I've got a totally kick-ass breakfast to share with you. The kind of breakfast that you go to bed looking forward to, that despite the wholeness you feel after eating it, still leaves you alert and agile. Its so delicious, and yet, it came about because of a prescription from my doctor--a perfect example of how medicine inspires deliciousness. This breakfast is decadent, easy, and accidentally gluten free.
Whole milk yogurt with pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, lemon flavored fish oil, probiotic powder, homemade jam, cinnamon, soaked and dried almonds and walnuts--all in a handy to-go container
The nerd in me especially loves how each ingredient is an important player as a medicine.
Yogurt-- whole milk provides the volume and calories to chase away the hunger until lunchtime, and the live bacteria help support healthy gut flora. Also, of course, 60-year-old-Lorraine and her awesome bone density will thank the 30-year-old Lorraine of today for enjoying every calcium-laiden bite.
Pumpkin seeds, ground flax seeds, lemon flavored fish oil-- these three are a trio that my naturopathic doctor has instructed me to eat daily for two weeks of each month, followed by two weeks of a trio of sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and evening primrose oil. This is called "seed cycling" in the world of natural medicine, a protocol that capitalizes on the mimicry of human hormones that the natural oils in the seeds perform. The seeds are taken to help support normal female hormone cycling. I think of it like a swing: I'm on the swing and this fortnight's combination gently push me along in the right direction until it's time to switch and the other trio steps in to do its gentle work. By the way, the fish oil boasts loads of omega-3 fatty acids, which are deficient in most American diets, and the natural lemon flavor in the fish oil seriously takes this breakfast to the next level.
Probiotic Powder-- again, supporting healthy gut flora balance, which is essential for absorption of everything from macronutrients to vitamins, minerals and as-of-yet unknown required nutrients. This was also prescribed my my doctor, and it's not a weird addition at all, just mildly sweet and forgettable.
Jam, pumpkin butter, or fresh fruit-- of course, fresh fruit is the healthiest option, but when it's not around, I take this opportunity to enjoy gifted preserves from my mom. If I'm going to eat something sugary on my breakfast (and I am, dammit) I'm psyched when it tastes like summer and is in one of the many forms of my mother's love.
Cinnamon-- oh, cinnamon, freshly ground, you invade my dreams with your spicy sweetness. Let's keep dreaming through breakfast.
Almonds and walnuts-- Yes, of course, nuts are protein-packed and totally awesome, but these ones are extra special. My sister--ever fastidious about clean, whole foods--clued me into Mommypotamus' via Nourishing Traditions' method of soaking and dehydrating nuts, which leaves them way more awesome than your usual raw nuts. With most of the bitter undertones rinsed away, the delicate sweetness of the meat and subtle flavors of the oils are liberated, with an outrageously enjoyable crunch kicking off the whole party. The particular crunch is novel to me, so it's taken a few weeks to put it into words, but here it is, folks: it is a crunch that mimics the sound and feel of stepping on freshly fallen snow. What? Sign me up, every day.
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