PPP 15: Benefits of Breakfast

Summary:

This is the fifth in my health and wellness series, and we are talking about one of my FAVORITE parts of the day: breakfast!!! Mmm, I am a lover of food, and especially after I have slept, worked out, and ideally spent 12-15 hours without any food in my stomach, I am ready to break that fast!!! So, in this podcast we discuss some principles about when to eat, what to eat and how to eat…to help make breakfast part of a continued wellness journey!

In this Episode you will Learn:

My top 4 reasons to eat breakfast:

1. Breakfast helps to jumpstart your metabolism, and regulate your blood sugar levels.
2. Breakfast (a healthy one!!) Helps to stimulate energy and boost brain activity.
3. People who eat a quality breakfast regularly, have an easier time losing weight, and breakfast eaters typically maintain healthier weights.
4. Because breakfast food is delicious and has a long standing reputation in our culture as a meal of abundance and “feel-good” nutrition.

General Breakfast Tips:

1. Eat. (So easy…just make sure you put food into your body)
2. Eat a hearty breakfast. (make it the largest meal of your day…of course we want to avoid overeating, and we want to eat healthy foods, but if you are going to “fill up” at any meal…make it breakfast! You have the rest of the day to use up that energy and get it to your cells! )
3. Eat high quality nutrients, you body is going to soak up these nutrients pretty rapidly and much of the remainder your day will depend on how you fuel your body, at this meal! Get some healthy fats, carbs and proteins.
4. When it comes to food, and mostly everything in your health/wellness journey, I am a believer of adding “good things” versus avoiding “bad things”. SO, my goal for you is to focus more on adding quality foods, and sooner or later the “bad” food will not have any room!!

The Specifics:

There are so so many breakfast options, but here are my top 6 Breakfast Choices:

1. Egg Sandwich: One fried egg (seasoned with Pink Himalayan Sea-salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper). Placed on toast. I use Dave’s Killer Bread, Silver Hills Bakery Bread, or some other sprouted or sourdough option. Topped with vegenaise, avocado, and tomato. **if you do not have your own chickens, or access to quality eggs, I recommend replacing the eggs with scrambled tofu and tumeric**

   

2. Breakfast scramble: Fried eggs with onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes & spinach. Season with salt and pepper and top with salsa, fresh avocado, & fresh basil. **if you do not have your own chickens, or access to quality eggs, I recommend replacing the eggs with scrambled tofu and tumeric**
3. Quinoa Pancakes:

• • • My Millet/Quinoa Pancake Recipe (Sugar-free and Gluten-free and easily turned Vegan)
    • Serve with peanut butter/almond butter and pure maple syrup.

4. Oatmeal/Cereal : Steel cut oats like THESE. Fry them dry for about 5 minutes before adding water and cooking like normal, rolled-oats oatmeal. Eat with some almond/cashew/brown rice milk , raisins and maple syrup. Or eat plain with some Braggs Aminos—-(I know I have some unique flavor appreciations) Or rolled oats, I like to cook my rolled oats in water with dried fruit, apples, pears, honey, cinnamon, walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds and pecans! Top with some freshly ground flaxseed or chia seeds.  (I also like to add some protein powder to this…I used Vega for a long time, but I have been loving Organifi’s vanilla protein lately :))
5. Almond/cashew/peanut butter Toast & Banana: A piece of Dave’s Killer Bread, or Silver Hills Bakery Sprouted Bread (or some sprouted whole grain, sourdough or gluten free bread option) toasted, spread with almond butter/peanut butter, and topped with honey, cinnamon, and banana.
6. Smoothie/Smoothie Bowl: Blended smoothie, this changes based on the season for me…But in general it is frozen organic fruit, banana, garden greens, chia seeds, aloe insides ;), nut milk, protein powder, sometimes a drop of essential oil, and ice…blend it up, and top with your favorites, (shredded coconut, craisins, dried cherries, flax/chia, almond butter, various nuts….etc)
   

   

• I like my routines, so my breakfast practices do not change much from day to day. Along with one of the above options, every morning I have…
  • • 1-2 Fruit(s) (apple, pear, berries, peach, mango…whatever is in season)
    • Dried Fruit(s) (2 Figs, 2 Apricots, 2 Dates, 2 Prunes, some raisins)
    • Nuts (3-5 Cashews, 5-10 Almonds, 3-5 Walnuts, 1-2 Brazil nuts, 2-5 Pecans)

Breakfast on the go?

• Muesli (overnight oats, soaked in nut milk with chia seeds and any other flavoring you might enjoy) Another place I like to add my vanilla protein powder.
• Boiled egg & toast with dried fruit, nuts & a piece of fruit.
• Smoothie/smoothie bowl (explained above.)

Resources Mentioned/ Sources Used:

Shape Magazine Statistics: https://www.shape.com/blogs/fit-foodies/breakfast-stats-infographic-how-do-you-stack

Studies on Teenagers and Breakfast: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/The-Case-for-Eating-Breakfast.aspx

Reasons Breakfast is important: https://share.upmc.com/2017/07/reasons-breakfast-is-important/

Breakfast studies: https://www.oatsovernight.com/blogs/news/top-5-health-benefits-of-eating-breakfast

If you are a fellow breakfast connoisseur, I would LOVE to hear what sorts of amazing breakfasts you and your family love to consume. You can comment on the show notes page here, or you can share this episode on instagram/facebook and tag your awesome breakfast creations with #permacultureprincesspodcast.

If you have any questions for me, please feel free to reach out! AND if you try any of the recipes I shared here, I would love to know what you think and especially if you are new to the breakfast club, let me know how you’re feeling as you add this amazing meal into your day!