6 “Healthy” Breakfasts Causing Your Mid-Morning Energy Crash

Does this sound familiar? It’s 10:30am and your eyelids are closing. You have so much work that needs to get done, but all you can think about is your bed. Your energy is completely squashed, and your only hope for getting anything done is heading to the kitchen for another cup of coffee…and maybe a muffin for a quick pick-me-up. 

If this only happened every now and then, it wouldn’t be such a problem. But, this is a daily occurrence for you. Monday through Friday, around mid-morning, your energy crashes. You literally have to schedule your to-do list around this time, because you know as soon as your energy goes down, all hope for “getting stuff done” does, too. As a busy professional, with a…whacky…sleep schedule (to say the least) you feel like this crash is inevitable. This mid-morning loss of productivity is just something you have to deal with until you retire. I mean, it’s been happening as long as you can remember. And your coworkers? Well, let’s just say it’s a mad dash for the coffee pot at 11am. It’s all just part of the job, right? 

What Causes the Crash? 

This energy crash actually signals a deeper concern, one of blood glucose dysregulation. Now this is a topic that I could go on for hours about, but I want to make this blog post simple and actionable so we’ll stick to what you can do today (or, probably tomorrow at this point) to dodge this crash and have sustained energy throughout your entire day. Blood glucose dysregulation is exactly what you’re feeling and experiencing. After eating a meal, your energy spikes for a few hours, you feel on top of the world, super productive and energetic. But, shortly thereafter, your energy collapses. You feel like you’ve just been hit by a bus, like you need to either lay down or have someone hold your head up for you while you try and blankly stare at your computer screen. 

Now this can (and probably does) happen after every meal, however if you’re experiencing this crash around mid-morning, it’s probably due to your breakfast.  Yep, you heard that right. What you eat as your first meal of the day may actually be draining your energy when you need it most! Good news is you can do something about it. As long as you know what types of foods to avoid. 

Healthy, Hearty Breakfast? Think Again. 

In our society, we have placed health “halos” around certain breakfast foods that may actually be anything but. When it comes to energy regulation, we want foods that help to regulate our blood sugar and insulin levels, instead of ones that are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing your insulin levels to spike out of control and then come crashing down. If you’re like many Americans, you probably consume what our culture considers regular “breakfast” foods that unfortunately consist of these blood sugar and insulin spiking nutrients. 

Here are a few commonly consumed breakfast foods that are marketed as “healthy,”  but may be at the root of your energy crash. 

1. Granola/Granola Bars: I can’t tell you how many clients start my MINDPEAK program and tell me they have a healthy breakfast consisting of granola and yogurt. The yogurt, I can get behind. The granola, however, not so much. Of course, as with everything, the brand and ingredients matter, however the vast majority of granola is PACKED with sugar and carbohydrates. One serving of Quaker granola has 51g of carbs 16 of which are sugar. Studies have shown that the greater the amount of carbohydrates eaten at breakfast, the greater the level of fatigue experienced only a few hours later (Nabb & Benton, 2006). 
2. Smoothies: You probably can’t believe this one, right? Smoothies are most of the time just liquid sugar. Even if you make them yourself. One of the benefits of whole fruit is that it comes packed with fiber, which helps to delay the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, and lessen the insulin spike (Soeters, 2020). However, when you blend up fruit to make a smoothie, it might cause the fiber to be broken down and not absorbed by your gut. This can cause an extreme insulin spike. Not to mention, if you’re buying a smoothie from a store it is likely loaded with added sugars and fructose, which are both harmful for energy regulation, metabolic and overall health. 
3. Green Juices: all the craze in California, with popularity catching on around the country, this popular breakfast drink is commonly consumed by those who are trying to watch their health. I mean, a green juice sounds and looks much “healthier” than eggs and bacon, right? Truth is, I’d actually rather you eat the latter. Green juices, like smoothies, are just blended up fruits with a little bit of spinach and kale (for the green color). Just as with smoothies, the fiber that would be consumed as part of the whole fruit is destroyed by the blades of the blender, making this drink one of almost pure fructose. Placing extreme pressure on the liver, these juices will spike your blood sugar, and send your energy crashing shortly after consumption.
4. Açaí Bowls: after the past few bullet points, this energy draining breakfast item should come as no surprise. Açaí bowls are basically a smoothie in “bowl” form. And are oftentimes topped with granola. Talk about a double whammy to your energy! 
5. Muffins & Bagels: often consumed as a “healthier” alternative to donuts, this common misconception isn’t necessarily the case. Flours (even gluten free varieties) have just as much of an impact on blood glucose levels as table sugar. Meaning, your muffin or bagel will spike your blood sugar just as much as if you were eating spoonfuls of sugar. Yikes. 
6. Orange (or other fruit) Juice: as you’ve heard me say, one of the most beneficial parts of a fruit is its fiber content. In fruit juices, there is no fiber, it is purely fructose (sugar). You might as well be drinking a can of coke, as far as blood sugar is concerned. 

Are any of the above foods your breakfast regulars? You’re not alone. Millions of Americans have been fed lies that breakfast has to be sweet and carb-rich, when these are the very properties that are stealing our energy come mid-morning. One of the practices I use with the clients in my MINDPEAK program is to help them find themes with their breakfasts and energy levels throughout the day. Then, we make breakfast choices accordingly! One of my recent clients who started the program eating a fruit, granola and yogurt parfait every morning just stopped his mid-day coffee after we recognized themes, and made simple changes to his morning routine. 

You can make the mid-morning your most productive hours of the day, as long as you know what your body needs to start the day off strong. If you want help building YOUR best breakfast, sign up for a FREE 30 minute coaching session here. Together, we’ll work to recognize themes and find a breakfast that helps to sustain your energy all morning (and day!) long. 

References

Nabb, S; Benton, D. (2006). The Effect of the Interaction Between Glucose Tolerance and Breakfasts Varing in Carbohydrate and Fiber on Mood and Cognition. Nutrition Neuroscience. 9, 161- 168.

Soeters, M. R. (2020). Food intake sequence modulates postprandial glycemia. Clinical Nutrition, 39(8), 2335–2336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.06.009