When you think about breakfast do you think of:
– Chia pudding made with almond milk…
– A green smoothie…
– A handful of berries and some coconut yogurt…
Sounds pretty healthy right? Unfortunately, no. It’s actually not very healthy at all.
I’m trained to use food as medicine, both by Asian medical training and Functional medical training, and I can assure you that these breakfasts will not leave you feeling good or maintaining vibrant health.
In fact, “healthy” breakfasts like these could actually be making you feel awful while negatively impacting your biochemistry, brain function, and blood sugar.
Why? How? I’ll explain it all and share what to try instead…
My patients often ask me: What ACTUALLY Makes a Healthy Breakfast??
I’ve been in practice for over 22 years and over the years I’ve seen health fads come and go…
My mom did the grapefruit diet and the tomato soup diet when I was a child. Remember when sugary cereals, French toast and strawberries with powdered sugar were popular breakfast choices?
I certainly do.
But when we peel all that back, only 3 things ACTUALLY matter for a healthy breakfast:
#1 Protein: Protein is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of muscles, and are needed for healthy brain function. It also plays a major role in stabilizing blood sugar in the morning and keeping you full and feeling good until lunch.
#2 Fat: Healthy Fat is what fills you up and makes you feel satiated. It also stabilizes blood sugar, preventing the crash and dip that makes you reach for a snack or a second shot of espresso. Your brain requires healthy fats to function well. Healthy fats are like coconut milk and oil, avocados, organic lamb, and organic olive oil.
#3 Micronutrients: After the protein and fat, you also want a breakfast that’s dense in micronutrients, not just empty calories. Even if a meal has protein and fat, it isn’t doing much for you if it’s missing micronutrients. Vegetables are full of phytonutrients/plant based nutrients, aka micronutrients.
What Happens When You Eat a “Healthy” Breakfast?
Remember those so-called “healthy” breakfasts I mentioned before?
While they might have some decent nutrients in them, they’re all seriously lacking in protein and fat to fill you up.
When you eat a breakfast like that, your blood sugar rises quickly, and because there isn’t fat and protein to blunt that spike, your body sends out insulin to quickly lower the blood sugar back down.
To you, this feels like an energy spike and then a huge drop, like skydiving with a broken parachute.
You might be sleepy, grumpy, hungry, or have trouble focusing… even as soon as 30 minutes to 1 hour after eating.
Here’s What I Challenge You to Try Instead…
I don’t want you to give up on eating a healthy breakfast. I just dare you to try something different…
I used to be a busy single mom and I’d struggle to get a healthy breakfast in. I understand you may want something quick and easy.
Try having dinner for breakfast!
Yes, you read that correctly. It’s quick and easy to prepare extra dinner the night before and then heat and go in the morning.
I love my crockpot and Instant Pot for healthy breakfast options as well.
I can put a whole organic chicken, sprinkled with rosemary, in the crockpot at night (add 1 cup of water to the bottom and cook on low) and Voila! I have a chicken breakfast. I can take the meat off, keep the bones in the crock, add water for broth and let it keep cooking all day. I take some chicken and add a smashed avocado, a few pieces of spinach and arugula, yummy.
Or I make a large batch of chicken soup on the weekend and have this for breakfast, topped with fresh cilantro and half an avocado. I pack in my veggies when I make soup and I love to shred my chicken in my food processor. My favorite soup veggies are broccoli, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, zucchini or yellow squash, kale, chard, collard greens, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, parsnip, sweet peas to name a few. Sometimes when I want more greens, I’ll pour the hot soup on top of a bed of spinach to make it wilt, then mix it in.
Having a strong breakfast will stabilize your blood sugar, feed your brain, nourish your muscles, balance your hormones (which are very connected to your blood sugar), and keep you focused on the tasks at hand.
You can find delicious recipes on my website here: https://kristingraycemcgary.
Morning time can be beautiful when you use food as medicine.
I hope this helps keep you feeling healthy and happy!
Blessings of Vibrant Health,
Kristin Grayce McGary
Health and Lifestyle Alchemist
LAc, MAc, CFMP©, CST-T, CLP