Healthy Breakfast Routine For Body, Mind & Diet

So you wake up in the morning and realize you left your personal chef in dreamland. Your next question will likely be, how to start the day with a healthy breakfast? Part of the answer is that giving yourself a strong start for the day depends on your individual body and needs.  But for all of us, in order to “break fast” after our bodies have been resting and our digestion shut down for many hours, this first meal is our opportunity to prepare our bodies and minds for another day. Studies show that a healthy breakfast is import in kick-starting the day, from improving concentration and focus to starting up the metabolism to maintaining a balanced weight. Here are our suggestions for putting together an individualized holistic body-mind breakfast routine.

Start the day with some movement to bring life back to the body and get grounded. Even if you’re not a yogi, some relaxed stretches and deep breathing can make a huge difference to activate the body and mind. Bringing some movement to the lymphatic system is also a great idea to help circulate nutrients and toxins to where they need to go. Unlike the blood, which has it's own magnificent pump (the heart), the lymphatic fluid needs our activity to move it through the body. Shake up the lymph by dancing for a few minutes or doing jumping jacks. Any physical activity that brings your heart rate up will signal the body that it’s time for all the little systems and machines to get going and do their job! It’s also good for calming and centering the mind, especially if you follow movement by sitting for a few minutes to quietly visualize your day and bring in a sense of positivity and centeredness.

Now it’s time to fuel the machine with nutrients and energy. Depending on your body type and needs, you may want to choose something more satisfying or light. Your breakfast is going to set up your food intake for the rest of the day, and healthier choices early will improve your hunger and energy levels.

For those who are fast burners and need satisfying fuel, choose a portion healthy carbohydrates in the form of whole grains and qunioa, buckwheat and millet. Porridge or oatmeal is a great base for all kinds of healthy superfoods like goji berries, chia seeds, bee pollen, and a variety of nuts. A raw, organic granola can be bought or even made by yourself with your favorite grains, seeds, and dried fruits.

You can get the protein portion of your breakfast for long-lasting hunger deterrent in some organic yogurt, colored with the same superfoods of your choice. Or consider nut butters as a spread on raw veggies. If you’re more of a slow burner and trying to eat light, avoid bulky carbohydrates like oatmeal, cereals or breads, which will bring heaviness to both the digestion and mental clarity. Raw veggies with a healthy dip are a great option, or a base of organic yogurt, coconut milk or any nut milk with fruit and honey.

And one category of breakfast food that works for everyone and gets points for versatility, convenience, and health value are smoothies. Check our excellent variety of smoothie recipes here. Smoothies and juices are great for any meal because they give you the option of incorporating any combination of greens (like nutrient-rich spinach or kale); antioxidants like beets; proteins like coconut yogurt and nuts, and so many ways to get other vitamins and minerals by throwing in superfoods like spirulina, bee pollen or flaxseed. It’s also a great way to throw in powerful spices like turmeric (an anti-inflammatory) or cinnamon (great for bringing heat to the body). And the best part of smoothies is that they can replace a sweet dessert to keep us away those cakey-things and croissants. Dates are a nutritious form of sugar that add chewy sweet goodness to a smoothie, honey is a great natural sweetener, and you can add more of your favorite fruits in for endless combinations of healthy breakfast each day. You’ll never be short of ideas and tools for starting the day strong just by keeping your kitchen stocked with some of your favorite basics, and checking out our healthy raw breakfast recipes.