hungry."  Once you eat a breakfast full of complex carbohydrates and protein, gherlin secretion is suppressed.  Breakfast should be consumed within an hour of waking up after a night of sleep to control gherlin levels and prevent the mid-morning pastry cravings.  Also, when you first wake up you are usually 1-2% dehydrated so it is important to consume fluids with your breakfast as well.          
Here is my Mom's Mexican Egg Casserole recipe that will help to suppress hunger...



Ingredients:
1 lb of lean ground meat
1/2 cup onion chopped fine
1/2 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
1 1/4 cup milk
4 eggs
3/4 cup Bisquick

Preheat oven to 400*.  Brown meat and onion, drain.  Stir in taco seasoning.  Spread meat on the bottom of the pie plate. Sprinkle cheese over meat. Blend milk, eggs, and Bisquick and pour over cheese layer.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Serve with sour cream and salsa!

Do you not have enough time to cook?? Egg Salad is another option for breakfast in 15 minutes or less...


Ingredients: 
2 dozen hard boiled eggs - I buy the pre-cooked eggs to save some time!
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp low-fat mayo
4 tbsp tzatziki
salt and pepper (optional)
Remove 8 of the yolks and dice the hard boiled eggs.  Put the eggs in a bowl and blend with the capers, mayo, and tzatziki.  Then season with salt and pepper.  Serve with whole wheat toast and avocado slices.