T.S. Wiley wrote a lot about the protein-rich breakfast; here’s my understanding of her take on it.
N.B. I highly recommend her book, Lights out: sleep, sugar, and survival.
Quotes are mainly taken from the text. I’ve tracked down some of the cites; the rest are in the back of the book, albeit somewhat unorganized :/
Part 1. We naturally have a cortisol spike first thing in the morning, known as the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). This peak, which can be screwed up by artificial light at night or a big evening dinner, helps support morning light-induced dopamine.
Dopamine is great, but may induce impulsivity if it’s unfettered.
Enter: the protein-rich breakfast. It provides tryptophan and a bit of insulin to promote serotonin synthesis (eg, Manjarrez-Gutierrez et al., 1999).
Not enough serotonin to make you crazy, just enough to balance the dopamine = impulse control.
~ circadian balance achieved ~
led the charge in low carb, high protein, fibre-rich bars. “Fibre-rich” is really the key in allowing a bona fide “low carb” bar with shelf-stability and decent texture. Sugar alcohols have also been used in some, but due to the high incidence of maltitol-induced GI discomfort, ymmv. But in general, you need one or the other to provide bulk and keep it together (except 
, which use black magic).
would collaborate with one of these companies]
may have missed some of the nuances here.
