In A Paleo World: Start The Day Off Right

Breakfast. We know breakfast is important, but how many of us start our day off with 2-3 cups of coffee and neglect to provide our bodies with the vital nutrition needed to make it through the morning. We may snap at our kids because of the jitters from the excess caffeine or we may feel sluggish despite the fact we've consumed enough caffeine to last a couple days.

I've always been a big breakfast eater. When I wake up I think, "What am I going to eat?" That makes sense. Our body has been working all night, about 8 hours, repairing and rejuvenating us. It has been healing and restoring so we can make it through another day. The body needs to be refueled. For about the last 20+ years I've thought of my body as a machine. I cannot run this machine if I don't properly fuel it.

How do you fuel your machine? The number one thing I think of first is protein. I like protein. Rebuilding and maintaining muscle/lean body mass is very important to me as I'm now well into my 40's. My goal is to maintain healthy bone and muscle tissue. Next I think of good, healthy carbs. My mom was diagnosed with Celiac Disease a few years ago, so I'm careful with gluten/bread products. I like vegetables, fresh fruit, maybe a slice of gluten-free toast with almond butter. Last, but not least, healthy fats. They're essential for good brain function, hormone function, joint health, etc.

If you think of these three things every time you're preparing a meal, you'll be sure to fuel your body properly and have enough energy to make it through your busy day.

So what does this type of breakfast look like today? Two eggs (or one egg + 3 egg whites) scrambled with vegetables in about a teaspoon of coconut oil. (Coconut oil is so fabulous for you! That's another post.) After I scramble my eggs I top them with about a teaspoon of feta cheese, sliced tomatoes on the side. I may have a slice of gluten-free toast.