The Importance of Breakfast

Many people do not stop to consider how important breakfast is for our bodies. We hear it's the "most important meal of the day" without really claiming why. Many people sleep for 7-8 hours and often do not eat right before bed. That means your body has been without fuel for up to 10+ hours. If you wake up, skip breakfast, and continue to go without energy, your metabolism will slow down and try to save energy to fuel your body until you eat something. Breakfast is an opportunity to set the pace of your day; to start your day with nourishing foods that allow you to stay energized, focused, and feeling good. If you are looking to lose weight, research shows that people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and maintain their weight loss.

While the balanced plate method mentioned in the last post may seem unrealistic for breakfast, it sure isn’t!  Try some of these breakfast ideas: 

• Add vegetables like kale, celery, spinach, beets, carrots, and/or avocado to breakfast shakes with oatmeal, yogurt, and a banana
• Whole grain toast with some eggs and veggies and a small piece of fruit
• Banana breakfast bars or Peanut butter bars can be good homemade on the go grabs
• Store-bought granola bars can keep you fueled without exceeding your sugar intake
• Egg muffins can be made ahead of time and give you a protein punch on your way out the door
• If cereal is your go-to, make sure there are limited added sugars and at least 5 grams of fiber!
• Complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, quinoa, whole grain cereals) and a protein food (nuts, eggs,yogurt, lean meat like turkey sausage or canadian bacon) will fuel you up and keep you satisfied until a mid-morning snack. This type of breakfast will also not spike your blood sugar, which will reduce high-sugar cravings for the rest of the day.
• This 4-ingredient breakfast guide may give you more ideas
• Make-ahead overnight oats are a favorite (basic recipe here)
• Protein-packed breakfast recipes

Check out these articles about the importance of breakfast to further convince you to replenish when you rise!!

Healthy Breakfast Helps you Lose Weight

Why Eating Breakfast is So Important

John's Hopkins Breakfast Ideas

American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition: Long Term Weight Loss Maintenance with Breakfast

Here are some more breakfast recipe ideas:

Lemon Chickpea Muffins

Low Carb Breakfast Ideas

Quick and Easy Egg Breakfasts

By Tessa Acker

Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Meal patterns and Portions

Plate Model
Now that we have our ingredients and philosophy down, let's consider what our plate should look like. I like Harvard’s visual of a healthy plate to remind us to load up on our veggies, eat lean proteins, and get our fair share of healthy carbs in the form of whole grains and fruits. Dairy is not necessary to consume, and water should always be the primary drink throughout the day. And of course, always staying active at FTR or outside!
When you go to fill your plate, make sure half automatically is fruits and veggies. Then, add a healthy grain and lean protein. And, always accompany with at least a glass of water!

Aim for 30mins-1 hour of moderate exercise a day (150 minutes per week), most days (5) of the week to maintain weight, being sure strength training and weight lifting is included at least 2 times per week. Ninety minutes of medium to high intensity exercise is recommended most days of the week to lose weight. Take a walk before or after dinner, see how a bike commute would look to work, and be sure to get on over to FTR work outs!

Everyone has their own workout schedules that work well for them. The above recommendations are from the Center for Disease Control. To see more information, click here.

Everyone has different schedules and preferences for how many meals they eat and how often they eat them.

To simplify, aim to eat 3 meals a day, with snacks in between. Breakfast is a crucial start to your day (more on this later) and remember that skipping meals will never work in your favor. There is a common myth that skipping a meal will save calories, but ultimately it changes how your body digests and stores your food and ends up not only slowing your metabolism, but promoting fat stores within the body, especially around the abdomen.

Snacking (try to stay around or below 150 calories) has also been associated with a decreased risk of being overweight or obese. Check out this registered dietitian's tips on snacking. And, check out these energizing snacks.

Also, our lovely FTR dietitian, Allana, provided samples of these yummy energy bites at FTR!

No-Bake Energy Bites Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Yield: 1 dozen Ingredients • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter • 1/3 cup honey • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup old-fashioned oats (raw) • 2/3 cup shredded coconut • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed • 6 Tbsp chocolate chips (mini) Directions • In a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to refrigerator and chill until set (about 30 minutes). • Remove from refrigerator and shape into 1-inch balls. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Cooking Classy

She also handed out these tips on smart snacking from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics!

