14 Jul Start the day like a king

start the day like a king…by Karen Latter

“What did you eat for breakfast today?” is a question I always ask my patients in clinic. The answers I get range from: a bowl of cereal, to a slice of toast, to a cup of coffee and (more than I would like) the answer is “I ate nothing”. I rarely come across people who are having what would be considered to be a healthy, nutritionally packed breakfast.

So what ever happened to, “Eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”? It would seem that many of us have forgotten or perhaps never knew what a healthy breakfast actually entails. Maybe in our “eat and go” lifestyle we just simply don’t have the time.

For all of us, a good breakfast will set us up for the day to come so we can perform at our mental and physical best. Meanwhile a poor nutritional start is likely to lead to blood sugar imbalances, mood instability and poor concentration. For the earlier exercisers among us eating a substantial and healthy breakfast will support our metabolism and allow our bodies to burn calories more efficiently.

What follows are some of my tips for eating a healthy breakfast:-

• Start the morning with some warm water with a squeeze of lemon; this will act as a morning elixir whilst readying your digestive system for breakfast.

• A bowl of porridge – Cooked wholegrains such as oat porridge make a perfect winter’s breakfast as they are complex carbohydrates which provide the body with adequate fuel whilst keeping your body warm. Try adding some stewed fruit, sliced banana, some nuts, a blob of raw honey or some natural yogurt to enhance the taste. For a superfood twist you can use quinoa or chia seeds instead of the traditional oats.

• Stewed fruit – the best fruits to use are the autumn fruits e.g. apples, pears and dried fruit such as prunes and apricots. Heating the fruit makes it less cooling and more appropriate for colder days. Cook the fruit with some added spice to taste, such as ginger, cloves and cinnamon and once stewed finish off with some natural yogurt and a sprinkling of crunchy seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin.

• Eggs – choose free range remembering that free range chickens have room to roam and run around unlike their battery cousins – the result is the free range egg is often more vibrant in colour, higher in nutrients and better in taste. Boiling or poaching eggs are preferable over scrambling or frying. Eggs are an excellent source of protein with each egg containing approximately 6g of protein.

• Bread – always buy and eat wholemeal bread. All the vitamins, minerals and fibre are contained in the outer husk of the seed. When making white bread, this outer husk is removed and only the wheat germ remains. White bread contains almost no fibre or nutrients.

• Butter – is a saturated fat and is an excellent source of energy. It is also high in cholesterol, but if other cholesterol sources in the diet (e.g. red meat, diary, cracked / fried eggs) are low will not cause a problem if eaten in moderation. Avoid margarines which are highly processed and often contain damaged fats.

• Coffee – if you like to have a morning coffee, stick to one a day and make sure you eat breakfast first as it can be harsh on an empty stomach.

• Juice – always buy 100% juice with no preservatives and no added sugar or treat yourself to a fresh juice (be sure to include at least 50% vegetable juice).

Recently, I was particularly inspired by a Frenchman I met who was telling me he always takes at least an hour each morning to enjoy breakfast, for him this meant, good quality ingredients and eating in a relaxed manner whilst reading the morning paper. Very simple, but the essence of my final tip – give yourself time to enjoy your breakfast and you will truly start the day like a King…

Note: Karen will be speaking at the next Pure Fitness Seminar where she will be discussing healthy recipes, tips on starting a wholefood pantry and answering your health questions.

Karen Latter works as a Naturopath & Nutritionist at Sydney Health & Fertility, Manly. For more information go to http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/therapist./karenlatter/21447 If you are interested in booking an appointment with Karen please call 0405 707 156 – Karen is pleased to offer Pure Fitness Members $20 off their first consultation with her.