What do you eat to break the fast? If you're like the majority of people in North America, your breakfast might consist of something baked - maybe toast or a bagel or muffin (dairy and grains)? Maybe some yogurt (dairy) with granola or other whole grain cereal (more grains)? How about eggs? Or store bought bacon or sausages. Maybe you're doing a shake or smoothie (dairy or soy?) or bulletproof coffee (dairy in the butter?) or maybe you just skip breakfast altogether?
For a long time I just ate eggs and fruit for breakfast but since finding out that eggs were contributing to my inflammatory load, I mostly avoid them as well, unless I find some real free range eggs. I eat them once in a while now that I've healed my gut.
People often ask me- if you can't do gluten, dairy or eggs -what on earth do you eat for breakfast?
Well, I've had to become pretty creative over the past few years for breakfasts but I love that what I choose to eat gives me all the good nutrients and satisfies me with none of the inflammation!
One of the best things to start the day with is actually 15-20 min before eating squeeze a half of a lemon into some room temperature water and down it for some great health benefits such as:
*Immune system and energy boost.
*Vitamin C is helpful when stressed
*Potassium
*Digestion- helps removes toxins
*helps with GERD
*Cleanses liver
*Freshens breath and soothes toothaches
*Helps skin with antioxidants- lessens blemishes and wrinkles
*Helps lose weight because of pectin fiber
*Reduces inflammation- reducing acid in body and uric acid in joints.
*Calms nervous system
*Helps fight viral infections - can help fight virus because it boosts immune system.
One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is turkey sausage patties that I make myself. High in quality protein and little to no carbs to spike my blood sugar make them perfect for breakfast. They're very easy to make and I love how I can control the quality of meat and the ingredients that go into them. Of particular importance is the quality of salt that I use- making sure to never use refined table salt and always either Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt.
Then the flavor profile is whatever I feel like doing!
I started with a basic sausage seasoning recipe- for every lb. Of meat add:
1 tsp salt (per lb. Of meat)
1 tsp sage
1 tsp Italian herb blend
1 tsp onion (or garlic) powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
This has recently morphed into whatever blend I feel in the moment. Fennel seeds add great flavoring to these! Or add red pepper flakes for some heat! I will also sometimes add finely chopped produce or herbs at times- in the past I've added parsley, chives, cilantro, apple, onions (of course), spinach, carrots...be creative!
These sausage patties are amazing for breakfast because they are a high quality protein, can be frozen, and thaw beautifully for a quick breakfast! Pair them with fruit of your choice or sweet potato & avocado!
Another thing I make is something called "noatmeal". Yes you read that correctly- not oatmeal, because even though there is gluten-free oatmeal, it is still inflammatory (grains) and will spike your blood sugar, so instead of that I make something my body loves using spaghetti squash!
I cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then I cook both halves and scoop the cooked squash into my blender.
Then I add:
*dairy-free milk (coconut)
*pure apple cider for sweetness.
*apple sauce (pectin is great for healing the gut)
*even add some pureed pumpkin!
Blend these together and then pour that into a saucepan on the stove to cook on low while stirring in things like:
* chia seeds & hemp hearts, and other nuts for protein & healthy fats
Top with
*coconut yogurt for creamy texture with probiotics!
*real cinnamon, shredded coconut & raisins for a deeper flavor!
One medium squash like this can make enough servings of noatmeal for all 5 weekdays!
Other things I love for breakfast are:
*Apple slices with nut butter- sprinkle of sea salt and real cinnamon
*All fruit is fair game! Don't be afraid of fruit because of their powerful healing properties and high antioxidants
*baked potatoes with coconut yogurt and green onions make a quick breakfast if you need to boost your blood sugar in the morning- best if eaten with protein to avoid a blood sugar spike and drop though.
*sometimes I'll make a beautiful dairy-free cream of mushroom soup made from bone broth for a warm and gut healing breakfast
*spiralized sweet potatoes are amazing when baked in the oven till a bit crispy!
*you can buy bacon that is free from sugar, nitrates, and sulfites for a treat once in a while, just remember that pork will cause your liver to be sluggish so if you're trying to lose weight this may not be a great idea right now.
*add avocado to everything!! Even in smoothies to make them creamy and heart healthy!
Smoothies can be a great way to get in your fruits and veggies, but be careful what goes in them! It's taken me years to find a decent protein powder that was free from whey (dairy) and other inflammatory ingredients. Most of the marketed shake powders out there you have be to be careful to read ingredients as they typically have something inflammatory like carageenan, corn based citric acid, emulsifyers like lecithins or gums that can irritate the digestive system, soy, whey or hidden sugars like maltodextrin, or anything ending in "ose", or other chemicals that are highly inflammatory. Even green coffee bean extracts can negatively effect your cardiovascular health.
Look for clean protein sources. Hemp, chia, and pumpkin seeds are high in protein as well as brown rice and quinoa (even though those are grains) some people can tolerate them as a protein source.
If I make a smoothie it will typically consist of a variation of the following:
*a scoop of clean, vegan protein powder (I use iron vegan or sunwarrior)
*coconut milk/water
* handful of spinach or other leafy greens (you can keep these in the freezer - so handy)
*some avocado chunks- these also come on the freezer section
*half a banana or other fruits of choice
*sometimes I'll add a nut butter instead of avocado for a healthy fat
*wild blueberries- the highest quality antioxidants on the planet (wild blueberries are not white inside)
*broccoli sprouts (kept frozen for maximum cancer fighting properties)
*aloe vera- tastes gross but has amazing healing properties. You can also purchase aloe vera water - without the taste!
*fish collagen for joint health
*fermented L-Glutamine powder for gut health
Smoothies are a great way to take in lots of antioxidants, healthy fibers and other incredibly healing things that might otherwise be unpalatable - as long as the ingredients are pure and not inflammatory!
So the most important thing to remember for breakfast is to treat your body to quality, healing ingredients.
Breakfast is just a meal that breaks your fast. You can eat leftovers from supper for breakfast too! There are no rules when it comes to what to eat as long as it serves your body! Forget about the stereotypical "breakfast" foods and manufactured diet products and just eat nourishing foods :)
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