What I'm Eating for Breakfast

My Big Fat Breakfast

I wanted to share a new breakfast I made up this summer that could be called "my big, fat breakfast."  If you heard me on a recent podcast with low carb expert Jimmy Moore, you know I'm interested in the idea of a ketogenic diet.  If you missed that episode, you can check out this link.

I'm not yet doing a full experiment in ketosis (a high fat, low carb, moderate protein diet in which you burn ketones for fuel,) but I have been trying to up my fat intake and lower my carbs.

Even this brief experiment in high fat diet has made me feel slimmer, and I can go longer after a meal before getting hungry.

"What do you eat for breakfast?"

It's a question I get quite a lot, so I hope this article gives you some inspiration.  

I'll share two more low carb breakfast resources below, after the recipe.

Why low carb in the morning?  

In the morning your blood sugar is naturally higher as a result of your high morning cortisol (your energy/ stress hormone.)  If you raise your blood sugar even more with juices and starches, then it spikes to an unhealthy level.

Your ever-so-smart body knows this is dangerous, so it stores calories as fat, to manage your blood sugar.  This could be fat in the abdomen, or fat in the liver, if you consumed excess fructose.  Or you may not be a person you gets fat easily, but instead your liver will get taxed or your brain will get foggy (as a result of dropping blood sugar.)

Luckily reducing carbs in the morning can be easy and delicious, as with this recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fresh, seasonal berries 
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup whipped coconut cream (you'll need canned coconut cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup raw pecans
• 1 T raw hemp hearts

What to Do:

1.  The first thing you'll need to do is make the whipped coconut cream.  I am teaching you a fancy way, but, trust me, I'm not always fancy at home.  You can also just use a big scoop of coconut cream straight out of the can.

Just like making dairy whipped cream, it works better when chilled.

A.  Put your whole can of coconut cream into the fridge for at least an hour before making.

Coconut cream is denser and fattier then coconut milk.  It is best for this recipe.  This link shows a coconut company with BPA free cans.  If you can't get canned coconut cream, I bet just using the fatty section at the top of a can of full fat coconut milk would work.  I buy the coconut cream at Trader Joe's, in a brown can with white writing.

B.  Scoop out your can of coconut cream into a mixing bowl.

C.  Add a 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 nutmeg, and a dash of pure vanilla extract if desired.

D.  Beat on high until the mixture starts to peak.

E.  Store reminder in fridge for more breakfasts or desserts.  **Note that once whipped, the mixture goes bad faster.  Use it within a week,  freeze it or half the recipe.

2.  Add fresh, seasonal berries to the bottom of a small bowl.  Berries are lower in sugars than other fruits, and have wonderful fiber and antioxidants.

3.  Layer on a small amount of raw pecans.  Store pecans in the fridge for freshness.  These will give you more fat, some protein, and some magnesium and B 6 that is great for women.  And they have a naturally sweet taste.

4.  Add your cream...as much as desired, but don't worry about having too much fat!

5.  Top with the hemp hearts.  They have a nice variety of micronutrients, fats and protein.  Store these in the fridge too.

I find that I get full quickly on this dish, so you may just want to start with a small bowl have seconds if needed. You can totally swap out ingredients, or add your own twist.  Experimenting is an important part of learning to cook! 

Here are those couple resources for more breakfast ideas I wanted to share:

The first is from Noelle Tarr at the great site, Coconuts and Kettlebells.  This is a free collection of seven egg-free paleo breakfasts.

The second is from Caitlin Weeks, aka the Grassfed Girl. This is an ebook with 52 recipes that costs about $10. 

For more info: http://www.bridgitdanner.com/blog/what-im-eating-for-breakfast