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Nourishing Life: what is breakfast anyways?
Fact: Auto-immune diseases suck.
Fact: What you eat when you have an auto-immune disease matters.
Fact: Its up to you to figure out what foods work best for you.
Fact: Even though you need to figure out what foods work best for you, I bet my hard earned dollars that gluten, refined sugar, dairy (or any combination of these three) will not work for you. We’ll talk about the how and why of that another day, if you like. But I suspect you are well versed. And I’m not here to tell the same old story.
So, besides making us feel like capital C crap, what else do gluten, sugar and dairy have in common?
Alex, I’ll take “breakfast foods” for $200.
Have you noticed how almost every single breakfast food is made with gluten, sugar and/or dairy?
- muffins
- toast
- croissants
- cereal
- pancakes
- waffles
There was a time when I would buy a {BIG} carrot muffin for breakfast, put butter on it and wash it down with a large chocolate milk. This was my normal. I would then spend the day with a headache, break out in pimples/sores and make many unpleasant trips to the bathroom.
I was completely unaware of the connection between what I ate and how I felt. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. By mustering up the courage to haul my size 6x behind to yoga, I have developed a passionate love affair with yoga. Yoga has returned my love by rewarding me with an awareness between what I eat and how I feel.
So, how does this relate to breakfast foods? Gluten-y, dairy, sugary filled morsels of {what I used to consider} break-the-fast staples?
I went out for breakfast last week. I ordered 2 eggs, home fries and a 7oz ribeye steak. Yes, I did. And it was fan-freaking-tastic. Yummy in tummy. And you know what?
I felt fan-freaking-tastic all day! So I started thinking, “why couldn’t I eat like this everyday?” “who says I can’t eat dinner for breakfast?”
Who made up these rules, anyways?
Our North American culture has dictated to us that we eat cereals and breads for breakfast. I think this has more to do with wheat marketing boards than it does nutrition, but that’s a whole other blog post.
There is no breakfast police.
There are no rules.
Eat what you want. When you want. How you want.
Pay attention to how you feel when you do this. Its the paying attention and the food/feeling connection that matters here.
My protein filled breakfast was just what I needed to bust out of a rut and make me feel GOOD. No, not good. GREAT!
This week, I challenge you to try eating dinner for breakfast. Maybe its last night’s leftovers. Maybe you eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. It matters not. Just change it up. I feel better when I start my day with protein. Maybe you will too. Or maybe you won’t.
It’s worth a try.
So, dear readers, I challenge you to question what you are eating for breakfast. Change it up. Dump the stuff that doesn’t make you feel GREAT. Eat dinner for breakfast. Leftovers. Salad. Meat. Non-breakfast foods. See how you feel.
And then let me know how it goes….
Tags: breakfast, food, gluten, redefining breakfast, yoga
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17 Responses to “Nourishing Life: what is breakfast anyways?”
Leave a Reply to beatnik
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Love it! I have always been baffled by the restrictions on what was suggested as “breakfast” food. Growing up, we ate eggs, leftovers of any kind, fruit, sandwiches… Mostly because my Mom didn’t cope well with mornings and children combined. I still would rather have something that is “fuel” for my body instead of sugar to make me crash. Great breakfast for me is something leftover from the previous nights supper… fast and easy… hot or cold! I cook all our meals from scratch, trying very hard to limit gluten and sugar. I wasn’t aware that dairy might be a problem, or maybe I just didn’t want to know that. I love dairy, yogurt especially.
Amanda
Hi Amanda!
Dairy may or may not be a problem for you, but with some people it can cause bathroom problems and skin problems. That’s why I keep a food and feelings journal to track how I feel when I eat certain foods. Maybe its worth a try?
Jennifer
Jennifer
I currently do journal my food intake, there hasn’t been any obvious diary issues. I will read more about it to be sure, many times I attribute stress to things that may well be diet related. Adding “feelings” to the journal is a very good idea, thank you!
Amanda
I agree! I feel much, much better when I have protein in the morning. Dairy isn’t as much of an issue for me, but piling up on gluten-laden foods just kicks my butt for the rest of the day. A nice omelet with veggies and cheese, that’s the ticket!
Don’t you just love the energy you have all day when you aren’t eating gluten first thing in the morning? Huge, huge difference for me!
Totally agree I used to love nothing better than my chinese curry from the night before cold for breakfast! I am lactose intolerant so don’t tend to eat a lot of dairy although I do get lactose free milk now. Am on a diet just now and the food all gets delivered on a Friday and I haven’t eaten so much for breakfast ever – it’s great and I am losing weight and feeling good despite the chocolate cravings! Obviously no sugar, but still treats such as yoghurt which I am surprisingly dealing with fine despite my intolerance. I am feeling good too without all the sugar and caffeine (still drinking some tea and the odd coffee to keep me awake!)too which is a bonus!
