Episode 3: Supercharge Your Breakfast and Increase Your Energy Levels with May Tom, RD

Ali Segersten Feb 03, 2025 2 comments
Podcast episode 3 May Tom RD

In Episode 3 of the Restorative Nourishment Podcast I am speaking with May Tom, RD. May is a registered dietitian with an extensive training in functional medicine and is a certified Functional Medicine practitioner. May received her undergraduate degree in physiology and neuroscience from the University of California San Diego. She received her master's in public health from Loma Linda University along with her dietetics license. May is passionate about optimizing patient outcomes through discovery, education, and behavior modification. In this episode, we're talking about how to upgrade your metabolism and increase your energy with a supercharged breakfast so you can function your best and live your life's purpose.

Are we starting off the day fueling properly? If you didn't sleep well and if you're under a lot of stress, it's easier to make poor dietary choices. Most people gravitate toward a carbohydrate-heavy breakfast after a night of not sleeping or during periods of high stress because carbohydrates reduce cortisol and also raise serotonin. It's a little bit of a self-medicating thing that we just gravitate towards when we're stressed or under slept.

How can we balance cortisol, blood sugar, and our circadian rhythms? We do this by consuming a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast with a good amount of healthy fats. A breakfast like this consumed at the appropriate time can be considered a zeitgeber, or "time-giver" to help entrain your body's circadian rhythm and balance cortisol levels. 

In this podcast episode, learn the best timeframe to consume breakfast after waking, what the best ratio of macros is for sustained energy throughout the day, and different nutrient-dense breakfast options to include in your weekly meal planning. 

Watch or listen to Episode 3: 

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Watch on YouTube

Remote video URL

Consuming a high-protein breakfast with at least 25 to 30 grams of protein, at least 10 grams of fiber, and around 30 grams of fat will help stabilize blood sugar throughout the day, keeping you focused, energized, and greatly reduce food cravings for sugar and refined carbs.

Breakfast Ideas from our Meal Planner Mentioned in the Podcast:

Cottage Cheese, Egg, and Avocado Breakfast Bowls (note: 1 cup of cottage cheese contains 28 grams of protein)

Black Rice, Turkey, and Cabbage Breakfast Hash

Turkey Zucchini Hash

Raw Chia Breakfast Porridge

Overnight Chia-Oat Pudding

More Links:

May's Breakfast Video on YouTube

May's YouTube Channel

May's High-Protein Recipe List from Nourishing Meals®

Learn more about becoming a Nourishing Meals® member to get access to all of our nutrient-dense breakfast recipes and meal planning tools!

ALI-2023-PHOTO-VERTICAL-2

About the Author

Alissa Segersten, MS, CN

Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 1,800 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.

See More

Nourishing Meals Newsletter

Email updates.

Add Comment

Comments

Excellent content and
takeaways in abundance!

Thank you ladies.

Heather
(Supercharge your breakfast)

Thank you, Heather! Glad you enjoyed it! :)

Related Posts

BLUEBERRIES STRAWBERRIES MINT-12
Apr 22, 2025

How to Use the Low-FODMAP Diet to Relieve IBS and Calm Gut Inflammation

Some of us don’t just feel digestive distress—we feel like our bodies have become unpredictable strangers. When every bite becomes a question mark, how do we find our way back to trust, ease, and belonging in our own skin? For those living with persistent digestive issues, eating is rarely simple. Even healthy foods like garlic, onions, apples, and lentils can set off a cascade of symptoms. The gut becomes a battleground. The joy of food disappears. And we’re left asking: Will I ever feel normal again? In the remove and replace phase of healing, we eliminate problematic foods and replace them with nourishing alternatives—foods that calm inflammation, soothe the digestive tract, and help regulate immune function. This is the part of the journey where rebuilding begins.

