The Breakfast Table

Like my Dad, I enjoy a still morning, free of music and busy conversation; at least until my herbal tea is brewed, or in his case black coffee. I miss sharing the breakfast table with my Dad. He always interrupts his next bite of Kashi cereal to pass me the Arts & Life section and never fails to ask "Morning, Jessy. How'd you sleep?".

Last week I shared my thoughts on mindful eating, operation "stop and eat", and what it means to be present for every meal, every bite. This prompted me to reflect on the experience and simple joys round' the breakfast table.

While the classic motto of "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" is still very much true, it's also been drilled to death. And you're all too smart for me to reiterate the basics. To me, breakfast is more than a healthy bowl of oats. It's a sacred time, between scheduled appointments and rush hour hustle. It's a time to cultivate a wholesome meal to create your perfect morning, followed by a perfect day. It's possible, believe me.

Over the years my breaky choices have evolved from just cereal to protein-rich oatmeal and alkalizing smoothies, or sometimes both aka the 'smoothie bowl'. These breakfasts are energizing, wholesome, and utterly delicious.

Whenever I'm home, my Dad and I still share the same routine, quiet munching and newspaper flipping. I'm often in my oversized PJS, while he sports a crisp shirt and tie. Sometimes we chitchat, sometimes we don't. It doesn't matter, for there is a common understanding round' our breakfast table. I cherish these simple joys, even with new morning company. Although the experience is different, void of family dynamic and Starbucks coffee beans, it still consists of nourishing meals and morning stillness.

Wholesome food combined with a habitual and enjoyable experience? Why, good morning!

Good Morning Green-Doughy Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 2 tbsp raw buckwheat groats
• 1/2 cup almond milk + 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 2 tsp almond butter
• 1 banana, cut in half
• 1 tbsp raw cacao nibs
• 1 scoop Vega Smoothie Infusion (obsessed and wish I could buy in Australia!)
• 1 handful spinach or tsp of wheatgrass (easy way to sneak in your greens ;)

Method: In a medium size bowl, mix your oats, buckwheat, chia seeds, cinnamon, almond milk/water and soak overnight. Upon rising, blend just over half of your mixture with 1/2 banana, protein, spinach, almond butter, and a little more almond milk (as you would to make a smoothie). Mix together and top with raw cacao nibs, buckwheat groats, and sliced banana. Thick, creamy, delicious. 

While my Dad would call this "green sludge", I call it genius. 

Dad & Me, Circa 2009

What's your experience around the breakfast table?

Stop & Eat

When was the last time you relaxed and enjoyed a meal for 30 minutes or more? When you savoured each bite, noting the acidity of a lemon or crunch of an apple? I often see people en route to work, shoving a muffin in two bites and washing it down with a latte. Eating should be a mindful and enjoyable experience, free of text messaging, TV watching, and magazine flipping. Just you and your fork baby.

I'm organizing an operation called stop & eat, effective immediately.

This mission was spurred by an incredibly overwhelming week. Everyday I was up between 5:30 and 6:15 AM, running to the gym, followed by the library, work, and/or Uni in one go. I had two Uni presentations, urgent deadlines, and an overflowing inbox, all whilst detoxing my kidneys. Perfect. My energy meridians were buzzing upside-down and sideways, multi-tasking without actually accomplishing much. Sensory overload.

The easiest way to re-channel my energy and focus was to fully "time out" during my meals. At lunch I shut down my laptop (difficult), turned off the music, and ensured my blackberry was on silent and out of sight. I designated 45-minutes to my lunch, and lunch alone. PS it was tasty and inspired by Miss Mamma Pea herself, whose book I'm expecting in the mail any day now.

Mini 'Meat' Loaf Muffins
Lightly adapted by Mamma Pea's Italian Style Muffin"Meat" Loafs
Yields 6 muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce, jarred or homemade
• 1/4 cup flax seed, ground
• Two 14 oz cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1T. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T. water
• 2 T. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. dried parsley
• 1/4 t. cracked black pepper
• 1 T. Organic feta cheese, to garnish 

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce and ground flax. Stir and set aside to thicken. In a large bowl mash kidney beans with a fork or potato masher until a chunky consistency (do not over mash). Add onion, garlic, oregano, parsley,Worcestershire sauce, oats, water, nutritional yeast, and salt/pepper. Stir to combine. Slowly mix in marinara sauce and stir to combine. Scoop mixture into a non-stick muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the muffins are firm and crispy.

Serve with a simple spinach salad and sprinkle with organic feta cheese. A simple yet wholesome meal for lunch and or dinner. Note* must be enjoyed for 30-minutes or more ;)

I feel better now.

5 Reasons to Join Operation Stop & Eat

1. Less Stress
   Studies show that paying attention to our eating bring greater "mindfulness". In other words, rather than rushing through a meal, enjoy it.
   
   
2. Better Digestion 
   The slower you eat, the more you'll chew, thus the happier your belly for proper digestion! Rushing and or overeating can lead to indigestion, bloating, cramping, heartburn..basically, nothing fun.
   
   
3. Lose Weight
   Eating too fast contributes to mindless weight gain. Studies prove that it's not only what you eat, but how you eat. Watching TV or reading while eating stops your brain from getting proper signals about the food.
   
   
4. Rebel against being connected, all the time
   Sometimes it feels good, and down right rebellious, to disconnect from both your tech gadgets and online channels. Try it!
   
