The breakfast Dilemma

?What should I eat for breakfast? ? is one of the most common question I hear and I know it represents a real problem most of us struggle with. Is breakfast indeed the most important meal of the day? Should we eat a light or full nutritious breakfast ? High in carbs? Or rich with proteins? Let?s think about it for a moment, the word breakfast consists of two words; break and fast meaning literally breaking the fast. That is good because in order the break the fast you need to fast first and then eat, right?

EVOLUTION OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

When we evolved as a species, food was not available 24/7, when we found or hunted something, we ate and then perhaps had to fast for hours, days or even more. Our physiology has evolved to deal with these conditions, hence the whole mechanism of hormonal production, secreting insulin to remove excess glucose from the blood to keep it ?for later? and leptin to manage energy storage in fat cells and releasing it back to the blood when needed (when there is no food available). Now, our bodies still work exactly the same, only we don?t really stop eating all day long?

The more the nutrition science develops the more we look into understanding our ?manufacturing manual? in order to understand what is the optimal diet and lifestyle for us and this principle of ?intermittent eating? proves to have a lot of health benefits; regulating hormonal production, natural weight balancing, leveling blood sugar, regeneration of cells and natural healing processes and many more. For most of us, who live busy life, working, taking care of families, it is practically impossible to stop eating for a whole day or more and therefore shorter fasts on a regular basis e.g. narrowing the eating window is a perfect solution.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

So I say, fast first and then break the fast; try fast for at least 12, and even better, 14 hours before you start eating again. For example, if you finished your dinner around 7 or 8 pm, stop eating until 7or 8 am and if you ate later then start eating later. Some of us are naturally not hungry in the morning and some of us can?t start the day without breakfast. The only golden rule I suggest here is to listen to your own body and needs. If you have to leave the house you can always pack your breakfast to eat later. The nature of your breakfast should also take into consideration the type of work or activity you do. Is your work physically challenging or do you sit the whole day in front of a computer?

PRACTICAL TIPS

And now for some practicality. For most of us, midweek mornings are hectic as hell and not much time at hand and therefore the ultimate quick yet super nutritious breakfast can be a smoothie. You can throw in fruit, green leaves, nuts and seeds, good fats like coconut oil or avocado, your favorite super foods like green powder, maca, cacao or protein powder. As liquid you can use any nut milk, coconut water, green veg juice or herbal tea. The possibilities are endless and there are so many recipes out there, experiment a little and find your favorite. You have a whole nutritious meal in a glass and you can easily pack it in a flask or a jar and take it with you. Remember though, smoothies are food not drinks so drink really slowly as if you?re eating them rather drinking.

Here?s another dilemma, most of us tend to eat a very sugary and starchy breakfast thinking that all these carbohydrates will get us going and fuel us for the day but in fact what happens is that our blood sugar levels shoot up and come mid morning we start feeling peckish and perhaps experience an energy drop (especially if you had refined carbohydrates like cereals or white bread for breakfast). So make sure to pack your breakfast with vital nutrients (vitamins, minerals, good fats and proteins) and minimize the sugars.

BREAKFAST IDEAS & THE ULTIMATE RECIPE

Other breakfast ideas could be:

• yoghurt with some fresh fruit, nuts and seeds
• Egg of your choice with cut vegetables
• A rich (miso) broth with some greens, sprouts and tofu, just like they eat in the Far East (cook the broth in advance and reheat in the morning)
• Whole grain crackers with avocado, sprouts and fresh cut veg

And here is one of my favorites:

CHIA SEEDS PUDDING WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS

Chia seeds pudding is absolutely the ultimate breakfast for me, easy to make and ever so nutritious. Rich in the precious fatty acid omega 3, minerals, fibers, essential amino acids and more. They promote good digestion and stabilize blood sugar level. What more could you ask for?!
This dish will boost you with energy and will keep you going for a long time

Makes 1-2 portions, depends on how hungry you are in the morning?

1. 4 spoons raw chia seeds
2. 1 cup coconut milk (or other nut nut milk)
3. ? cup Goji berries soaked in water over night
4. a handful of fresh berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries etc.
5. a generous handful of raw nuts
6. 1 spoon cacao nibs (optional)

Mix the seeds and milk well by using a whisk to make sure there are no lamps. Let it ?rest? and thicken for 10-15 minutes, wile you?re busy with other morning tasks. You can prepare this in the night before and keep it in the fridge for the next morning. Spoon the soaked Goji berries on top of the pudding and top it up with the fresh fruit, nuts and cacao nibs. Here you can play with it and add any topping of your liking.