Read More
LAVENDER FIELDS SUNSET-1
Apr 18, 2025

How to Leave the Known and Rewire Your Brain for Lasting Change

There comes a moment, often disguised as discomfort, when you know it’s time to change. Time to stop shrinking into old patterns that once kept you safe, but now keep you stuck. Time to step over the edge of the known and into the luminous unknown where real change begins. But if you’ve ever tried to shift your diet, a habit, a thought loop, or a way of being that feels like second nature, you know how hard it can be. Your mind may long for transformation, but your nervous system clings to the familiar—even when it no longer serves. This isn’t weakness. It’s biology. Your brain is wired to protect you—to favor what’s known, what feels safe, what conserves energy. It stores habits—of thought, behavior, even self-talk—like well-worn trails in the forest. Walking a new path requires effort, repetition, and, most of all, self-love.

Read More
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET FOOD-2
Apr 14, 2025

How to Do an Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Calm Inflammation

Our bodies are always speaking to us. And at some point, the signs become too loud to ignore. We wake up tired. Our digestion feels off. We are holding on to extra weight. Our skin flares, our moods swing, and we barely recognize the energy we once had. We know we aren’t eating the way we should—but we also don’t know where to begin. It all feels overwhelming, so we keep putting it off. And eventually, we begin to wonder...“Is this just how I’m supposed to feel now?” When your body feels inflamed, tired, bloated, or foggy—despite your best efforts to eat well—it may be a sign of hidden inflammation quietly impacting your energy, digestion, and clarity. Through a therapeutic, whole foods-based approach, the Anti-Inflammatory Diet offers a powerful path to restore balance by removing common food triggers, calming the immune system, and nourishing your body at a cellular level.

Read More
YELLOW MUG OF HOT TEA
Apr 07, 2025

Digestive Health, Food Sensitivities, and the Role of the Nervous System

Every day, millions of people walk through life carrying symptoms they’ve come to normalize: bloating after meals, fatigue that never lifts, skin rashes, joint pain, brain fog, chronic sinus issues, or relentless anxiety. They reach for antacids, pain relievers, or other quick fixes—attempting to silence the body’s signals instead of pausing to ask what those symptoms are truly trying to reveal. Every symptom is a doorway into reclaiming your health and your life. They are not signs that your body is broken—they are signs that your body is speaking. That something within you is asking to be witnessed, nourished, and healed. Meet your symptoms as an ally to your growth and healing. Food sensitivities are not merely about "cutting out the wrong foods." They are a sign that the inner terrain—the gut, the immune system, the nervous system—is asking for restoration.

Read More
GLUTEN-FREE CHERRY-ALMOND MUFFINS-22
Apr 03, 2025

Swap This for That: A Guide to Healthy Food Sensitivity Alternatives

If you're walking the path of healing, there's a moment when you begin to see that what you remove from your diet isn’t just about restriction—it’s about making space for deeper nourishment. With each new nourishing food choice, you are rewriting old patterns. You are actively reshaping the story of your health. You are rewiring your body and brain toward the state of vitality and well-being you desire. So as you begin to explore new food swaps for old, familiar favorites, remember that with every bite, you are powerfully shifting your internal chemistry. You are turning down inflammatory pathways. You are turning on healing and anti-aging pathways. And you are creating a future self who feels more vibrant, resilient, and at home in your body.

Read More
sacred pause candle-1
Mar 28, 2025

The Sacred Pause: How to Begin Healing by Letting Go of What’s Holding You Back

Sometimes the deepest healing doesn’t come from adding more—but from letting go. When we release what no longer serves us, we create the space our body needs to restore balance and begin to heal. The remove phase of the elimination diet process invites us into a rare and sacred moment: a pause. Not just from inflammatory foods, but from the unconscious patterns and loops that have kept our bodies in distress and our minds disconnected from our inner knowing. This isn't about lack or restriction. It’s about reverence. The kind that allows us to create space for healing, listening, and nourishing ourselves on every level. Letting go can stir up more than just cravings. It can awaken grief, uncertainty, even identity questions. You may find yourself asking: Who am I without my morning coffee? Without that glass of wine to unwind? Without the comforting foods I reach for when life feels overwhelming?

Read More