Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Confused by breakfast cereal hype and marketing?

Need help with healthy breakfast ideas that are quick and easy?

For many years I never ate breakfast. I simply never felt hungry in the morning and besides there where far too many things that needed to be done before I rushed out the door to work that the idea of taking time out to sit down and eat seemed like a far fetched indulgence.

I'd always read about how important breakfast was to good health, so one day I decided to really start practicing what I was preaching and started to force myself to eat breakfast. After the first week I was sold. The difference to my energy levels and anxiety levels at the end of the day was amazing. Instead of being a tired, emotional and a brain dead mess at end of the day I was able to stay focused, calm and co-ordinated right through to the end of the day. Another added benefit was that I no longer needed a chocolate fix come 3pm.

Now I simply can't imagine leaving the house without having had breakfast. I still don't feel hungry in the mornings but these days breakfast is non negotiable.

But not all breakfasts are created equal or even healthy. Most of what is marketed as a healthy breakfast choice is anything but healthy. In fact most breakfast cereals are better suited to the junk food aisle next to chocolate bars and potato crisps.

As a general rule a balanced meal should consist of

Protein + Carbs + Fat

Depending upon your individual metabolism you may require more or less protein and fat or carbohydrate. Most breakfast cereals are nothing more than processed and denatured carbohydrates, hardly even qualifying to be called a food. Other popular breakfast favourites such as jam or honey on toast are equally unhealthy choices.

If you're stuck for healthy breakfast ideas, the following ideas will get you started in the right direction. You should notice a difference in your energy levels, concentration, focus and stress levels in just a few days.

Quick, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Eggs How-You-Like with toasted sourdough bread and butter

• Poached eggs
• Omelette
• Scrambled eggs
• Boiled egg

Power Smoothie

• 2 raw egg yolks + half cup or milk, kefir or yoghurt + fresh or frozen fruit

Sourdough toast with butter and

• Cheese, avocodo and tomato
• Cottage cheese
• Peanut butter, almond spread or macadamia spread

Porridge

• made from rolled oats, NOT instant oats. Make sure you soak them overnight with a little yoghurt or lemon juice

Bircher Mueslie

• Soak rolled oats overnight mixed with yoghurt, lemon or lime juice and mixed nuts and seeds. Add fresh fruit such as grated apple, chopped figs, berries etc when serving in the morning. You can make enough bircher mueslie mix to last up to 3 days.

Full fat yoghurt or cottage cheese with fresh fruit salad and freshly ground linseed/flaxseed meal.

Why is Breakfast So Important?

Having no appetite in the morning is a typical sign of a condition known as 'sympathetic dominance' - or the tendency to live on adrenalin or stress hormones to get through the day. When you rely on stress hormones for energy to get through the day, your digestive system is shut down and your body never gets a chance to truly heal, a bit like driving your car around for a few years without ever having it serviced. Starting the day with a good breakfast is one of the best ways to start nourishing and re-balancing your nervous system. If you skip breakfast after already fasting overnight for 8-10 hours your body will begin to break down muscle in order to provide fuel for your brain. This has disastrous consequences for your long term health.

Eating a sugary or poor quality breakfast will cause your blood sugar levels to crash mid morning setting your up for a cycle of food cravings and fatigue for the rest of the day. If you're prone to anxiety, you'll also find it much harder to cope with stress, especially later on in the day. If you find yourself falling asleep in the afternoon or craving stimulants such as tea and coffee or sugar to keep your brain switched on around 2-4pm, chances are pretty high that your breakfast is to blame.

If you are prone to anxiety, it's absolutely essential that you start the day with enough fat and protein - eggs are perfect. Contrary to what you may have been told, this won't make you gain weight, in fact you'll experience the opposite effect as your metabolism and nervous system reach a balanced state of health, your weight will normalise.

A good breakfast will make it easy to make healthy food choices for the rest of the day and will keep your brain and body fueled for a productive and satisfying day.


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