Portions

Equally as important as what you eat, and when you eat, is how much you eat. While we want to be especially conscious of how much high-calorie, high-fat food we eat, it is possible to eat too much of a “healthy” food.

So lets take a peek at portions. Portion control simply means eating an appropriate amount for you. Your portions may not be the same as your significant others, your children’s, or your friends, but it is important to be aware of how much you are eating. A portion is different than the recommended serving, found on the nutrition label (more later on label reading). Educate yourself about what is a serving and then see how many servings you’d like to be your portion.

To have a reference, I like to use common household items to estimate the amount of something I am eating. Check out these common items to help you gauge your portions:

Here is an additional resource for portion control and healthy eating tips.

Taste The Rainbow and Join Team Body

Taste the Rainbow

Unlike the skittles advertisement, we want to focus on whole foods, including fruits, veggies/roots, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. The more colors you can display on your plate, the more diverse nutrients you are getting. Examples include: red (kidney beans, tomatoes, radishes, raspberries, strawberries, beets, pink salmon, red quinoa) orange (carrots, mango, oranges/clementines, sweet potato, orange bell pepper) yellow (lemon juice/zest, banana, spaghetti squash, yellow bell pepper, ginger) green (edamame, spinach, kale, beans, peas, green pepper, kiwi) blue/purple (blueberries, cabbage, blackberries, eggplants) brown (quinoa, farro, millet, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, pears, turnips). Take a peek at the FTR garden and soak in the many possible color combos!

White foods (with the exception of cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, and turnips) tend to have lower levels of nutrients. White grains (bread, pasta, white rice) are especially low in nutrients and should be replaced with “browner” products.

Be part of “Team Body”
A lot of how I fuel my body is directly related to how much I love my body and our ability to work together as a “team.” I give it food and nourishment that it recognizes and can efficiently use, and my body, in exchange, moves, lifts, shifts, dodges, grabs, embraces, bounces, transmits, processes, and creates any and everything I throw myself into. I have an overwhelming and endless love for my body and all of its miraculous abilities and I want to help you gain that appreciation and care for your body, too.

Take a moment out of your day to think about one simple thing that your body and mind do for you. Maybe it’s walking, running, climbing stairs, lifting children or weights, breathing deep, concentrating at work, multi-tasking, communicating, or driving. These things may seem simple but they should not be taken for granted. Our bodies and minds are resilient, hard-working, and make us who we are. Let’s thank them for it by feeding them right.

Bottom line, always work with your body, not against it, as you work towards your weight or nutritional goals. Your body will always win, so it’s best to join it’s team from the start and work with it to create a positive give-and-take relationship.

Connect with your Mind, Body, and Food Spirit

One important focus at Fit to Recover, and during the recovery process as a whole, is to get in touch with your mind, body and spirit. Food and eating should be no exception to this journey.

Due to our money-driven food industry, fast-paced lifestyle, and time-crunched days, we are faced with many obstacles to healthy eating on a daily basis. Our society has become very disconnected from the food we eat, and I want to help us all improve that connection we have to our food and eating habits to ultimately make “clean eating” a lifestyle, not a “diet.” I’ll say it right from the beginning: diets don’t work. You must embrace healthy eating as a way of life and as something to celebrate, not something that restricts you and makes you unhappy. And while "eating clean" is all the buzz today, try not to think of it as "eating clean." Rather, just think of it as, well, "eating."

 To embrace this lifestyle, try to remember to, “eat as close to the earth as possible.” This means choosing and creating products with minimal ingredients and processed foods, as many plants and fruits as you can, protein-packed nuts, seeds, and legumes, and lean meats that have been responsibly raised. As a general rule of thumb, think twice about ingredient lists with more than 5-10 ingredients. If you can’t pronounce the ingredient, perhaps it doesn’t belong in your body. As Michael Pollan (journalist and author of timely food and nutrition books) simply put it, “Eat (real) food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” It really is all about going back to simplicity, back to what your body was built to consume. A few of his other rules include,

●      “eat all the junk food you please, as long as you cook it yourself,” (chances are we all won’t be installing a deep fryer in our kitchen to make french fries)

●      “ Shop the perimeters of the grocery store and stay out of the middle” (where all the processed foods are)

●      “Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods”

●      “Avoid foods that have some form of sugar or sweetener in the first 3 ingredients”

And it doesn’t have to cost a lot to do this! Check out this woman’s story of cutting out processed foods on a budget!

