Power- Packed Breakfast

Over the past several years, I have been doing alot of independent study about health and wellness.  The biggest impact on our health is what we eat.  So, I have created my own power-packed breakfast that I am going to share with you.  This breakfast includes some of the most important nutrients your body needs, and it includes the best way to assimilate those nutrients into your body. 

The breakfast includes:

pasture raised eggs
cheddar cheese
olive oil
pre-soaked oatmeal
banana
wild blueberries
kale

Now, when you saw kale in the list, I'm sure you were probably thinking, "there is no way I'm going to eat kale, period, let alone for breakfast".  I don't blame you for feeling that way, but, once you know why it's so important, and once you try it, you'll see it's really not so bad, and worth the effort for the health benefits it offers. 

So, let's get started.  Pasture raised eggs.  Eggs in general are one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat, and pasture raised eggs are the most superior of all.  I get mine from Price Chopper, here in St. Albans. 

Besides providing all eight essential proteinbuilding amino acids, a large whole, fresh egg offers about six to seven grams of protein and five grams of fat (with about 1.5 grams of it saturated), which comes in handy to help in the absorption of all the egg’s fat-soluble vitamins. One egg also serves up around 200 milligrams of brain-loving cholesterol and contains the valuable vitamins A, K, E, D, B-complex and minerals iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium.¹⁰ Choline, another egg-nutrient, is a fatty substance found in every living cell and is a major component of our brain. Additionally, choline helps break up cholesterol deposits by preventing fat and cholesterol from sticking to the arteries.^10,14

I cook my eggs in olive oil, and I cook them so the eggs whites are hard, but the yolks are still soft.  This helps reduce the oxidation of the cholesterol in the yolk.  On top of the eggs, I grate some Cabot cheddar cheese.  Cheese is also a very nutrient dense food.  It contains vitamins A & D, as well as calcium.  The combination of these nutrients together help calcium absorption, which brings us now to the subject of kale.  Kale is an excellent source of vitamin K2, as well as vitamin A.  When you combine vitamins A, D, and K2, you get the best absorption of all three.  The result is a superior immune system, bone density, and prevention of tooth decay, since the calcium is getting it's best shot at absorption. 

I choose to eat wild blue blueberries versus domesticated blueberries because they are lower in sugar and have one of the highest amounts of polyphenols, a substance that greatly reduces the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease.  I add these to my pre-soaked oatmeal, along with a sliced up banana.  I like to eat bananas because they contain about 20% of the RDA of vitamin B6, which helps process serotonin in the brain, (i.e., it helps me to wake up better in the morning since I can't drink coffee), and it contains the enzyme, amylase, which helps to break down carbohydrates during digestion.  Also, adding a little bit of whole milk, if you are not lactose intolerant, is a good idea as well. 

I pre-soak my oatmeal because it breaks down the lectins and phytates that are naturally present in the oats, as well as many other grains.  Lectins and phytates can block calcium absorption as well as other minerals, and can cause inflammation in the stomach.  To pre-soak your oatmeal, combine one cup of water with one cup of old-fashioned rolled oats, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Stir, cover, and let soak on the counter for 12-24 hours.  To cook, put one cup of water in a pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the pre-soaked oats.  Cook until done. 

To cook the kale, first I steam it for 5 minutes.  Then I mince garlic cloves, and fry the cloves in walnut oil for about a minute.  Then I add the steamed kale, and fry for about 5 minutes.  It's delicious!

So, for optimum health, it's a good idea to choose our foods based on what they do for our bodies.  If we choose our foods based on their health benefits for most of our meals, we can indulge in our favorites treats on occasion, and enjoy life to the fullest.