| In the beginning-Breakfast |
| Health |
| Written by Theresa |
| Tuesday, 07 September 2010 06:52 |
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This recipe is the cornerstone of my book Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Ace-Your-Health-Ways-Stack-Theresa-Albert/9780771006890-item.html for a darned good reason. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and these ingredients are the highest nutrient, highest fibre, best fuel that money can buy. Combining them into a simple, delicious meal that can be made ahead and enjoyed in seconds just make sense in the speed of life! You will recognize each and every food in here and they all play a specific role: Plain low fat yogurt If you can buy organic, even better. The probiotics in yogurt help set up the good bacteria in the gut. You can’t digest food without them and your immune system can’t function properly either. Grated apple The skin of an apple has loads of nutrients and the pulp contains pectin which will lower your cholesterol. Oats We don’t even have to cook rolled oats, simply stir them in and let them absorb some of the water that the fruits give up. Oats contain beta glucans which are an immune enhancing carbohydrate. The soluble fibre will help move cholesterol out of your system Almonds Nuts are high in good fats, minerals and protein. Almonds also have calcium. White Chia (Salba) Powerhouse little seeds that contain both fibres PLUS many of the minerals that the rest of our food may be missing. These babies will help control blood sugar and inflammatory markers and are a truly amazing food. You want to get a tablespoon per day which will help you feel full and turn off those hunger messages. Work your way up with these guys, if you haven’t been eating much fibre, your body will need to learn to process this. Frozen Blueberries Berries rank highly on the ORAC scale which is a measurement of the anti-oxidant value of foods. The frozen ones are always available and they get mushy in the mixture making it a pretty blue color! Hemp Seeds Nature’s perfect protein containing all the amino acids of animal protein and none of the saturated fats. Yes, even better than soy because they grow without pesticides, contain chlorophyll and fibre. The good fats in these seeds is GLA which is hormone regulating. Ground Cinnamon This tree bark isn’t only delicious, it is blood pressure regulating and cancer fighting. I mean, come on! Don’t hate her ‘cause she is beautiful! I find this mixture sweet enough without the next ingredient but if you are accustomed to more sweetness and aren’t ready to give it up, get your hands on… Blackcurrant jam Find a brand that is fruit juice sweetened. Blackcurrants, like blueberries rank highly in the anti-oxidant capacity and their seeds contain some more of that important fat GLA. There is nothing in this breakfast that isn’t working for you, and HARD! Feel free to make a triple or quadruple batch and store it for 3-4 days. It will keep nicely and your mornings will go much more smoothly. Can’t take a minute to eat it? Put it in a blender and drink it. No excuses!
Magic Muesli You’ll understand the magic by the third day, pinky swear! Preparation time: 6 minutes Servings: 2 ½ cup plain, low-fat yogurt promotes bowel health 1 apple, grated* phytonutrients 1 tbsp uncooked oatmeal lowers cholesterol 1 tbsp slivered almonds calcium and protein 1 tbsp white chia seeds (see King of Spades) high in fibre ½ cup frozen blueberries phenolics; enhance memory ¼ cup hulled hemp seeds (see King of Spades) protein; eco-friendly 1 tsp ground cinnamon lowers blood pressure 1 tsp blackcurrant jam, to sweeten (optional) urinary health * or ½ cup unsweetened applesauce Mix all of the ingredients together and you will have the right amount of protein (about 10 grams), fibre and nutrients to set you up for the day. Serve immediately or cover and keep in fridge up to 3 days. |
