TV’s favourite health expert, Dr Hilary Jones, has disclosed the one crucial action we should all incorporate into our morning routines to enhance weight loss.
Speaking with Lorraine Kelly on her ITV show earlier this year, Dr Hilary walked viewers through a simple ‘healthy morning routine’ that’s easily adaptable. Foremost in his advice was drinking water just after waking up.
“So if we look at the day as a whole, you start the day already dehydrated when you wake up. So drinking water, hydrating, is really important,” he advised Lorraine.
Dr Hilary went on to detail that an initial step at 7am, or whatever time you rise, should be to drink water, reports Gloucestershire Live. He highlighted the upsides: “First thing in the morning, 7am, drink water – lots of benefits here. It boosts your mood because you’re rehydrating, helps with energy levels and it will also help with weight loss,” he advocated.
The doctor emphasised that starting the day with water could reduce the desire for heavy breakfasts and cut calorie intake as it lends a sense of fullness. Drinking water before meals is a habit of some people looking to lose weight.
He said: “If you have a pint of water when you wake up, you’re less likely to have a fry up or less likely to have so many calories because you feel fuller.”
Coming to dietary advice, Dr Hilary continued: “When we get to 8am, this is the time you’re going to have your breakfast and protein is definitely good for satiety, it fills you up. You’re going to gave less carbohydrates if you have more protein. We used to say ‘go to work on an egg’, it’s still true. Eggs are a really good source of protein.”
At 9am, an hour into Dr Hilary’s routine, he suggests that this is the moment “people are thinking about coffee”. He elaborated that postponing your morning coffee until then can be more beneficial, explaining that “having your coffee a bit later, you maintain your motivation to get on with the day.”
Having it too early could lead to a caffeine crash and unstable energy levels throughout the day. He advises waiting until your stress hormone, cortisol, has decreased from its peak, which occurs around 45 minutes after waking up, to reap various energy and concentration advantages.