Off to a healthy start

Good morning sunshine! Are you off to a healthy start today? Most of us were raised eating the Standard American Breakfast – cold cereal, a muffin, pancakes or a donut, a glass of milk and maybe a glass of juice. As an adult we probably added coffee to this mix. Because we were indoctrinated into this type of breakfast at a young age (cheerios were most likely one of your first foods) and because this breakfast was mom approved, we probably never questioned its nutritional value. While we may have figured out that processed cereal, muffins, donuts and pancakes are of limited nutritional value, few of us realize the full impact that this type of breakfast has on our daily food choices. You see foods that consist mostly of white flour and sugar quickly break down into glucose and cause our blood sugar to rapidly rise. This causes our body to put out massive amounts of insulin (the put it away hormone) which removes the sugar from our blood and stores it as glycogen in our muscles and triglycerides in our fat cells Our blood sugar levels then dip below normal levels and we become hungry. Note that caffeine in coffee speeds up this whole process. Typically we than take a morning break of coffee or soda and more simple carbohydrates. So we repeat the high blood sugar/low blood sugar/insulin cycle and set ourselves up to be on this insulin roller coaster all day.

So what foods should we eat to start off our day and properly nourish our bodies? Consider that the foods that you choose should contain a natural supply of nutrients to contribute to your daily nutrient needs and also provide you with long lasting sources of energy. Here are some guidelines:. 1) Choose whole grains (organic when possible) and avoid white flour products. The carbohydrates in whole grains are intermingled with fiber so the body requires more time to break down and unlock the energy values in these foods. Glucose is released slower so insulin levels do not peak as high or crash as low (in effect whole grains offer a time release energy supply). Also whole grains contain more protein and more vitamins and minerals. 2) Eat whole fruits and limit juices. Again the fiber in whole fruits slows down the release of energy. Fruits contribute vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other healing essentials. 3) Add healthy proteins and/or fats to your breakfast. These have the effect of allowing carbohydrates to be absorbed more slowly and moderating the insulin cycle. Avoid processed meats such as bacon or sausage as these contain nitrates and other chemicals that have been shown to be carcinogenic. Healthy fats contain fat soluble vitamins as Vitamins A, D, E and also may include essential fatty acids .Some healthy fats are butter, nuts, nut butters, eggs (a source of protein and fat), coconut and coconut oil (note while coconut oil is a saturated fat it is a medium chain saturated fat and is metabolized differently than the long chain saturated fats found in animal proteins – more on this is a future post). Avoid margarines as these contain unhealthy trans fatty acids. 4) Consider a beverage other than coffee. One of my favorites is teechino. I also enjoy herbal, green and white tea. 5) Stay away from artificial sweeteners. These trick your body into thinking you are giving it sugar causing it to release insulin and start you on the insulin roller coaster. They can also cause many health problems (see www.dorway.com for information on aspartame (nutrasweet) and also www.mercola.com for information on both aspartame and splenda). Stevia is a herbal sweetener used in South America for centuries and is a better choice if you are looking for a no caloric sweetener. 5) If you must use a sweetener consider less refined choices as sucanut, maple syrup, molasses, and raw honey. These contain naturally present vitamins and minerals that are striped away in the refining of white sugar and the processing of corn syrups.

Well, I can’t believe it is already 11 am and with my good start breakfast I still am not hungry. I had hoped to include some recipes today but my post is already much too long. Look for recipes tomorrow.