Here are the most common breakfast mistakes I've seen:
Not Enough Protein
Many of my clients have a bowl of cereal with milk for their breakfasts. Seems like a good choice, right? Yes, one cup of milk provides eight grams of protein, but think about it: How often do slurp down all the milk that accompanies our cereal? Not often, I would guess. Protein digests more slowly than carbohydrates, so without ample amounts, you'll be hungry sooner rather than later. If you don't want to drink the milk from the bowl, add a hard-boiled egg to your meal for extra protein. Cereal and milk are also loaded with sugar. Sugar causes inflammation, feeds cancer cells, weakens the immune system, and causes weight gain among other things. 4 grams of sugar listed on a food label= 1 teaspoon of sugar!
Too Little Fiber
The more sugar in your breakfast cereal, the faster it digests, and the hungrier you'll be. Conversely, more fiber will keep you fuller longer. So, here's my rule of thumb if you do decide to eat cereal: There should always be at least five grams of fiber, and there should always be more fiber than sugar. For extra fiber, add chia or flax seeds. If you choose the latter, make sure to grind the seeds first, or else you won't absorb their nutritional benefits.
No Fat
A meal with no fat can make you hungry again within an hour. Let's look at the supposed healthy breakfast of nonfat Greek yogurt, high-fiber cereal and berries. Where's the fat? I tell my clients to either switch to whole milk yogurt or to add some nuts to prevent feeling hungry.
Not Enough Food
While a piece of fruit is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, it's not enough for breakfast. Many of my clients have found that a grab-and-go breakfast -- like an apple on the drive to work -- simply doesn't cut it. However, if they sit down and mindfully consume about 300 to 400 calories, they feel way more satisfied. By the time lunch approaches, eating breakfast has likely kept them from a day of overeating. Also- a cup of coffee and a donut is one of the worst things you could consume. Caffeine and sugar=afternoon crash!!
Too Late In the Day
I usually recommend eating within an hour of waking, if possible. The longer a person waits to eat breakfast, the hungrier they usually become, making it harder to be satisfied once they eat. Remember: One of a breakfast's main purposes is to provide you with fuel after a long break from eating. Once your breakfast blurs with the lines of lunchtime, it no longer does its job efficiently!
Breakfast: (Ideas: eggs with veggies, protein smoothie with almond milk, etc.)
3 oz. protein
1-2 Carbs (Vegetables)
1 – Fruit (low sugar choices only)
1-Healthy fat
Total Calories: 300-350
Grain less Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup Raw Organic Pecans, chopped
1 cup Dried Organic Apples, chopped
1 cup Organic Raisins
1 cup Raw Organic Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Raw Organic Almonds, chopped
Pinch of organic ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Flour-less Pancakes
Ingredients: (Organic if possible)
2 Ripe bananas, mashed
3 Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Sea salt to taste
Ghee or Coconut Oil
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
2. Pour batter into a pan with melted ghee or coconut oil over medium heat. Cook until small bubbles form and then flip.
Copyright, 2015, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutritionist and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
On Monday I walked into one of the gyms I frequent often and saw this:
I feel as though this is why most people are confused about what is healthy and what is not. You expect a gym to offer you better choices. It IS a place where you go to improve your health... right? So why wouldn't they offer you the best post workout snacks? My opinion:
Nutri-Grain Bar: It contains multiple forms of sugar, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and soy. Remember 4 grams listed on a food label is equal to one teaspoon of sugar! Eating one bar is like eating 3 teaspoons of sugar! Processed food = Non living. Eat more foods by God and not by man.
Apple and Eve Organic Juice Box: Sugar. 10 grams in that TINY little box (6.75 fluid ounces!) Do not let the organic label fool you. Granted, it does have 50% less sugar than most juice boxes.
Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
www.optimumwellnessmn.com
I received this Facebook message from a friend earlier today:
"I don't know if you know of my obsession with Jason Mraz... but... This song reminded me of you for a couple reasons -- it overall just tends to make you feel good, but it also has a good message I think and seems like something you'd enjoy so I thought I'd share :-)
And I think you can take "back to the Earth" in several ways - including how we fuel our bodies, so I thought of you!"
