Your day is directly influenced by your breakfast, for better or worse. I think most of us have the best of intentions, when we wake up in the morning, to have a good day. We don’t roll out of bed thinking that we want to eat unhealthy foods in order feel sluggish, have a brain fog and finish the day with a headache. Yet, this can easily happen if you’re not paying attention to what you’re eating and how that food makes you feel.
Personally, I find that if I start my day with an unhealthy choice, I tend to make more unhealthy choices that day. The reverse is also true. If I consciously start my day with a healthy breakfast, it sets me up to want more healthy options that day. Like increases like and the opposites reduce each other. So, if you reach for a sugary food for breakfast, you will want more sugar. But you can reduce your sugar craving by eating the opposite. If you naturally gravitate towards a sugary cereal or pancakes with syrup, maybe you could try something more sour or bitter?
Since we’re moving towards summer, there are a lot of greens popping up everywhere. These spring greens usually have a bitter quality to them. Try adding some of these seasonal greens to a smoothie. I’ve also been adding the fresh little sprouts and pea shoots to my avocado toast. This fresh addition of baby greens infuses your bloodstream with increased oxygen carrying capacity. This will help your energy, brain fog, and capacity to exercise.
I Don’t Have Time for Breakfast.
Our current culture has normalized the routine of sleeping until the last minute in the morning, only to grab a cup of coffee as you rush out the door, late for work. You may have a few more cups of coffee at work, work through lunch, and then grab a quick pick-me-up as your blood sugar tanks in the afternoon. Is it any wonder why we end up dehydrated, lethargic and with a headache?
Set Yourself Up for Success
How can you slowly start to shift this habit? Start at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Buy healthy food for your home that is right in front of you in the morning. Bury the less healthy options out of sight, or try not to buy them. Maybe you start by trying this only on Mondays and Tuesdays? Then give yourself permission to see what your body wants on Wednesday morning. If you gravitate back to your old ways, don’t be hard on yourself or give up. Just start again every Monday.
Over time, if you consistently work on these concepts, your taste buds and cravings will change. You will notice how much better you feel when you start your day with good choices. We have to make these choices consciously and keep practicing them until they become a habit.
