Two Eggs
Nothing feels quite as good (or empowering!) as finishing your sweat sesh before most of the world is awake. If you kick it in a boot camp class or log a 5K in the park in the a.m., take registered dietician Gisela Bouvier's advice and make sure you eat something that'll get your digestion moving. "Whole eggs provide a healthy fat and protein, including all nine essential amino acids, which are important for building and maintaining muscles and body system functions," she explains. "Our bodies cannot make amino acids. If not consumed, protein in the body breaks down, resulting in loss of muscle."
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Nothing feels quite as good (or empowering!) as finishing your sweat sesh before most of the world is awake. If you kick it in a boot camp class or log a 5K in the park in the a.m., take registered dietician Gisela Bouvier's advice and make sure you eat something that'll get your digestion moving. "Whole eggs provide a healthy fat and protein, including all nine essential amino acids, which are important for building and maintaining muscles and body system functions," she explains. "Our bodies cannot make amino acids. If not consumed, protein in the body breaks down, resulting in loss of muscle."
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Water!
If you must have coffee before you can even think about talking to another human being (we feel ya) try your best to double-fist your morning java with some good ol' fashion H2O. Even though coffee is a natural stimulant that'll give you that much-needed jolt of energy, it dehydrates your body, too. "After a good night's rest, most people wake up naturally feeling thirsty. This is a great time to focus on drinking roughly 16 ounces of water, as even mild dehydration can slow down the body's metabolism," explains registered dietician Megan Faletra. "I always keep a liter water bottle next to my bed and drink about half immediately upon waking. You can also choose to drink your water warm with some lemon, which can help promote good digestion first thing in the morning."
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If you must have coffee before you can even think about talking to another human being (we feel ya) try your best to double-fist your morning java with some good ol' fashion H2O. Even though coffee is a natural stimulant that'll give you that much-needed jolt of energy, it dehydrates your body, too. "After a good night's rest, most people wake up naturally feeling thirsty. This is a great time to focus on drinking roughly 16 ounces of water, as even mild dehydration can slow down the body's metabolism," explains registered dietician Megan Faletra. "I always keep a liter water bottle next to my bed and drink about half immediately upon waking. You can also choose to drink your water warm with some lemon, which can help promote good digestion first thing in the morning."
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Loaded breakfast bowl
If you're a morning person, taking time to welcome the day slowly is essential for getting in a great mood. Because you don't need to sleep in, you can use your time to create something a bit more complicated for your breakfast. Kaleigh McMordie, a registered dietician, loves an 'everything but the kitchen sink' kind of breakfast bowl. "I always start my day with a combination of protein and carbohydrates. Complex carbs like oats and whole grain bread provide your body and brain with the energy it needs first thing in the morning," she says. "One of my favorites is oatmeal with egg whites stirred in, topped with berries and a spoonful of nut butter. This breakfast bowl has it all: whole grains, protein, fruit and healthy fat."
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If you're a morning person, taking time to welcome the day slowly is essential for getting in a great mood. Because you don't need to sleep in, you can use your time to create something a bit more complicated for your breakfast. Kaleigh McMordie, a registered dietician, loves an 'everything but the kitchen sink' kind of breakfast bowl. "I always start my day with a combination of protein and carbohydrates. Complex carbs like oats and whole grain bread provide your body and brain with the energy it needs first thing in the morning," she says. "One of my favorites is oatmeal with egg whites stirred in, topped with berries and a spoonful of nut butter. This breakfast bowl has it all: whole grains, protein, fruit and healthy fat."
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Wild blueberry peanut butter smoothie
Even if you've mulled over every slide of your presentation and practiced your speech so much you're hearing it in your sleep, it's normal to have some anxiety when the big day arrives. You don't want your tummy talking to you during the Q&A, so make something fast that'll keep you full and get your metabolism moving. Registered dietician Amy D. Gorin says this wild blueberry peanut butter smoothie is her go-to breakfast for big days. "I can make it in a flash, and it contains some pretty awesome ingredients that will help give your metabolism a boost in the morning," says Gorin. "[It] combines Greek yogurt, milk and peanut butter to provide 22 grams of protein -- helpful for your metabolism because your body expends more energy to metabolize and store protein," she says. "It also contains a big dose of health-helping antioxidants from the wild blueberries, which actually contain more antioxidants than 20 other fruits and vegetables, including cranberries," she adds.
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Even if you've mulled over every slide of your presentation and practiced your speech so much you're hearing it in your sleep, it's normal to have some anxiety when the big day arrives. You don't want your tummy talking to you during the Q&A, so make something fast that'll keep you full and get your metabolism moving. Registered dietician Amy D. Gorin says this wild blueberry peanut butter smoothie is her go-to breakfast for big days. "I can make it in a flash, and it contains some pretty awesome ingredients that will help give your metabolism a boost in the morning," says Gorin. "[It] combines Greek yogurt, milk and peanut butter to provide 22 grams of protein -- helpful for your metabolism because your body expends more energy to metabolize and store protein," she says. "It also contains a big dose of health-helping antioxidants from the wild blueberries, which actually contain more antioxidants than 20 other fruits and vegetables, including cranberries," she adds.
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Veggie frittata
Especially if you signed up for a cardio-intensive workout, the idea of having something heavy on your tummy might not be the best idea. In this case, Faletra says preparing a veggie frittata for the week to grab after you towel off is a good way to increase metabolism. "A frittata is a great meal to start the day with because it is full of fiber from the veggies, which will help promote healthy digestion and blood sugar balance," she explains. "It also is loaded with complete protein necessary for the building and maintaining of lean muscle, which can help increase the body's metabolism. A frittata [is] a perfect post-morning workout meal to help repair lean muscle and provide stable energy."
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Especially if you signed up for a cardio-intensive workout, the idea of having something heavy on your tummy might not be the best idea. In this case, Faletra says preparing a veggie frittata for the week to grab after you towel off is a good way to increase metabolism. "A frittata is a great meal to start the day with because it is full of fiber from the veggies, which will help promote healthy digestion and blood sugar balance," she explains. "It also is loaded with complete protein necessary for the building and maintaining of lean muscle, which can help increase the body's metabolism. A frittata [is] a perfect post-morning workout meal to help repair lean muscle and provide stable energy."
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