One way I have been able to lose excess fat and maintain an optimal weight is by eating a satisfying, plant based nutrient rich breakfast each morning. A heart healthy, nutrient dense diet includes colorful fruits and vibrantly colored vegetables, including dark green vegetables, red-orange vegetables, beans, peas, seeds, nuts and a few whole grains.
Nutrient rich plant foods abound in antioxidants, which according to Richard J. Flanigan, MD and Kate Flanigan Sawyer, MD, MPH in the book, Longevity Made Simple “neutralize damaging effects of free radicals present in the body. Free radicals are made of unstable oxygen molecules that react with and damage our cells, which can lead to cancer and cardiovascular disease.”
Triple Threat Antioxidant Super Smoothie
My first favorite breakfast – proportions and fruit may vary, but the recipe listed below creates enough smoothie for a three day supply. The nutritional supplements which I add to the smoothie may or may not be appropriate for you. Consult with a registered dietitian or nutritionally aware physician for your own circumstances.
1. Two and a half cups of unsweetened plain organic soymilk, 3/4 cup frozen blueberries, one ripe banana, about 6 frozen organic strawberries, 2//3rd cup of frozen mango chunks, 1/4 cup frozen pineapple bits and maybe a fresh. juicy orange or several frozen pitted dark sweet cherries – all put into a strong blender. I Add each fruit to the soymilk, blend to smooth consistency, then add the next fruit.
2. THEN I add 1 oz. of raw green superfood powder, 1 scoop of unsweetened soy or other protein powder (you could substitute whey protein here,) 7 ounces of MonaVie Active concentrated acai fruit beverage with glucosamine, 1 oz of liquid calcium/ magnesium/zinc liquid enhanced with Vitamin D, 1 oz of Blueberry Blast Adicophilus Probiotic liquid, and 1 oz. of Co-Q 10 (100mg) with L-Carnitine 1000mg liquid. I pour this wonderful concoction into a 12 oz. glass and mix in one teaspoon of high grade fish oil for beneficial Omega 3 anti-inflammatory properties.
3. To top off the Smoothie with something chewable, I toast a thick half of one Food for Life brand Ezekiel 4:9 Flourless Sprouted Grain English Muffin, and spread it with raw, creamy unsalted almond butter. Breakfast equals about 425 nutrient dense, fiber rich calories. The rest of the smoothie then is refrigerated tor the next two days’ breakfast.
Stand and Deliver Power Porridge
My second favorite breakfast is a hot cereal consisting of 1 cup old-fashioned or steel cut oats and 1 cup quinoa. I soak the oats and washed quinoa together overnight in about six cups of water. In the morning after 25 minutes of carefully watched stirring with a wooden spoon – to make sure it doesn’t boil over or stick to the bottom of the pan – I add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 2/3 cup of raisins, 1/4 cup of unsweetened, shredded coconut, 1/4. cup of half-crushed walnuts, a few sunflower or other seeds and maybe some cut up dried apricots. This final version then cooks for another 6 minutes or so, adding extra water if necessary. The pot cools, then I put. 4 oz. of porridge each into multiple mini-plastic bags. These 12 to 14 bags then go into the freezer, providing at least three weeks of custom created cereal for my busy schedule.
The night before eating my porridge, I’ll pull a bag out of the freezer and let it thaw. Come morning it goes into the microwave for a minute. Then I add unsweetened soymilk. powered up with a little soy protein powder, one whole cut up fresh apple, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (if I can buy them at a decent price) and maybe a few fresh strawberries or frozen dark cherries.. It makes a nice, big satisfying bowl of heart healthy, nutrient dense food. Just to make sure I don’t get hungry, though, I’ll toast the other thin half of English Muffin and coat it with peanut butter or almond butter and a little bit of ripe banana. Sometimes I’ll have a fresh tangelo, orange or small grapefruit before eating my porridge. Calories are about the same as the smoothie/muffin breakfast.
My favorite stores for purchasing Triple Threat Smoothie and Power Porridge items are Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Whole Foods Market, People’s Store and Baron’s Marketplace. All these natural foods stores are within 10 miles of my Hillcrest neighborhood.
Goldilocks never had it so good!