Or, the free downloadable recipe book “Good and Cheap” gives you healthy, budget-friendly recipe ideas!

Getting back to the Earth

A common example of foods that have become unrecognizable by our bodies is cereal. Sure, it may be “made with whole grains,” but often those grains have been stripped of their natural nutrients to be shelf-stable with added sugar for flavor. To get “closer to the earth” try a homemade granola, like this one:

Low fat/ high protein granola

3 cups organic old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup each almonds, walnuts and pecans

1/2 cup roasted or raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup whole flax seed

1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or combination (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut  or canola oil

2-4 tbsps pure maple syrup (or sub in honey after baking)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Combine oil, syrup and vanilla in a microwave safe container or on stove top and heat slightly just to thin and mix. Thoroughly coat the granola mixture with the oil/syrup/vanilla and spread on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring with a spatula once to bake evenly. Cool and store in airtight container or in freezer for longer periods.

Another processed food that can be mistaken as “clean” are crackers and bread. Again, these can come “back to the earth” by creating your own, or looking for minimally processed products with simple and few ingredients. Try kale chips for a nice crunch, roasted chickpeas, or homemade fresh baked bread (it’s easier than you think!). Even homemade tortillas for tacos or wraps can cut out unnecessary additives and are cheaper too!

If you aren’t into making your own, always be sure to opt for the 100% whole wheat bread that does not have “enriched” wheat flour- this indicates unnecessary processing.

Bottom line, before you eat it, think about how close it is to the earth and how your body will break it down. Grass-fed meats and free range chicken help to ensure we are eating meat that was raised in a more natural and nurturing environment, without added hormones and chemicals that are not meant for animal--or human-- consumption. 

Here are 5 tips for sustainable eating.

Welcome to the Food to Recover blog!

Welcome to Food To Recover, the nutrition arm of Fit To Recover (FTR). Food To Recover promotes proper nourishment, self-love, and healthy eating for the Salt Lake City-based FTR Gym and Community Center. 

My name is Tessa Acker and I am a Registered Dietitian, backed by a Masters degree in Public Health. I am also the proud sister of my brother Ian, who has made the FTR sober gym dream a reality, by helping those in recovery benefit from exercise and a supportive community.
I started Food to Recover in early 2015, but our team of dietitians have really helped it to grow and come to full "fruit-ition." Please click here to see our lovely volunteer dietitians who help bring nutrition education, interactive demonstrations, and healthy recipes and taste tests to the FTR workouts and events. We will all contribute to this blog to bring you the most relevant and helpful information for you and the rest of the FTR community.

I am passionate about fueling your body with wholesome foods and exploring the endless tasty food options that help you feel and look great. Eating is our opportunity to become more in touch with our bodies and fuel it in an efficient, sustainable, and loving way. Quality foods and good nutrition habits not only improve our workouts, but also our overall focus, energy, and daily lives. Every time we eat a meal or snack we have a choice, and I want to support you in making the best choice for you.

I know that the crazy pace of daily life can leave little room for meal planning and snacking, so Food To Recover will help you save time and eat well at the same time. We will provide the Fit To Recover community meal ideas, the latest in evidence-based nutrition research, and discussion opportunities to help you better understand healthy eating, celebrate food, and highlight the importance of nourishing your body.

Proper nutrition, along with physical activity, is an important component in the recovery process from drugs and alcohol. From our Food To Recover garden, to taste tests and recipe ideas, individual questions and group education, we are here to help YOU!

Thank you for allowing our Food To Recover team add to the amazing FTR community effort to help people in recovery, and their supporters, to live healthy and happy lifestyles.

Join me, and the Food To Recover team, as we Nourish Recovery together.

Happy eating,
Tessa

Join the Fit To Recover Community and the Food2Recover dietitians at Sugar House Park on Saturdays at 10am.