Enjoy! Your body will thank you?

Summer time, holiday time!

Ah, summer! Shorts, sandals and the the wonderful sensation of sunny warmth on your bare skin. Many of us go on holiday to make the most out of the season; a time for us to take a break! Even if you?re keeping your daily routine of work and commitments, life feels different- the warm weather (if you?re lucky), the long days with light evenings and the wonderful feeling that life is just one big, ongoing party. Time for going out or BBQing with friends, indulging yourself, loosening up and letting go. Kids are out of school and we need to pay a lot of attention to keeping them busy and entertained. If you are on a holiday or traveling, then your daily routine is completely different.

But, are you taking a break from your body? A break from your health and well being? A break from taking good care of yourself?

10 TOP STRATEGY TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING ON HOLIDAY

If you choose to live consciously and eat with care, you want to keep making those choices while on holiday. Naturally it will be a bit more complicated to do so, but if this is the path you chose in life you might want to opt for a more conscious holiday. I would like to share with you some of my tips and experience for keeping a healthy lifestyle, also during the holiday summer months.

Like everything else, it starts with putting your mind in the right place, to create the awareness. What you need to do is think about and develop a strategy. So, here are my top ten tips for forming a good strategy for a healthy, mindful holiday:

1. Decide on what is really important?for your well being so you can set yourself some borders. For example, if you?re not eating gluten, or you follow a vegetarian diet, or are limiting your alcohol consumption to very minimal, cut your sugar intake and so on, only enforce the laws that are most important to you and let go slightly with the rest. Don?t be too harsh on yourself- don?t be afraid to give yourself some legroom.

2. Good planning:?don?t leave food matters only to chance and luck. If you?re flying or traveling long hours, take food with you so you don?t find yourself hungry and bound to eat something you?d rather not.

3. Choose a self catering accommodation?where you can easily prepare your own food and thus rely less on food that is made for you with unknown ingredients and unhealthy cooking methods.

4. Include exploring local markets,?farms, artisan food producers into your travel plans. Try going on a wild herb and edible plant hunt. This not only enrich your holiday experience as well as your culinary repertoire, but will give you a chance to get your hands on some fresh, local and sustainable ingredients that you don?t get to include regularly.

5. Find out about restaurants?with good ratings that can cater for your dietary requirements ahead of time.

6. Make sure to include some physical activities?in each day of the holiday. It could be hiking or biking, swimming or practicing yoga every morning. Choose something enjoyable that also relaxes you.

7. Get kids involved with food shopping and preparation.?This is the time to create some fun activities in the kitchen and keep them busy.

8. Make cooking even more fun?by taking the time to cook with friends, put the music on and have a small glass of wine. Boost your creativity in the kitchen by trying new ingredients and new recipes.

9. Opt for light summer food.?This is the time to eat more raw or slightly cooked food. Naturally, in the summer we are less hungry so follow this instinct and eat less and light.

10. Leave guilt and self hatred at home?when you go on holiday. These are spoiling factors that are absolutely not needed in your luggage! Only self love and acceptance are your good companions for a wonderful vacation.

SUGGESTED RECIPE: MARKET SALAD

I call this salad ?market salad? because you just make it from what ever you can find in the local market at your holiday destination. As we are loosening up and letting go here, there are no quantities but it?s rather the principle that will inspire you to indulge yourself with a light, fresh, summer salad, full of goodness and takes only minutes to prepare. Work with what you find and just improvise.

• Very ripe tomatoes! Try to combine a variety of types, cut into cubes
• Cucumber, cubed
• Red pepper, cubed
• Radishes, halved
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Fresh herbs: basil, parsley, oregano or anything you find and like, chopped
• Zest and juice from half a lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• A handful of pine nuts (optional)
• Some feta cheese, cubed (optional)
• A handful of good quality olives
• A pinch of sumac, (optional)

Place all ingredients, apart from the cheese, in a large salad bowl and toss gently to mix well. Crumble the feta cheese on top, sprinkle the sumac, if using and voila! Your salad is ready to go!