Do You Need a Breakfast Makeover?

By Jane Westreich

I know I need to eat breakfast, but I am so sick of what I eat day in and day out....I need a breakfast makeover!

Many of my clients now understand the importance of jump starting their day and "breaking their fast" with a healthy, nutritional, nutrient packed breakfast. The problem they face, finding new, quick ideas that get them started fast and right.

After talking with several clients over the years and from extensive reading and experimentation, I have some ideas that hopefully will help spark some imagination and give you a bunch of healthy options to "Makeover Your Breakfast".

Here are some ideas to start experimenting with (remember - eating healthy should be fun and imaginative - my advice is to keep taste testing, keep changing, and try things more than once).

Wake up and DRINK SOME WATER. When you sleep your body is recovering from the day. During this time you are not eating or drinking (unless you are a sleep walker) and even though you may not realize it you wake up dehydrated. When you are getting your day started make a goal of drinking two eight ounce glasses of water. When you are washing your face, brushing your teeth, and performing the maintenance of you - drink at least a glass of water.
Recognized by the Food and Drug administration as having medical benefit, reach for oatmeal as a standby healthy breakfast choice. Looking for a variation on this old standby? I have found that "Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Plus Flaxseed" is a great variation on the run of the "mill" oatmeal. My favorite breakfast is a cup of "Bobs" mixed with 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (found near the soy milk), 1/4 cup cottage cheese and fresh berries on the top. This is a stick to your ribs breakfast or midmorning snack - try it you'll like it Mikey!
Ziploc Omelet (from Tosca Reno's The Eat Clean Diet) - Use a Ziploc freezer bag- 4 egg whites per bag- 1/2 veggies of choice Instructions: Separate 4 eggs (large or extra large) and pour egg whites into a Ziploc bag. Shake to combine. Add a variety of ingredients, such as onion, green pepper, tomato or salsa to egg whites. Make sure to squeeze all the air out of the bag, and zip it up. Place bag in rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6 to 8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water. Open the bag and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed. (Put extras in the fridge and you will have a healthy, fast breakfast - just zapp it in the microwave - and you are ready to go). Nutritional information per serving: 101 calories; 15 g protein; 0.5g fat; 6.5g carbohydrates.
Investigate and seek out Natural Ovens Bakery located in Manitowoc, WI. They offer a home sales opportunity for delivery if you can't find these products in your local store. Call them at or visit their web site at www.naturalovens.com. Natural Ovens Bakery offers healthy choices and a great opportunity to receive their products conveniently.
Shaklee Cinch Shakes, a quick breakfast when you need something on the run. Cinch Shake Mix is available in rich chocolate, creamy vanilla, and café latte flavors. Packed with protein to keep you feeling full and powered by leucine to help you hold on to muscle while you lose weight are a healthy, nutritious quick breakfast.
Blackberries. We all know blackberries are good for you but blackberries just made the top of the grocery list for me because in the July 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers identified blackberries as having the highest antioxidant level per serving. Antioxidant content reflects a food's ability to help protect the body from free-radical damage produced during normal metabolic reactions. Left unattended, free radicals can contribute to heart disease, cancer and a ton of chronic diseases and signs of aging. Buy blackberries and put them on top of your oatmeal or eat them as a side with your Ziploc omelet.
Traveling or morning meetings? Mix a bag of "Bob's Red Mill" or oatmeal with some Cinch powder in a baggie and add some dried cranberries or cherries. When you get to the airport or meeting get a cup of hot water and mix the baggie of goodies. This makes a great on the run breakfast and will be a great choice for a quick, stick to your ribs, healthy breakfast. We all know the alternatives offered at airports and breakfast meetings - bring your own and feel full longer!
Shaklee Fiber Plan Daily Crunch. Another great opportunity to add additional fiber to your breakfast. Love cereal? Sprinkle a serving of Shaklee Fiber Plan Daily Crunch onto your favorite Cheerios and add some nutritional punch to your old favorite. Add to yogurt for some texture, to your baggie of oats for some extra crunch or into bakery and suddenly you have a fiber packed punch to breakfast. Shaklee Fiber Plan Daily Crunch looks like a smaller rice crispy - only crunchier. It promotes heart and colon health, good digestion and regularity.

Americans only consume half of the daily amount of fiber recommended by the FDA, which is 25 grams of fiber for a 2000 calorie diet. When you look at the suggestions outlined above all of them have a focus on fiber. Fiber is important because it makes you full and discourages you from snacking on sugar-laden or greasy junk food. Although fiber is important you also need to incorporate protein into your breakfast. Eggs whites, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese or a powder such as Cinch by Shaklee are easy ways to add protein to your healthy breakfast.

Most of my clients first begin to understand the importance of fiber in their breakfast but forget the importance of establishing a healthy breakfast that includes protein. Plan and prepare and you can easily make breakfast the best meal of your day. If you are looking for information on the Shaklee products mentioned in this article please visit my Shaklee Web Site at http://www.shaklee.net/thirdwardfitness.

Other sources for ideas for making over your breakfast include www.eatingwell.com, www.whfoods.com, www.quakeroats.com and www.bobsredmill.com. Enjoy a healthy breakfast - you deserve it.

About the Author:

Jane Westreich

Fitness Together - Mequon

www.mequonfitness.com

Fitness Together - Third Ward

www.thirdwardfitness.com

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Do You Need a Breakfast Makeover?

By Jane Westreich

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