Morning Kick-Start

Friday, January 11th, 2008

Our good friends at Honest Baby shared the following feature article* from Nikki Ostrower, a Nutritionist in NYC.

A Fresh Start

The holidays are over and any adrenaline that might have been keeping you going is now gone. All those New Year’s resolutions about being healthier are swirling around. Why not actually listen this time?

The first thing to go out the window in a busy mom’s life is a good breakfast. In the morning, if you’re overwhelmed, it’s almost impossible to make sound food choices. It’s easier to grab your child’s half eaten waffle rather than stop to think about what you should eat. As a result, you may feel even more exhausted, paving the way for stress and headaches. It’s been proven that the food you eat directly impacts your mood and energy. By making some smart food choices in the morning, it could make a big difference in how your day turns out.

Here are some simple breakfast options that will give you a fresh start in the New Year:

1. Yogurt Parfait – low fat vanilla yogurt topped with Kashi cereal (or any whole grain cereal) and seasonal fruit. Yogurt is packed with calcium, Kashi has lots of fiber and protein and fruit contains other vitamins for a complete and satisfying breakfast. Kids also love this!! Try to get yogurt that is labeled as having probiotics. Probiotics are necessary to build up the good bacteria in our tummy. This helps fight off harmful bacteria and viruses resulting in a healthy immune system. See shopping list below for some brands of yogurt that I recommend.

2. Oatmeal with Flaxseed, Berries & Sliced Almonds – This is probably my favorite breakfast and so easy to make. 1 cup of water, 1 cup oats, 1 tsp of flax, a handful of berries and almonds and throw it in microwave. Add some honey OR Stevia (the all natural wonder herb that comes in a powder that has zero calories and doesn’t do anything to your blood sugar level –see shopping list) to taste. Try to stay away from artificial sweeteners and white sugar Great source of fiber, protein, omega 3, antioxidants, and vitamins.

3. Two Hard Boiled Eggs & an Apple– Prepare a half dozen or more hard boiled eggs in advance. This is probably the quickest meal to make and very healthy. Eat the entire egg. Don’t be misled by the countless sources telling you that the yolk is not good for you. In fact, the yolk is filled with fat soluble vitamin A, D and E, water soluble B vitamins and folate which are necessary for protein metabolism and healthy brain function as well as the minerals calcium, selenium, zinc, iron, iodine, and phosphorous. It is also healthy to give babies just the yolk because it is considered an iron rich weaning food. (”Egg Yolks Good for Babies.” Food Ingredient News. June.2002.) Try to buy organic eggs that have omega 3s (see shopping list). Let’s not forget about the apple. The apple has fiber and it’s beneficial to pair the apple with protein rich foods so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar level.

4. Banana & Almond butter Sandwich with a cup of yogurt – Cut the banana in half the long way and smear 2 TBS of almond butter wrap it in tin foil or paper towel and eat it like a sandwich. This can also be prepared in advance so you can just grab it and go. It’s also a good breakfast/snack for kids. There are so many health benefits of Almond butter. This super food is packed with protein, minerals, antioxidants and monounsaturated fats. I have no doubt you will be Superman after eating this.

All these foods are filled with all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that are needed in order to have a day filled with energy, clarity, as well as fight fatigue and stabilize blood sugar. In addition, it’s best to cut back on your consumption of coffee and replace it with some invigorating, antioxidant rich green tea.

Try following this breakfast plan for a week and I promise that you’ll immediately feel the difference.

Enjoy the New Year – you deserve it!!

Shopping List
1.Yogi Tea Green Tea Super Anti-Oxidant from Drugstore.com

2. Stonyfield Organic Yogurt from Stonyfield

3. SweetLeaf Stevia from Drugstore.com

4. Omega 3 Eggs from EggInnovations

5. Maranatha Organic Almond Butter from WorldPantry

Nikki Ostrower is the founder of NAO Nutrition, a private practice in New York City specializing in pre/post natal nutrition counseling, eating disorders, autism, ADD, and ADHD. She has a BS in Business Management from SUNY Binghamton and is currently studying at The Academy of Healing Nutrition.

*This article has been republished with the permission of Honest Baby.

Technorati Tags: Glam Media, Glam, GlamSpirit, Wellness, Health, GlamNetwork, Breakfast, Breakfast Recipes, Nutrition, Yogurt, Honest Baby, Anti-Oxidant, Organic