nutrition Archives - Mindfully Written

No Time for a Healthy Breakfast?: These 6 Options Will Make You Rethink

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper, so they say. We all know that we need to eat breakfast, but it isn’t always that easy. It’s a common routine: hit snooze, jump out of bed, rush to get ready, get the kids on the bus, remember to feed Fido and if you’re lucky, you’ll make it to work on time. No time for a healthy breakfast? You’re not alone.

But before you dash through the nearest fast-food drive-through or grab a pastry at the gas station, think again. You can have a healthy breakfast with your busy lifestyle. It just takes a tiny bit of preparation.

I, like you, struggle with breakfast, even though I’m a writer who works at home. I like to sleep in, get dressed, grab a quick breakfast and bring it to my desk to eat while I delete junk emails, browse Facebook and otherwise start the day by getting up-to-date and organized. I just don’t want to cook or even take the time to make oatmeal. Being gluten-free, the quick options are limited (no toast or bagels or cereal here). Plus, the quick options generally are loaded in refined carbs, sugars and other weird stuff.

If you think you have no time for breakfast, especially a healthy one, it’s time to think again and plan some prep into your routine. Take ten minutes at night to prepare your breakfast for the next morning or set aside weekend time to spend an hour in the kitchen.

Here are six great options from some amazing sources.

Overnight Oats –

This one truly is grab and go. All you have to do is grab your container (mason jars are great) and a spoon and head out the door. This post from Prescribe Nutrition gives a personal touch to this simple recipe.

Pre-Made Smoothie –

I talked recently about making awesome green smoothies, but for a quick grab-and-go breakfast, make your smoothie the previous night. Put it in a mason jar with a tight lid and stick it in the fridge. Come morning, you’re ready to go.

Baked Oatmeal –

I love this recipe from Oh She Glows. Side note: I skip the dry sugar in the crunchy topping and don’t feel like I’m missing anything. This oatmeal reheats really nicely and lends itself to creativity once you have the basics down.

Hard-boiled eggs –

Boiling eggs has to be one of the easiest breakfast ideas. Simply bring some water, your eggs, salt and a dash of vinegar to a boil. Once rapidly boiling, let it boil for a minute or so and then turn off the burner and cover. Let sit for at least ten minutes, but it’s ok to forget about them (I always do). Older eggs peel better. Up the nutrition here by also having some fruit and/or nuts.

Homemade Granola –

The options are really endless here. Make chunkier stuff to snack on from an environmentally-friendly container or throw some in yogurt (if you can handle dairy) or kefir (which is dairy but easier to digest), but watch for added sugar. Plain is best. Throw homemade granola in a green smoothie for an extra nutrition punch. This recipe from Elana’s Pantry is sans oats. This one from Oh She Glows is made from buckwheat. And this one from PaleOMG includes pumpkin and looks to satisfy the sweet tooth.

Healthy Muffins –

Be careful about adding too much sweetness (ahem, chocolate chips) but have fun with some of these muffin recipes. While being the perfect grab-and-go, eat-in-the-car breakfast, they have the potential to become unhealthy if you don’t watch the ingredients. Look for ways to get veggies in the mix (like carrot muffins) or use fruit for sweetness. Think of muffins as a quick breakfast idea that probably isn’t healthy enough for every day but could come in real handy for some days. Here are 41 recipes from Paleo Grubs.

With all breakfast ideas, quick or not, the key is to watch sugar, especially adding refined sugars, and try to find ways to incorporate protein and vegetables. Other than that, play around with recipes, see what your family likes and have fun with it. For an added boost, grab an apple or banana as you walk out the door or toss some blueberries into your granola.

Breakfast doesn’t have to be a drag, nor does it have to be stressful. Find what works for you, but remember, you do have time for a healthy breakfast.

What is your go-to quick breakfast food? Share your favorite ideas and recipes in the comments. I’m really hoping to hear from some of you on this one!

{Photo Credit: jules}

The Scary Truth About Sugar

by Amber Erickson

Sugar. Our favorite treat comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from sodas and ice cream to cakes, cookies and candies. We all know the common sources of sugar. We know when we’re eating sugar…or do we?

