Breakfast long known as the best way to start the day. A healthy meal that sets the precedent for the rest of the day to come. Most of us though, myself included, don’t start our days in this way. It is more of a rush to grab a coffee on the way out the door and whatever else we can get on the way to work. If breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day and most of us are skipping it, well is it of any wonder why our health is suffering?
I personally love breakfast food, just not in the morning. Maybe it’s the years of skipping breakfast in favor of a hot cup of coffee or two with no time to cook and enjoy a hot early meal. Maybe it’s just my body’s norm and perfectly healthy. Who is to say? While breakfast is important to help our metabolism I think our lifestyles have prevented our bodies from living naturally to what is right for them.
As I consider what it means to be healthy and live natural, breakfast comes to my mind. How many things besides breakfast have I forgone in my life because my life didn’t allow for such luxuries? Demands and obligations got in the way many times when I needed something else. A walk outside on a pretty afternoon but instead I was in the office working. A salad made fresh but instead I found a fast food hamburger because it was more convenient and economical. Breakfast food more than a cold bowl of sugary cereal with time to eat it. Oh yes our own needs taking a back seat to demands on our time and attention.
Changing years of this behavior can almost seem impossible. How do we retrain our bodies and minds to take heed of our own needs amongst the demands of our lifestyles? I have realized on my own journey of well-being this re-training is very much necessary. Not so much for the fact we need food in the morning but for the simple fact our bodies deserve to be heard when their needs arise.
One of the ways many have found to help with this retraining is by drinking a protein smoothie in the morning. FIlled with veggies, fruits, proteins, dairy and more, smoothies seem to offer a viable solution for providing necessary sustenance and being portable. Like most foods that undergo a convenience makeover though, even the smoothie has been touched by ingredients that can be no better than skipping breakfast or eating sugary cereal. That is, unless we are willing and take a direct interest in making our own.
Luckily, the makings of a healthy smoothie are simple enough. The taste test is the number one factor for me. If it taste like green stuff or powder protein that will fail miserably. FInding the right mix of things to make a smoothie I like and that fits the bill of healthy has become easier with the availability of natural ingredients. My favorite ingredients include a protein powder like the doTERRA Slim & Sassy Chocolate or Vanilla mix. From there I like to include fruit, mostly berries like frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. I like to add Almond or Coconut milk to top it all off. This has proved filling and nutritious in helping retrain my body to enjoy breakfast.
What I have noticed by working to include a healthy start to my day is that it does in fact set the tone for the rest of the day. I’m interested in other things I eat during the day and find myself making healthier choices most of the time. I’m also aware of more things I need such as a break in my day. While not always possible to achieve it, I recognize it. To be honest it seems just being more aware of my own body helps me appreciate the little effort it took to bring that alertness to the surface.
What if all it took to retrain our body to work on our health was a little thing like breakfast? What if by doing that small act in the morning made it possible to help with other things we needed to have a good day? Maybe that’s extrageration but in my own experimentation it seems to work. That little self-care I treat myself with by enjoying a smoothie or other healthy nutritious food in the morning gives me a chance. Isn’t that better than no chance at all?
When we look to live more naturally it starts with learning how to not radically change our life all at once but to do so in small meaningful ways. In ways we can manage and that add subtle enhancements to our day, each day. It gives us a chance to build on these changes until what was once impossible to think of changing is now emerging as something with power we can use for when things get more difficult. We have confidence because of the small wins we have accomplished. Then again maybe it’s just because we had breakfast that gave us strength that morning.
If you’re ready to make that healthy start in your day and want to try what I use, check out the link here: https://doterra.me/ATwqykZt
For questions or information on other options please contact me via dragonspitapothecary.com