It all starts with breakfast…

Since the beginning of February, I’ve been having an interesting experience with breakfast.

First, though, a confession: somehow, in the process of starting my own business as a health coach, I fell into the habit of eating gluten-free toast almost every morning for about six months. I used to have it on Saturday as a treat, and, since it never caused me any problems, I didn’t really think about the toast when I wondered why I suddenly gained a few pounds and felt a bit bloated. I thought it was the winter and stress!

And then I had a conversation with a colleague in my BNI group and a light-bulb went off in my head! Could it be the toast?

I’m a great believer in experimenting, and I decided that I would do an experiment: I’d eliminate the toast as a breakfast food and try switching to a whole grain cereal (oatmeal), yogurt, or a smoothie. I realized then how much I had come to depend on my little treat to ease into my day. It was a good thing that I told myself it was only an experiment or I never would have parted with it!

I tried oatmeal for a couple of days, and then I switched to yogurt with nuts, raisins, and coconut. From there I made the plunge to a smoothie.

It was then that interesting things started to happen:

1. My mood lightened.
2. I actually became a little lighter physically – and the bloating went away.
3. I started craving more fruits and vegetables.
4. I felt in touch with my body and what it needed for the first time in months.
5. I had greater mental clarity.

Could all this be from cutting out the toast? I think so. There’s more and more research on how refined carbohydrates* and sugar are linked to inflammation & the diseases of civilization, and, although I liked to rationalize that my China Black Rice Bread was not truly refined (see, even health coaches have their little stories), it is. So that could explain a few pounds and some bloating. How to explain the energetic component? Intuitively, it makes sense to me. My smoothie, that contained fruit, is inherently closer to life than a processed, frozen piece of toast. What I realized from this experiment is that somehow, eating fresh and wholesome foods makes us want more, just as eating more processed food (like toast) can lead us to wanting more processed foods. It explains to me why it can be so hard to break out of a food-rut — our bodies get accustomed to the food we’re eating and we get stuck.

If you want to try a breakfast experiment of your own, here’s a basic smoothie recipe:

• 1 cup frozen berries
• 1/2 frozen banana (optional)
• 1 scoop protein powder (I like Designer Whey, Vanilla)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup almond, rice, or oat milk (unsweetened)

Combine in a blender and mix until smooth.

Enjoy! It’s a nice way to start the spring.

*Note: The carbohydrates referenced here are refined carbohydrates (processed flour (usually white), sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) not whole grains like oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, brown rice, and quinoa.