#healthyliving

To Breakfast or Not to Breakfast?

Breakfast.  This is a surprisingly contentious issue for such a simple meal.  Some people say to always eat it while others say to never eat it.  And yet another group say to eat it sometimes.  So, what is right for you?

Well, that’s just the thing.  We are all different and what is right for one person is not going to be right for the next.  Here are some things to consider as you think about whether you should eat or skip breakfast.

Do you feel light-headed and hungry in the morning?  Then you should eat breakfast.  Don’t force yourself to wait until later because someone else said it worked for them.  Make yourself something healthy with a good portion of protein and some healthy fats and you will start the day off right.

Are you completely exhausted and stressed? (Think mum of young kids who is barely keeping it together or other completely rundown equivalent).  You should eat breakfast.  Skipping breakfast adds stress to your body.  This can be a good stress for some that can help get the right hormones motivated and going, but if you are already exhausted, it is too much and will just make you more tired.  

Are you skipping breakfast but then eating something sweet at 10am?  Then you should really eat breakfast.  Craving sweets means that your body wanted protein earlier but didn’t get it. Try having breakfast with a good portion of protein and your morning tea sweet cravings will start to dissipate.

Do you wake up feeling like the last thing in the world you want is to eat food?  Then you should probably skip breakfast and wait to eat until later as long as your lifestyle allows you to eat something healthy later in the morning.  Eating an early lunch around 11am can be a good option if it works for you.

Whether you are eating or not eating breakfast, is it working for you?  Do you wake up feeling great?  Are you feeling satisfied in the morning?  Then keep going with what works. You don’t have to change just because your neighbour had a great experience with the opposite.  

Also, some days you might want to eat breakfast while others you don’t.  That’s ok.  Some days it might be more appropriate to eat it based on what you ate the night before, your energy level and what you have going on that day.

If you think you should be eating breakfast, but it still doesn’t sound appetising, try starting with something lighter or even liquid.  These tend to go down easier.  A protein shake, some chia pudding or yogurt tend be easier options first thing in the morning.

Most people I see as patients have issues with fatigue and energy so I usually recommend breakfast.  But if you are feeling ok, then you can try experimenting with skipping breakfast and see how you feel.

So, what are you going to do tomorrow?  Will you have breakfast and if so, what will you have?

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Happy Healthy Lunches

As the school holidays are ending many of us are thinking about what we are going to put into school lunches again! If you are like me, then making lunches is not an enjoyable part of the morning routine. 

I’m here to help!

As a naturopath, I usually do a talk for kindy parents at my local school each year about healthy lunches.  It didn’t happen in 2020 due to everything being canceled, so I decided to put it online.

You can find it here with lots of information about why kids (and adults) should eat a healthy lunch as well as a downloadable with lots of ideas of what you can put in that lunch box.

https://be-healthy-movement.mykajabi.com

It is free, you just need to sign up.

If you have any questions about healthy lunches feel free to give me a shout.

I hope you all enjoy the last week of school holidays!

Do You View Your Number 2s?

Stool, poo, number 2, bowel movement, poop, whatever you want to call it, you should be looking at it! I know this makes some people squeamish, but it is so important.  Your digestion is the cornerstone of your health and your stool gives you a lot of clues about what is going on in there.  To learn more about what happens in your gut and how important all the little bacteria friends that live there are, check out my article 10% Human.

So, what should you look for?  To start with you want to check the consistency.  Check out this chart to give you an idea of what you are looking for.  Too hard or too soft are both indications of trouble brewing. You want your stool to look like Type 4.

You also want to look at size, colour and frequency and if there is any mucus or undigested food in there.

Check your stool for a few days and if you have any issues you really want to sort them out as issues in your gut are associated with health issues in all other parts of your body. The solution depends on what the problem is.  Every problem has a different solution.  It is really best to talk to a naturopath if you think there is anything going on with your digestion so that you can get the right answers and be on the road to a healthier you.

Happy viewing!

Healthy Lemon Chia Muffins

Usually we go home to Canada in July which is just when my lemon tree in Australia is ripening. I end up picking them all before I leave and handing them out to friends. But things being what they are this year, we didn’t go anywhere. So trying to find the silver lining (if you really want to see it!), I have been baking lots of lemon recipes. My family loves muffins, so lemon muffins was an obvious choice. So without any further ado, here is my healthy lemon chia muffin recipe!

Lemon Chia Muffins

4 Tbsp chia seeds

1 cup lemon juice (juice from 3-4 lemons)

2.5 cups self-raising flour (whole wheat preferably)

¼ tsp salt

½ cup maple syrup (the real stuff from Canada)

1/3 cup coconut oil melted

1 cup milk (I used macadamia, but you could also you almond or dairy)

½ tsp almond extract

Method

  1. Mix the chia seeds with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes
  2. Preheat oven to 180C
  3. In another large bowl, mix the salt and the flour.
  4. Add the maple, coconut oil, milk and almond extract to the flour and mix well.
  5. Add in the lemon and chia mix.
  6. Divide out into muffin trays.

Depending on how big you make your muffins, cook between 12-16 minutes.

Add blueberries, raspberries or other fruit to mix it up.

Enjoy!