Rise and Shine - Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day

We can all agree that life in the 21st Century is more than a little hectic and sometimes we feel we are running back on ourselves - it can feel somewhat overwhelming and we do not realise how much of a help (or in its absence, a hindrance) breakfast is in allowing our days to run that little bit smoother.
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It has been said a million times before and will continue to hold its weight far into the future - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Everything runs better with the right fuel in place - a fire cannot burn without the coal, a car cannot run without petrol, a kettle will burn out if it's trying to boil without the required water and humans also don't do so well running on empty. In this analogy, breakfast is your coal, petrol and the water in your kettle - if you want something to do what it says on the tin, you need to team it up with the substance that will allow this to take place - we all need a spark to the fire.

We can all agree that life in the 21st Century is more than a little hectic and sometimes we feel we are running back on ourselves - it can feel somewhat overwhelming and we do not realise how much of a help (or in its absence, a hindrance) breakfast is in allowing our days to run that little bit smoother.

Think about it, your brain and body are working organisms that require nutrients, vitamins, fats, oils etc to run on optimum speed and proficiency; if they're running on empty and depleting the reserves, it's going to feel like a downward spiral and possibly like attempting to push a heavily weighed-down donkey up a hill! If you're someone who suffers from Hypoglycaemia (or other such ailments) the symptoms from this can add the wrong type of fuel to the fire... Who really wants to have to deal with an empty tank together with symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, weakness, extreme hunger, nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety - certainly not me! So the conclusion to avoiding all of the above is simple - make breakfast a priority on your list of to do's.

I understand that you may be someone who hits the snooze button for those last 10 extra blissful minutes in bed, but if you realised the payoff of missing breakfast, you'd find the motivation and willingness to find your way out of bed at the allocated time. And please don't think that soya latte or hazelnut cappuccino with extra foam is going to fill the hole, because it just doesn't work that way.

Breakfast does not take its name by accident - your body has been resting and fasting overnight so this incredibly important meal does exactly what it says, it breaks the (overnight) fast. And please try not to view breakfast as simply a means to provide the body with the fuel it needs, it doesn't need to look like a couple of Weetabix slung in a bowl with a splash of milk or a piece of slightly burnt toast with a scraping of butter or marmite; breakfast can be really delicious and something to get excited about - I do. It's another opportunity to get really creative and it doesn't have to require oodles of time and vast amounts of effort - the complete opposite is true.

There's no end to what goodies can be had at breakfast, but here's a few ideas I've put together for you to get those ideas and creative juices flowing in the right direction (a selection of these recipes can be found in my cookbook or on my blog http://www.myrelationshipwithfood.com/category/blog/

Eggs baked in Portbello Mushrooms

Tahini & Apricot Granola Bars

Chia Pudding with Fruit Salad

Banana & Chia Seed Pancakes

Poached Eggs with Avocado Salsa

Green Goddess Smoothie

Coconut Porridge

A few of these options need to be cooked there and then, but recipes such as the Granola Bars, Chia Pudding and Fruit Salad can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. These options therefore take no time at all.

So there you have it, great tasting food in record time - and if this isn't something to get excited about and motivate you to jump out of bed in the morning I don't know what is! Breakfast is beneficial and nourishing to your mind and your body and irresistible to your palate too - it's a win win situation all round!

For further information on the cookbook visit http://www.myrelationshipwithfood.com/shop/cook-book/