The problem with sugar is that nowadays, it’s in everything. And if you’re not careful, your sugar intake will be sky-high, leaving you wondering why you can’t shed those last few pounds (despite plentiful exercise) or your doctor is warning you of pre-diabetes. But I don’t eat that much sugar, you say. The amount of sugar you’re actually ingesting could come as a shock. Let’s break it down.

First of all, what’s the risk, right? Sugar, often known for it’s ability to create cavities and obesity, is more than that. It’s a substance that creates inflammation and inflammation creates problems all over the body, from stomach aches to heart attacks. Sugar isn’t just a yummy food additive, it’s addictive, toxic and downright bad for us. Eating sugar is just like anything else, you get to choose how you want to live your life. But, if you’re concerned about health and wellness, exercise regularly and aim to live the healthiest life you can, ditch the sugar. All of it.

What is Sugar?

For our purposes, we’re talking about added sugars, not the stuff found in fruit and other natural sources. We’re talking about the stuff found on ingredient lists under the guise of sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), evaporated cane juice, fructose, maltose, malt syrup, honey, molasses and fruit juice concentrate. We’re mostly talking about refined sugars, which means they are processed.

Where Sugar Hides

Sugar hides in some of the strangest places – in foods that have no need for sugar in them. If you’re wanting to minimize or eliminate sugar from your diet, be prepared to spend some time in the store, reading labels and looking for better alternatives.

This article was the motivation for this blog because I believe most people don’t think to look for sugar in all these places. One of my biggest pet peeves is pasta sauce. I shop at a co-op, a tiny co-op at that, so all real estate is prime and usually, only one or two options exist. However, there are six or so pasta sauces, all of them with sugar in them. How frustrating is this?

If you don’t want to read the article, the eight sources of refined sugar are:

Barbeque sauce
Nutrition bars
Tomato sauce
Flavored yogurt
Fruit juice
Grown-up breakfast cereal
Vitamin drinks
Muffins

Any surprising items on that list?

The tricky part here is that you might think these kinds of refined, added sugars only come in unhealthy foods, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because it says organic or natural doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The general rule is anytime something is processed, it could have some sugar added to it. And just because it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Better Alternatives to Refined Sugars

Cutting down on sugar comes two-fold. You could either focus your attention on the things we know are loaded with sugar (desserts, drinks, etc.) or focus your attention on the hidden culprits (processed or canned foods, carbohydrates, etc.). Ideally, let’s do both! But let’s be realistic, sugar is addictive and cutting it from your diet is not going to be easy. Choose the route that is easiest for you to stick to. Spend some time with that transition and slowly try to cut back on other sources of sugar. Any little bit will help your body (and mind) function better and who knows, you could see dramatic changes.

If you love sweet stuff and loathe the idea of cutting out refined sugars from your diet, especially sodas and pastries, look for alternatives. The internet is a great resource for finding recipes. Love banana bread? Find a version without sugar. You will learn to love the subtle sweetness of the fruit and other natural ingredients. Honey, molasses, coconut sugar, stevia and fruit are amazing sweeteners, with some practice and the right recipes, you can learn to live without sugar. That’s not to say we all don’t fall of the wagon from time to time, but getting off sugar is hard and it is a process.

The benefits of getting off sugar are potentially bigger than I’m going to get into, but from personal experience, I can say going sugar-free for two weeks left me feeling lighter (I lost 5+ pounds), slimmer and more energetic. I didn’t have the mid-afternoon crash and after just a few days, I didn’t have many cravings.

It’s less about food restriction and more about taking control of your health. It’s not about being extreme, it’s about making choices about what you put into your body. It’s about breaking old habits and mindless patterns and choosing to nurture your body – your health.

Have you tried reducing sugar? How’d it go? Or are you thinking about trying but need some help? Post your thoughts, experiences and concerns in the comments.

{Photo: jazzijava}

Staying Healthy While Traveling: Some Basic Keys

by Amber Erickson

The topic of staying healthy while traveling is complex. The type of trip, destination and other factors play a role in how you stay healthy, what items to bring to maintain health and things to watch out for. We’re talking in general today – maybe another time we’ll discuss jet lag, overseas travel, traveling with kids or family and other more specific issues.

