I like the traditional breakfast: omelets, pancakes, and French toast.  If your not into fruits or oatmeal, but love breakfast, you can have 3 absolutely delicious, healthy breakfasts that are high in protein, and have good, slow-digesting carbs by just making a few adjustments to the recipe:

1.) FRENCH TOAST — Instead of quick-digesting white bread, opt for 2 slices of whole wheat toast.  Batter in 1 egg mixed with cinnamon.  Serve with sugar-free or low-sugar syrup.

2.) OMELET – You could use 2 eggs, but if you’re striving for a low-fat diet, you can use egg whites.  Add vegetables (I would go with peppers and onions) and low-fat ham, or potatoes, with 2% milk cheese (cheddar, provolone, mozzarella, or whatever you prefer).

3.) PANCAKES – With this protein pancake recipe, you can make pancakes with oatmeal, cottage cheese, and eggs.  It’s loaded with protein and still delicious: just add cinnamon and vanilla extract.  Serve with sugar-free or low-sugar syrup.

Carbohydrates are the best fuel for all types of activities and help to provide essential nutrients, give you energy during exercise, and replace stored energy in the muscles (glycogen). The description of carbohydrates as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is based on glycemic index (a measure of the quality of the carbohydrate in terms of how much it raises blood sugar). Foods having a high GI are generally thought to be ‘bad’ because they raise blood sugar more than ‘good’ carbs do. Proponents of the glycemic index claim that this leads to excessive insulin secretion, which can cause weight gain and health problems. For example, foods such as whole-grain breads are said to offer “good” carbs, because they have a lower GI than white bread. Nevertheless, all carbohydrates do, in fact, break down in the gastrointestinal tract to glucose, but unfortunately, some break down more quickly and this is where the problem begins.

The body converts carbs to sugar molecules, which are either burned or stored. The faster the conversion takes place, the quicker the blood sugar goes up, thus the higher the glycemic index (GI). White bread, for example, will break down quicker than an apple. The theory is that when blood sugar goes up quickly, metabolism is affected. The body responds with a surge of insulin, which is said to cause the sugar to be stored in muscle and fat.

All carbohydrates in the Food Guide Pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/), grains, fruits, vegetables, and some dairy, eventually are converted to glucose. However, any amount of calories beyond the need of the growth mechanism turns into fat. In other words, whether it is protein, carbohydrate, or fat, taking in calories above the “need” will result in fat gain if they are not used by the muscles during high intensity exercise.

Following a diet that eliminates carbohydrate or fat, as a lot of fad diets do, is not metabolically correct. The brain relies primarily on glucose for energy, and if you follow a high-protein diet with minimal to zero carbohydrates, you will note the difference in your cognitive abilities. Therefore, in order to feed the brain and body, you need to understand that there is a purpose and place for protein, carbohydrate, and fat.