Respect Yourself in the Morning

BY: Tara DelloIacono Thies

Resting on the warm, white, sandy beach, you can hear the sound of waves gently crashing. Suddenly, a loud noise jolts you and, in a blink, you find yourself standing naked, exposed in a crowded room. Everyone else is clothed and staring at you. Waking up to your own horrified screams, you look at your beeping alarm clock to realize you are now forty-five minutes later into your morning than planned.

You may be fortunate enough to find yourself not woken up by a naked party dream. The more familiar scene is the morning time-crunch that sends you racing through the house, splattering coffee into your to-go cup and scrambling out the door. Hurried mornings without eating a healthy breakfast will leave you groggy, irritable and utterly unapproachable by lunchtime.

Eating something to kick-start your day is important for your mind and body. But what you choose to eat at this crucial AM hour can make a big difference on the morning. If stopping at the local pastry shop on your way to work has become a wake-up call rather than a satisfying morning meal experience, at least you aren’t in the habit of skipping food altogether. Give the morning meal the respect it deserves, by altering the venue and/or making food choices that can carry your body and mood through lunch and even to late afternoon.

What you give your body in the AM can make a big difference on how alert and vibrant you feel all day long. A breakfast full of fat, sugar, and starch may satisfy an immediate hunger pang, but, in less than an hour, it can turn you into a walking zombie! I’m sure this is not the effect you were going for. On the flip side of that syrup-coated hotcake, a breakfast that treats your body with respect can really rev you up for an energized day.

Skipping breakfast or unbalanced eating in the morning may not faze you until late afternoon when you find your energy at a lull. Fasting through a busy day will only slow you down in the end. Breakfast signals a wake-up call for your brain and muscles whether you realize they need it our not. If you choose not to eat or eat something unbalanced, you could be short-changing yourself the entire day.

Time is usually a factor in the morning, so planning ahead is important. Set out your fixings the night before, while you are preparing dinner. You can whip up your morning energizer in less than ten minutes or carry it with you to eat at work while reviewing your day’s agenda.

To prevent getting bored with repetitious eating behaviors and as a time-saver, make a list of foods you can reach for during the week. Having this list will give you quick alternatives and variety. Your list might include: yogurt, muesli, smoothies, breakfast or nutrition bars, apple slices on cinnamon toast, peanut butter banana sandwich on whole wheat bread, low-fat oat scone, glass of milk, nuts, rice porridge, grapefruit, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cheeses.

A respectful breakfast could look like this: instant oatmeal with a sprinkling of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit topped with a dollop of honey, accompanied by an invigorating citrus fruit such as a grapefruit or a tangerine.

Mix and match foods from your list to come up with many healthy, convenient foods to eat over the course of the morning. And, just as you opt for a casual Friday, venture off your list and try something new or occasionally revisit an old favorite morning treat, even a single glazed old-fashioned doughnut can be uplifting, if eaten only once in a while.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” It may be the oldest cliché in Mom’s book, but she’s right about this one!