If you're looking for a drink to accompany your breakfast foods in the morning, my best advice and honest opinion is not to reach for the juice. I always have coconut water with my breakfast. It's THE natural energy drink and loaded with electrolytes. Learn more about coconut water and its benefits from a previous blog post HERE.
Omelets- eggs are high in protein, but be sure to include the yolk as it contains several important nutrients including vitamin A and zinc, which support immune health and tissue growth. Sure, you can have your eggs scrambled- BUT, omelets are more fun because you add other yummy stuff to the eggs. Note that leafy greens are energy boosting. A yummy omelet to consider (I had this prior to learning of my sensitivities) would be a spinach, tomato, and feta cheese omelet. Whenever I have an omelet, I have fruit on the side. I like to have bananas in the morning because they're high in potassium, which is an electrolyte. Spinach also contains a lot of potassium. Other ideas for veggies in omelets that I enjoy include zucchini, summer squash, onions, and organic mozzarella.
Add raw/lightly salted almonds or walnuts for added protein. If you make a big enough bowl it's VERY filling. This is often my go-to breakfast. If I make a smaller bowl, I might have a rice cake with sunflower butter or almond butter, too.
Nut butters are a great way to go in the morning or even as a late-morning snack for protein, energy, and to keep your blood sugar stabilized. One thing I have learned, believe this or not, is that peanut butter contains aflatoxin, which is a fungus that has been linked to cancer. Yes, peanut butter is a moldy nut butter. If you're gonna go the nut butter route, almond or sunflower butter are my recommendations. If you need your peanut butter, buy it organic and keep it IN THE FRIDGE.
Another smoothie I'm a fan of is the banana and nut butter smoothie with chocolate rice protein powder!
Of course there's always the green smoothie, which when mentioned, will make some of us shutter and dry-heave. BUT as I said before, leafy greens are known for their energy-boosting properties. Please know that when you cook the leafy greens (like you would with spinach in an omelet) you're not reaping the nutritional benefits of the greens that you would be if you ate them raw. No one necessarily likes to prepare a spinach salad for breakfast and understandably so. The solution- a raw green smoothie.
Energy!
Reduces inflammation
Blood purification
Supports digestive health
Benefits depending on the fruits you add to your green smoothie:
Great doses of vitamins A, C, E, and K
Great doses of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium
High fiber content prolongs energizing effects
Fights against aging and disease (Steckler, 2013).
I've never prepared my own green smoothie so I don't have recipe suggestions based on what tickles my own palate. Here are some websites I found with different recipe ideas. If anyone knows of some good green smoothie recipes, please send them to [email protected] and I'll share them! :)
Fruit & green smoothie recipes
Simple green smoothies
Yummy Mummy Kitchen- "best green smoothie recipe"
5 delicious green smoothies for beginners
...Just some ideas :) Also, I take no responsibility for whatever kind of weird shit happens in your blender.
*Help weight loss
*Reduce food cravings
*Regulate appetite, sleep, and mood
*Feel fuller faster & longer- they absorb 10 times their weight in water forming a bulky gel, which slows down the digestive process. This gel is also hydrating.
*Reduce inflammation
*Omega-3's
*Slow down how fast our bodies convert carbs into simple sugars, thus controlling blood sugar. *Beneficial for diabetics.*
*Great source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium
One source explained that when shopping for chia seeds, quality is obviously important. Black and white seeds are solid choices. Avoid red chia seeds, which are immature chia seeds and small black seeds that are visibly smaller than regular black chia seeds.
Check out this awesome source HERE and learn more about the benefits of chia seeds.
Another important thing to consider is making sure you have an energy-stabilizing snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Also check out my blog post on L-Glutamine supplements HERE and learn about the benefits this amino acid has to offer in terms of boosting your energy and stabilizing your blood sugar!
*If anyone has other ideas for energy-boosting breakfasts please feel free to comment on this post and share them! :)
Steckler, Joshua. "Green smoothies provide health benefits, energy boost." Daily Herald . N.p., 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 1 Aug. 2013. <http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130318/entlife/703189983/>.