After listening to it a few times I am reminded of how I need to live a simpler life; especially when I get overwhelmed. How about you? We tend to take the little things for granted and are so caught up in our phones, gadgets, social media, and our material "things" that we sometimes miss the beauty and people around us! This includes getting back in tune with nature and eating foods from the Earth!
Think about what you can cut out of your life to make it more peaceful. You may need to scale back on your responsibilities and the activities you are involved in and sell or donate items in your home. Be sure to take some time for yourself to sit quietly, clear you head, and breathe! And don't forget to shop local! :-)
Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
www.optimumwellnessmn.com
I follow a few women who are recovering from eating disorders on my Instagram account. One woman uses a heart plate just like this one every time she eats.
I think we could all learn from this. Food is fuel and nourishment for our bodies; what we put into it should reflect the love we have for ourselves. Choose to eat only the foods that help heal your body and feed your soul! So many people use and abuse food to distract them from their emotions and life. Love should go into your food...organic, natural, and from the Earth, not chemicals and man-made from a factory or from animals that have been treated inhumanely and don't see the light of day! Every time you sit down to eat think about how the food on your plate directly impacts your cells, body, mind, and energy! I love this affirmation!
Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
I'm sitting here reflecting over the past year and thinking I am so blessed to have met so many wonderful people! The lives I have touched here is what fuels me each and every day! God is working through me! We are all connected!
Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas!!
Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
www.optimumwellnessmn.com
Today I had the opportunity to be the guest storyteller in Mrs. Schnell's third grade classroom at my old school!! I read aloud one of my childhood books, The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food.
We talked about what healthy food is and what we should use to "fuel" our bodies! They were very active participants and had some great answers to my all my questions! We even did a few short BURST exercises and discussed exercise and sleep. Then we created collages of healthy foods and other things we talked about! I have my BA in elementary education so this was right up my alley! Start teaching your children about health now so they grow up living a healthy lifestyle! As you know our habits develop at a young age. Be sure to set the example! Here are a few photos of their collages.
Copyright, 2013, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
Question:
"If I workout first thing in the morning should I go on an empty stomach, or what should I eat?
-Jimm from Eagan, MN
Answer:
Hi Jimm!! Great question!! The theory behind this is that your blood sugar levels are low when you're in a fasted state (after going all night without eating) which targets more fat burning.
Keep in mind that the majority of the "fuel" used during most exercise is not actually coming from the food you have just eaten. If you're working out at a moderate to high intensity you're using glycogen and fat that is stored in your muscles, liver, and fat cells. Typically, your body has enough of that stored fuel to last for one to two hours of intense work, or three to four hours at moderate intensity.
Therefore, if you are consuming a high quality diet, eating every three to four hours, your body may not need anything to eat before you begin your workout. Still, some people do have a hard time exercising without eating something first. Typically these people are more sensitive to changes in their blood sugar levels, which can decline during the first 15-25 minutes of their workout. It is this decline in blood sugar that causes dizziness, faintness, nausea or lightheadedness. This is especially true if you exercise first thing in the morning.Additionally, exercising on an empty stomach may not appeal to athletes as it will typically reduce overall performance. Professional athletes may also not be as concerned with fat loss.
I believe the best approach is to use some common sense and listen to your body. A number of individual factors can play a role, such as your age, when you last ate, whether or not you're pregnant, taking medications, your medical history, level of fitness, and the type of workout you engage in. For example, if you feel weak or nauseous while exercising on an empty stomach, you may want to at least eat a small meal before exercising.
*If you do need a little something before working out try a whey or hemp protein smoothie or plain greek yogurt and add your own berries, nuts and seeds!
Try Burst Training!!
The best and most efficient exercise is a high intensity, short duration work-out. This is BURST TRAINING! You give a short burst of maximal energy out put. When you do this type of work-out it produces a hormone HGH (human growth hormone). This type of work-out safely shocks the body’s physiology into becoming a muscle building, fat burning machine.
Instead of burning fat for an hour on a treadmill, a burst training session will spike your metabolism, produce HGH, and build lean muscle that will keep your body burning fat for up to the following 48 hours!!! The benefits to exercise and increasing muscle to fat ratio: increase energy, fat loss, improve heart and lung health, aid in elimination of toxins, improve libido, better sleep, fight depression and create better self image, manage blood sugar.
Please contact me to learn more about the link between exercise and your diet!
Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.
As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.
http://www.optimumwellnessmn.com