This week I’m in Minnesota visiting my parents. My sister and I took the trip together, leaving our significant others and dogs behind. This trip is basic, no fancy location, no hotels, no unique destinations or reading maps. Trips home, like this one, have different kinds of challenges. The key to staying healthy and happy on trips like this can be divided into three main groups.

Sleeping

Different routines and time zone differences can make sleep a challenge. Here I’m staying up later than usual, but luckily am able to sleep in a little later too. The challenge has been crazy humidity (luckily I’m in the basement) and sharing a bed with my sister (a small bed at that). The upside is the days have been busy, so I’ve been tired, and it’s quiet here so I’m able to sleep soundly.

Regardless of the situation, the key to feeling good while traveling, even if just “going home” for the weekend, is sticking with your normal routines as much as possible and getting enough sleep.

Eating

Do as I say here and not as I do, sticking with your regular eating habits is one of the major keys to staying healthy and happy while traveling.For those with go-with-the-flow eating habits, this won’t be hard to do but for anyone with dietary restrictions or who eats very specifically at home, travel can be really hard. This week, I’ve been indulging in root beer floats, rhubarb pie (ala mode of course!), poppyseed cake (again ala mode), coffee anytime of day, french toast, breaded fish, candy, sandwiches, muffins, beer bread and chips. I should add, in my regular eating habits, I am gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free (unless I’m off the wagon like I have been the last couple weeks).

I have done well to eat relatively healthily during mealtimes because I know desserts and treats are inevitable at least once throughout the days. My sister requested a pie and it’s my dad’s birthday, so we have cake. It was also my grandma’s boyfriend’s (man-friend I think she prefers) 77th birthday so we had cake there. It’s also been hotter than hell with crazy humidity, so 4 o’clock coffee time, where my dad gets away from his welding business for 30 mins to socialize, rest and have an afternoon snack, has turned into ice cream and chip snack-fest. None of us are hungry anymore, but somehow the food keeps coming and my stomach is not happy. I can’t handle dairy, yet of course I’m eating ice cream with my cake. It’s my own fault, my narrow food preferences (requirements) are not fitting in well.All you can do is do the best you can. Or throw all requirements to the wind and eat what you want for a few days. The beauty is it’s your choice, but you must understand the consequences.

My problem is I enjoy all these foods – love them actually. It’s fun to eat them and indulge and just enjoy the memories wrapped up in making fish after a day of fishing or snacking on licorice in the boat. Sometimes this nostalgia wins, as it is this week. However, we still have to be smart and make good decisions for our bodies where possible. Energy, bloating, gas, the feeling of fullness and lethargy are all directly wrapped up in food choices, so choose wisely (or don’t – it’s up to you!).

Managing Activities

Trying to do too much will leave you exhausted. Doing too little might lead to boredom or a feeling of guilt that you didn’t fully utilize your time to explore and do new things. Keep your activities manageable and ensure your expectations are realistic for your situation. My week (Tuesday early a.m through Saturday a.m.) has included arrive in MN mid-morning (after super early wake-up time in CO), lunch with mom and grandma, two-hour drive to parents’ house, couple hours of work/rest, VFW for dinner, bingo, home late, Wednesday do some work, bike ride to town for coffee, little more work, grandma’s for cake, mini-golf, go-kart racing, dinner, home late-ish, Thursday town to get fishing licenses, walk to grandma’s, lunch at Just Like Grandma’s, fishing all afternoon, clean fish, clean ourselves, casino, home late, Friday early morning breakfast with cousin at grandma’s, work, golf, wake up Saturday, pack up, drive two hours to cities, lunch, airport, home. Lots of activity. Although we did have some down time some of the days to get work done, it wasn’t as productive or lengthy as it could’ve been to keep up. But I got done what I needed to get done, and still did a lot of fun stuff that I don’t do often, like fishing, golfing and playing bingo. While it feels busy, I’m glad we kept active rather than having too much down-time. Activities for us leads to a lot of laughs and fun, so it’s definitely worth it. For others, this kind of schedule and busy-ness could lead to stress and worry.

The whole idea here is just to take care of yourself. Sleeping enough, eating similarly to usual and keeping an achievable schedule will help you stay calm, have fun, feel good and have a great trip.

Share your experiences: Any fun summer trips planned? And how else will you keep yourself healthy and happy while traveling?