Download Breakfast - Fran Sussman

HEALTH ESSENTIALS #2: BREAKFAST
By now, almost everyone has heard that people who eat breakfast tend to eat less food, and
better food, during the rest of the day, and to weigh less than people who skip breakfast. Eating a
good breakfast also ensures steady focus, blood sugar and energy levels. But what is a good
breakfast?
A good breakfast:
- must be eaten within an hour of waking;
- must combine appropriate amounts of protein, carbs and healthy fats.
If you eat only carbs for breakfast, as many people do, you will have a brief energy spike, as the
sugars hit your bloodstream and brain, but then a precipitous drop shortly after, usually with
cravings for more carbs. Your focus and attention will not be as good, and you will be prone to
low energy, and crankiness, so you will reach for more carbs, more sugar and/or more caffeine to
keep going. A high carb breakfast also tends to store extra sugars as fats in your body. All in all,
a bad set up.
What kinds of breakfast overload the carbs? Bagels, donuts, Danish, etc, for sure, but also most
cereals. A bowl of cereal with milk, with or without fruit is a high glycemic carb load for your
system. And coffee only compounds the problems.
So what is a good breakfast? How do you incorporate protein and healthy fat into your morning
meal?
Eggs
Eggs have gotten a bad rap over the years. Many people still believe eggs can cause high
cholesterol, which is not the case. They are an excellent source of many nutrients, including high
quality protein and healthy fat, particularly if you can get eggs from free range chickens. Two
eggs are a good base for breakfast for most people. Cook them in just a little bit of healthy oil (1
T of olive, walnut or coconut), add some green veggies (spinach, zucchini, broccoli, green beans,
kale, parsley, etc), and don't forget to add a little bit of starchy carbs to your plate. Examples
include 1/3-1/2 cup of brown rice, oatmeal (if you are not gluten-sensitive), buckwheat (if you are),
cooked peas or carrots, a slice of toast, a tortilla, half a sweet or white potato, or a small piece of
fruit. Add some green tea, either plain, or sweetened with xylitol or stevia, and you should feel
stable physically and mentally for the entire morning.
Protein Shakes
For those of us who don't have, or won't make, the time to cook and sit for a full breakfast in the
morning, a shake can be a great meal replacement, if you do it right. Start with a high quality
protein powder. There are basically 3 kinds of formulas: pure protein; protein powder
supplemented with additional nutrients for meal replacement; and specialty powders for
detoxification, reducing inflammation, improving focus, etc. Protein powders also come from
different sources: whey, rice and soy are the most popular. If you do not have issues with dairy,
whey is the best choice, in terms of being highly assimilable and digestible. It is the richest
source of biologically active protein, and the best balance of essential amino acids. Many people
who can not tolerate casein can still tolerate whey, particularly in the form of PaleoMeal, which
includes enzymes to aid in its digestion. (please see sidebar) If you absolutely can not tolerate
whey, rice is the most non-allergenic.
I do not recommend soy, as it can be suppressive to the thyroid, and is estrogenic (that's why
they recommend soy to women in menopause). Further, soy is not a complete protein, lacking
the essential amino acid methionine.
To make a balanced breakfast from a shake, you need to make it more "food-like". A good way
to do that is to add berries: they are low-glycemic and have lots of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Depending on whether your protein powder also has some carbs, you may want to add
a little bit of higher glycemic fruit: half a banana, a few cherries, a little melon, etc. For healthy fat,
I suggest a teaspoon of flavored cod liver oil. For the liquid, you can use water, crushed ice, plus
a little milk (cow, goat, almond, or rice, depending on your taste and needs). Unless you are
trying to gain weight, I do not recommend using juice. A shake made this way should keep you
from getting hungry for a good three hours.
By the way, shakes are a great breakfast for kids and teens, too. You can pack a lot of nutrition
into something that tastes delicious and is portable and fast.
Lastly, if you really don't want to give up your breakfast cereal, look for cereal that has low sugar
(under 5 grams), high fiber (over 5 grams), and consider putting a scoop of protein in it. That way
you'll have a much more balanced meal.
The Non-Breakfast Breakfast
Who says you have to eat traditional breakfast foods for breakfast, anyhow? There is no reason
you can't be creative with last night's leftovers, or anything else you have on hand: a slice of
chicken with avocado on toast; cheese and spinach on a corn tortilla; almond butter on rice
crackers and some plain yogurt with berries; or some grilled salmon and cucumber on a slice of
toast.
When you get your first meal of the day balanced right, for you, it's an amazing feeling. You
probably don't know how much better you can feel, and function, until you do. Or how much
better - and less - you will eat the rest of the day. I often hear back from clients that they are
astonished at how much better they feel from making this one simple change. And from parents,
that they are stunned at the difference breakfast can make in their kids' behavior and focus.
There's certainly not much risk in trying it for a week and experiencing the difference for yourself,
so why not incorporate this health essential into your daily plan? I'd love to hear how it works for
you.
