For breakfast, instead of:
-cereal with soy or skim milk (and yes, even your organic Kashi Go Lean, which has soy protein isolate and processed grains. Soy milk is high in plant estrogens and can adversely affect hormone levels and thyroid function). Skim milk is basically just milk sugar; your body needs the fat to absorb the fat soluble vitamins A&D.
-bran muffins (high in sugar, calories, and fat, low in protein)
-coffee (makes the body acidic, leaches minerals from bones, spikes blood sugar, taxes adrenals)
-orange juice (high in sugar. May cause sugar cravings later in the day)
-waffles, pancakes (made with processed flours, sugar, low in protein)
try:
-a smoothie made with coconut milk, spirulina, chia seeds, seasonal fruit, and gelatin or a pea/rice protein blend. This contains antioxidants, good fats, minerals from the spirulina, and good protein source.
-chicken sausage stir-fried in coconut or olive oil with greens like kale or chard (protein + greens + healthy fats = the ultimate breakfast to stabilize blood sugar and give you energy)
-dinner leftovers with cultured vegetables (krauts make a wonderful complement to meals and are high in probiotics, aiding in digestion).
-omelet scrambled with veggies and nitrate-free bacon
Breakfast is the most important meal. I write a lot about it and clients are always asking me for suggestions. Our cultural norms are sweet comfort food breakfasts: coffee cake, french toast, muffins, pastries… with coffee. These high sugar, refined breakfasts are low in protein, antioxidants, and minerals, all of which your body needs in the morning to get you going for the day. Coffee and sugar = massive crash around noon to 3pm, causing fatigue, brain fog, worse sugar cravings. These foods are also acidic, and we want alkalinizing foods to maintain health.
Try breaking out of the breakfast rut and add protein to keep blood sugar stable and some fruit or greens for antioxidants. Remove the refined grains in the AMs and find yourself working and thinking and feeling better. Add a green food powder containing chlorella and spirulina for extra minerals and an added boost. Also try green tea for its superior health benefits.
Quick breakfast ideas:
5 minutes–put a bit of coconut oil in a cast iron skillet and add chopped chicken sausage. Throw in some spinach. Top with avocado.
5 minutes– make a smoothie with fruit, tahini or almond butter, coconut milk, chia seeds, and hemp protein or gelatin. Read why I love gelatin so much here.
1 minute–grab some dinner leftovers from the night before.
10 minutes–make some chick pea pancakes. Soak 1/2 cup chick pea flour overnight in 1/2 cup water. Add a little olive oil, sea salt, and scallions and cook like you would a pancake in a skillet. Roll up smoked salmon & avocado in the pancake and enjoy.
5 minutes–2 eggs scrambled with leftover veggies and avocado. Top with salsa.
10 minutes– poach 2 eggs and steam some spinach. Top with dulse flakes.
These breakfasts are designed to give you clean burning energy for the day. Start your day with any of these meals + green tea and you’ll be clear-headed. Avoid blood sugar spikes & dips!
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