I also find eating a larger (quantity/portion) breakfast helps me let go of weight easier. I’m not a Doctor, but I suspect it has to do with our physiology and metabolic processes.
On my own, I became suspect of gluten as something not good for me. Since I stopped eating gluten, my sesonal allergies are gone. I am not a doc, but I can put 2 & 2 together to know gluten doesn’t do right by me. I decided to advoid all flours gluten-free or not. Okay, sometimes I eat brown rice noodles.
Since I am always cold, and particular in the mornings, I like a hot breakfast. I like eggs, sometimes, but normally anymore, I have soup for breakfast. Just like the Japanese. It meets my needs all the way around.
Since I’ve started taking these pills (8 days,now) and no food for a hour and no coffee first thing in my hand, I have bought a display of herb teas, and I am not as traumatized as I thought I would be not having a cup of coffee immediatly.
But what is this I’ve read about not eating a high fiber diet or eating dark greens? I have to have a high fiber diet or nothing works. I love my dark green veggies. Really?!!
That is great that you were able to determine gluten does not work for you. Soup for breakfast is a great idea – I’ll have to remember to try that! I am not a nutritionist so I cannot tell you what eating a high fiber diet/dark leafy greens does to your thyroid, but I will keep an eye out in my readings for it. Both fiber & dark leafy greens are supposed to be good for you, so your question is an interesting one. Does anyone have any further information to share?
I probably should have informed “you” that I am hypothyroid. And, one more question:
Salt. I read that water uptake in connective tissues (swelling) is an issue for hypothyroid folks, and one should go saltless?
As someone who is hypothyroid as well, I do notice increased swelling and lethargy when I take in too much salt. I try to limit my salt intake and do not add it to any foods/eat processed food.
There is nothing better than what I call Brinner, that’s breakfast for dinner! A couple of eggs, cooked with home fries is comfort food for me and makes me feel satisfied!
Brinner – I love this and from now will be using this term…Brinner’s ready! Come and get it!
Jennifer:
I cut and pasted a lot of information all saying that dark greens have an chemical, goitrogens that inhibits or blocks absorption of levothyroxine. Goitrogens work by interfering with the thyroidal uptake of iodin, too,from my readings. The last one was from the Mayo Clinic’s website. The theory in not eating a high fiber diet is that it contributes to constipation fro those hypo folks who get constipated, and it also hurries meds through the gut too quickly. I duuno, I am reading to learn more how to take care of myself–in my new world of hypothroidism.
I am upping my protien in the morning to see how that works for me, too.
“If the thyroid problem is severe it is then good to avoid brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, peaches and pears as they may suppress the thyroid function.”
“Avoid “goitrogens,” foods: cabbage, turnips, peanuts, pine nuts, millet, soy products, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, peaches, pears, radishes, and spinach. They may further suppress thyroid function. Cooking inactivates the goitrogens, so that they are safe to eat for someone with low thyroid. If you have severe symptoms, omit these foods entirely.”
“Avoid fluoride and chlorine. Stop drinking fluoridated water. It is a thyroid antagonist that depresses thyroid activity.”
“Avoid raw Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, pears, peaches, strawberries, radishes and turnips. Although they are safe to eat when cooked, you have to avoid eating them raw if you are dealing with some problems with your thyroid. Indeed, there are foods that you may want to avoid raw if you are having problems with your thyroid. Peanuts for example should not be eaten raw by those who have thyroid problems as they contain the substance Goitrogen that can make it difficult for your thyroid gland to produce hormones.”
“Certain medications, supplements and even some foods may affect your ability to absorb levothyroxine. Talk to your doctor if you eat large amounts of soy products or a high-fiber diet or you take other medications, such as:
■Iron supplements
■Cholestyramine
■Aluminum hydroxide, which is found in some antacids
■Calcium supplements
thanks for this summary of foods that reduce thyroid function. v helpful
I need to revist what I read & where on the high fiber because the issue cannot be both as a constipater (my word 🙂 and an eliminator?! Sounds dumb reading myself in hindsight.
There was a small study recently done–on eight women– on coffee and levothyroxine–that said that for these 8 women–coffee did interfere with the absorbtion of levothyroxine.
I gotta earmark these reports when I find them so I can give out the links. I’ve just been reading and not saving.
Another link re: diet & thyroid
and I’ll leave you all alone for awhile 🙂
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