   
5. Truly enjoy your yummy food!
   Enough said.

45-minutes later I enjoyed a little dessert - organic mixed berry frozen yogurt. I prolonged the cool berry sweetness for as a long as it wouldn't melt. In total, I enjoyed a 60-minute lunch break with nothing but the sound of my chewing. I think I broke some kinda record, no?

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating" - Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti

Something Good: Quinoa Breaky Bowl

For me, a good day begins with something wholesome and delicious for breakfast whilst enjoying 30 minutes, at least, of quiet me time. I like to read, write, reflect, and plan my day/week (life?) in the morning, so rising two hours before whatever I have going on is essential. While I'm fairly consistent with my morning ritual, I wouldn't say it's a perfectly engrained habit, yet anyway. If I press snooze one too many times (devil button) I often blend a smoothie and run like a mad woman to wherever it is I'm going. Sometimes I even leave wearing my wunder under crops on backwards (true story). Not the most relaxing way to kick off a busy day :/

In order to transform my perfect morning into perfect habit (yes, I'm for real), I made a promise to myself, which goes something like this: "I am responsible for creating my perfect morning, my perfect breakfast. No more snooze-button, smoothie gulping, run-around kinda mornings, got it? Got it!"

Next and foremost on the agenda: quinoa. The ultimate quinoa breakfast bowl that is...with a side of daily inspiration: "When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this: you haven't." - Thomas Edison

I believe in the seed that is quinoa for breakfast. 

Coconut-Strawberry Quinoa Breaky Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa (yields 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 pinch nutmeg 
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tsp coconut sugar (honey or agave are great alternatives) 
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2-4 strawberries, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut

Method: 

• Start by preparing your quinoa with 1/2 water, 1/2 almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut sugar. 
• In order to make the perfect cup of quinoa: always rinse quinoa under cold water, first, then bring to a boil with two cups liquid, and cover on medium heat. You'll know your quinoa is ready when the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa has sprouted tiny little 'tails'.  
• When your quinoa has cooked half way through, stir in chia seeds and almond butter. 
• Top with sliced strawberries, coconut, and a dash of extra cinnamon (because cinnamon is amazing)

This quinoa breaky bowl is both super easy and versatile. Don't have strawberries? Use blueberries or sliced banana. Not a coconut fan? Sprinkle some raw cacao nibs, cashews, or pumpkin seeds instead. 

I believe in eating every last bite. Loaded with complete protein, omega-3, and anti-oxidants, how could you not?

I believe in starting your day with something good. I can feel my habit forming already ;)

"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is...Touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace." - Frederick Buechner

Healthy Habits

With 10 minutes to spare before my 1pm lecture, I dug into my leafy green salad. It featured organic lettuce, piled high with carrots, sliced avocado, grilled tempeh, soaked sunflower seeds, crackled pepper and squeezed lemon. Delicious combination.

Curious, a classmate said "I see you're really healthy. How do you eat so healthy all the time?"

Good question.

I smiled, nodding and chewing as I swallowed a full forks bite. How do I eat so healthy.. all the time? I pondered at this - amused and flattered to be pegged as "the healthy girl" - and realized the answer is this: habit becomes nature. "I don't really think about it too much, most of it comes naturally", I said. A simple and honest answer, to an over-obsessed concept - healthy diet.

As we chatted healthy eats and neighbourhood yoga studios, it got my wheels spinning.

Why is healthy eating associated with so much fuss and muss?

While healthy choices can be difficult or uncomfortable for some, it boils down to creating healthy habits. Wikipedia defines "habit" as a routine of behaviour that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. Habitual behaviour often goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine tasks. While healthy eating is definitely habit for me, it's not to say I do absolutely nothing at all. I plan my meals prior to grocery shopping, exercise on a regular basis, predominately cook/bake my own food, and read to expand both my knowledge and passion for holistic living.

So what happens when healthy eating fails to equal a healthy habit? Results may vary, but in short, cravings, hormonal imbalances, weight gain, fatigue, eating disorders, poor workout recovery, obesity, etc.

Research shows that obese people respond differently to food than do people of normal weight. When a person is struggling with obesity, they continue to salivate longer in response to a new taste (NY Times, 2009). Furthermore, those who lack healthy eating habits more than often crave sugar or give into junk food temptations.

I don't mean to imply that I - or healthy individuals - ban sweets or cravings all together. That would be silly and a down right lie. However, with an engrained habit for both exercise and a balanced diet, food cravings will often reflect those healthier choices. For example, if my energy dips I often crave almond butter. mmm almond butter. Almonds are loaded with magnesium so for me, personally, it's a safe sign that I need to replenish both my magnesium and sugar levels.

If you're struggling to eat healthy or ween yourself off fast food, ask yourself a few questions and respond accordingly. Questions like, how do I feel today? How much water have I consumed today? Am I hungry? What do I feel like eating? Is that a real and wholesome meal? Am I full? Do I love, care, and respect myself and my body?

Healthy eating shouldn't come with any fuss or muss. It should be simple, enjoyable, and fun! Comfort food should trigger poached eggs and spinach, basil pesto with spelt penne, or a platter of summer grilled veggies, sprinkled with goats feta. Alas, I know it's a different matter for everyone. Your body and needs will be different than mine, not to mention the advice columnist in Women's Health magazine.

But if there is anything I know, it's this: listen, respond, and honour yourself. The rest will fall into place.

xo,