From my childhood until approximately five years ago, I never really thought about what I ate for breakfast. Like everyone else I had heard many times that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. A common breakfast for me was orange juice with one or more of the following: cereal with milk, some sort of fresh fruit, and often toast with jam. Hearing that some people don’t eat anything for breakfast made me think and feel that I was doing pretty well eating what I was. I would usually have a lot of energy, and would sometimes have a corresponding dip in my energy a few hours later. It was something that I considered normal and had gotten so used to it that I didn’t give it any further thought.
I then started working for a different company in the corporate world. That company offered very good benefits, including a 75% reimbursement for naturopathic doctor consultations. I had heard from various people about how much they had benefitted from seeing a naturopathic doctor and was curious…
In the span of a few months I had sessions with a naturopathic doctor. She asked me a number of questions about my daily life, habits, routines, and typical eating patterns. That doctor suggested that by changing my breakfast I would more sustainable energy, especially in the morning. And allow me to not have or minimize mid-morning energy crashes.
What changes did I make?
- Eliminated frozen concentrated orange juice
- Eliminated refined sugar
- Eliminated simple carbohydrates
- Added more protein
- Added complex carbohydrates
- Added healthy fats
What do I eat for breakfast now?
It depends on how much time I have and what Im doing later that morning. When Im in a rush Ill have a high quality greens protein shake with no sugar. Sometimes Ill have eggs with gluten-free toasted bread. Or oatmeal with blueberries, crushed walnuts and hemp seed. Other times Ill make a green smoothie with high quality greens protein powder. I also make energy muffins with ground almonds and no sugar. Theyre stored in the freezer and sometimes Ill grab a couple of those for breakfast. I eat out for breakfast sometimes, and when I do I order whatever Id like as a treat!
How did it affect my energy and mood for the morning?
Both are more consistently better.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Read more of Scott’s blog posts for IBPF here or visit his personal blog.