Champion Breakfast

With the Olympics now over, many of the medal winners will soon adorn the boxes of breakfast cereal. I find it strange the products that many of the athletes end up supporting. If they actually consumed the “breakfast of champions”, chances are pretty good they wouldn’t be number on in the world.

I find that breakfast is a challenge for many. Poor elimination and low stomach acid can leave some not wanting to eat anything or if they do eat something, feeling a bit squeamish (if this is you, you might want to see me) For others it is a matter of trading in the highly processed sugary boxed cereal for something wholesome and sustaining. It is so important to start your day with your blood sugar balanced otherwise you are spending your entire day playing catch up. This has direct effect on all your hormones in general.

One of the main rationalizations I hear from those struggling with breakfast is the time card. Morning schedules too hectic. Breakfast needs to be quick and convenient. I am sharing a recent breakfast of mine. At the most, it may have taken 7 minutes to put together  

My champion breakfast:

            whole grain millet topped with homemade maple strawberry preserves

            raw pecans

steamed broccoli and cauliflower

I am a big fan of whole grains to start your day. Its nutrient and fibre content are great for balancing blood sugar, sustaining energy and having a positive effect on mood.  I had soaked and cooked the millet before hand so all that was needed was a quick heat up in the toaster oven.  I topped it with some local strawberries I had sweetened with a little maple syrup. You can use any grain and fruit combo that suits your fancy.

It’s important to include some healthy fat in your first meal of the day. I chose pecans today but any nut or an egg or even avocado would do.

So you may be questioning the veggies as a side dish.  Not our normal breakfast but if you look to our neighbours around the world you may see many examples of this.  So, why not? Step outside your cereal box and choose nutrient dense foods over “supposed to” foods.  Steamed brassica family give a little morning love to your liver helping it better process reproductive and thyroid hormones. This makes them a great choice to start you day. I had previously steamed the broccoli and cauliflower, again saving time. 

So take some time to think about breakfast and be your own champion.

Simple tradition on a hot summer's day.

Nova Scotians, Maritmers, we are a sea people. I love this part of our collective character but my house, however, is about as far away from the ocean as you can get in this province. Granted that isn’t very far considering the tell tale salt residue left by the fog on my windows. So it is a farming heritage that flows through my veins; a people who worked the land not the sea. In this tradition the largest meal of the day was dinner time, noon.  Supper was a lighter and easier meal at the end of the day. I would argue this to be a better way to eat though our lives are no longer always organized to allow for this. It is at this time of year that I am reminded of simpler suppers. Growing up it was a given that as soon as the wax beans were ripe and ready to be picked - that was supper. Just a plate full of delicious, fresh harvest dripping in butter to feed the body and the soul. It is a tradition that I have continued. There is nothing more satisfying than a simple pleasure steeped in tradition.  My own beans are not quite ready yet but I have been enjoying the bounty from the farmers market. So the next time you can’t think of what to make on these glorious hot days, keep it simple. Make it tradition. For those who are unable to enjoy the pleasure of butter, try drizzling your beans with cold pressed olive oil and a pinch of celtic sea salt. Thinly sliced local garlic would be divine as well. Enjoy!