A healthy breakfast smoothie

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Fortunately we know this thanks to a 1917 issue of Good Health magazine, edited by Dr J H Kellogg. Some years later this fact was brought to a wider audience by another company with a product to sell, General Foods.

Many breakfast cereals use large lettering to highlight the vitamins and minerals added to prove how healthy they are. Meanwhile they simultaneously make as little as possible of the added sugars that make them so addictive. Did you ever stop to wonder why you feel so hungry in the morning, or why we need so many added vitamins and minerals? I didn’t.

For most of my adult life every day started the same. Breakfast consisted of a large bowl of corn flakes, usually from the afore mentioned Dr Kellogg, doused in cold milk, along with a mug or two of tea. For something a little more warming in winter a bowl of cooked porridge would be my staple before heading out the door to work.

These days things are a little different. I’ve not started my day with a shop-bought breakfast cereal for years. In fact, it’s unusual for me to have breakfast before 10:00am. Sometimes it’s almost midday before I eat. I simply don’t get so hungry any more.

Much like the days of old, I usually have one of two options for breakfast. On the days I eat early I will typically have a cooked breakfast (details to follow in the future). When keeping to an intermittent fasting routine I generally opt for a smoothie milkshake as it’s more convenient.

Breakfast Milkshake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tbsp almond nut butter
• 1 tsp tahini paste
• 2 raw eggs
• 1 tsp cacao powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Goats milk
• 1/2 cup Oats
• 1 banana

Method:

1. The evening before, soak the oats and chia seeds in filtered water.
2. In the morning throw everything into the blender and top up with as much milk as you need.
3. Blend until mixed and smooth.
4. Pour into a glass and enjoy a nutrient and protein-rich milkshake

If you’re planning to breakfast-on-the-go it’s worth getting a blender similar to the one pictured here – just blend, switch the lid and you’re on your way.

Variations

• If, like my wife, you can’t quite bring yourself to consume raw egg, substitute an extra teaspoon of chia seeds.
• Instead of using goats milk, make your own almond milk (you’re better off avoiding the shop-bought varieties).
• For hot days, chop up the banana and freeze it in advance of adding it into the mix for blending.
• For an extra protein-boost add in a scoop of organic protein powder.
• Don’t have cacao powder? Use cocoa powder instead. The two can be used interchangeably, but cacao just has the nutritional edge.

Why is this so good?

Whilst not an exhaustive list, what follows is probably a lot more diverse than anything Dr Kellogg has to offer

Almond butter – a rich source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein, and vitamin E and L-Arginine.

Banana – gives you loads of the carbohydrates you need, not to mention Vitamins A, C, Beta-Carotene, Folate and Niacin. Potassium, Sulphur, Silicon, Magnesium, Calcium, Sodium, Phosphorus, Copper, Iron, Selenium, Chromium, Floride, Manganese and Zinc.

Cacao – an excellent source of monounsaturated fat, cholesterol-free saturated fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, natural carbohydrates and protein

Chia seeds – rich in fibre, omega-3 and 6 fats, protein, Calcium, Copper, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc. Add to that the essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid, mucin, strontium, Vitamins A, B, E, and D, and minerals including sulphur, iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, niacin and thiamine. They are a rich source of anti-oxidants.

Cinnamon – a spice rich in choline and niacin. It also contains Magnesium, Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Iron, Manganese, Sodium, Betaine, Vitamin K, B6 and Pantothenic acid

Eggs – loaded with the most bio-available source of protein albumin, amino acids, and beta-carotene

Goats milk – Unlike cows milk, goat milk is very similar to human breast milk. It does not contain the inflammatory A1 Beta-Casein protein found in most Western cows’ milk.

Tahini – Made from sesame seeds, it is an excellent source of calcium, manganese and the amino acid methionine. It’s also a source of the healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and protein.

References

https://draxe.com/chia-seeds-benefits-side-effects/
https://draxe.com/cacao-nibs/
https://draxe.com/superhuman-shake-for-strength-and-muscle-2/
http://www.juicetherapy.co.uk/banana/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahini
http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/mutant-milk-kicking-the-sacred-cow/