Please note that these are general suggestions only. Individual needs vary. If you need help
determining the amounts and proportions of protein, carbs and fats for you, please make an
appointment. I can also help with food plans for food sensitivities, as well as vegetarians and
vegans.
ALL ABOUT PROTEIN POWDERS
WHEY POWDERS:
Whey Cool: The milk harvested for this product comes from cows that graze on pesticide and
chemical-free natural grass pastures. Milk from grass-fed cows has many times higher levels of
CLA and contains a proper balance of essential fatty acids. The milking cows are never fed grain
or subjected to any growth hormone treatment, chemicals, antibiotics, genetically modified
organisms, hyperimmunization or injected pathogens.
This whey protein is produced using a unique low temperature drying and filtration method. This
maintains the full range of the immune boosting and regenerative components naturally present
in raw milk.
The vast majority of whey proteins available use high heat pasteurization. High heat does
irreversible damage to the majority of the components of milk and may cause intolerance even in
individuals who have no history of milk allergies.
Whey Cool comes in vanilla and unflavored, both unsweetened.
PaleoMeal: This uses the same base as Whey Cool, but in a formula that includes fats,
carbohydrates and micronutrients as well as whey protein. PaleoMeal comes in unsweetened
vanilla and sweetened Strawberry and Chocolate flavors. Only natural sweeteners such as xylitol
and stevia are used.
Ultra Lean: This whey-based meal replacement powder is formulated specifically for those who
want to improve body composition and lose or maintain weight. It is also the best tasting and
most economical of the protein powders I use. It comes in Vanilla and Chocolate, is higher in
fiber, and is sweetened naturally with xylitol.
RICE POWDERS:
BioGenesis Rice Protein
Easily digested protein with a very low allergenic potential so that it can be used by most food
sensitive individuals. Unflavored.
Dairy-Free PaleoMeal
This product is easily digested and hypoallergenic, with an amino acid profile similar to mother's
milk. It's made from sprouted whole grain brown rice. Each batch is pesticide-free, and tested for
purity, quality and consistency. This rice protein offers much better nutrient profiles than average
rice protein meal replacements. It is casein-free, lactose-free and gluten-free, and offers the same
comprehensive blend of added nutrients as regular PaleoMeal.
SPECIALTY POWDERS:
Bio-Inflammatory Powder: my first line of healing with food sensitivities and systemic
inflammation of the gut and elsewhere, BIo-Inflammatory is a rice based protein powder.
Inflammatory compounds can be part of the body's own metabolic waste products or they may be
environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, etc. All nutrients
are in therapeutic amounts, not just for window dressing, and they are highly absorbable and
biologically active.
PaleoCleanse: a comprehensive functional food powder for detoxification that tastes great, is low
in carbohydrates, and is fructose free. PaleoCleanse contains quality hypoallergenic rice protein
and macronutrients to fuel detoxification pathways, a full multivitamin/mineral for detoxification
enzyme support, all the nutrients needed to support and balance phase I and II metabolic
pathways, and high levels of antioxidant support for safe detoxification. It also includes nutrients
for optimal liver function and elimination.
Bio-Focus: A comprehensive formula designed for all ages who may benefit from a fully
functional, healthy meal replacement (quality protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats), while
supporting healthy energy metabolism, neurological, cognitive, detoxification, intestinal health and
adrenal (HPA axis) function. Originally developed for kids with ADHD, it passes taste tests in
even the most finicky of kids and adults. Bio-Focus is available in a rice based berry flavor and a
whey based chocolate flavor.
DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Super Pancakes
If your household is anything like mine, breakfast can be the trickiest meal of the day, especially
with fussy no-time-for-downtime kids. Here’s a recipe I’ve developed that packs an incredible
amount of nutrition into some very tasty pancakes. This amount makes 2 pancakes, and I
consider it a single serving. You can easily multiply the recipe for more than one person.
*
1 heaping Tablespoon organic multi-grain (or gluten free) pancake mix
*
2 eggs
*
1 serving PaleoMeal Strawberry Protein powder
*
1 heaping Tablespoon Ground Flax
*
1/4 cup frozen berries (optional)
Mix all ingredients in small bowl and pour onto a hot griddle. If you like your batter thinner, you
can add goat milk, almond milk, or water. Flip, finish, and spread 1 teaspoon walnut or
macadamia oil on top. The protein powder gives enough sweetness that these don’t even need a
topping, but my kids still like their maple syrup. The nut oil is rich and pleasant tasting, and full of
essential fatty acids, a good substitute for butter.
Approximate Nutrition Facts: about 40% carbohydrates; 30% protein; 30% healthy fat; 483
calories, 38 grams protein, plus 43% calcium, 37 % iron, 17% Vitamin A (RDA). If you use the
blueberries and oil, you add about 60 calories, some great anti-oxidants, a little more (healthy) fat
and a little bit more fiber.
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Fran Sussman Holistic Health
www.fransussman.com
845-496-0385
Strengthening the Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1993