5 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Options to Start Your Morning on a Healthy Note

“What do I eat for breakfast?” This is a common question we get from new patients after I have muscle tested what foods they can and cannot eat.  What you eat for breakfast can set the tone for your entire day. It's been shown that it's easiest to make healthy choices in the morning before our willpower is depleted, which means that it's easy to set yourself up for success with a nutritious choice. But what does "healthy" even mean? It's easy to get confused in an era of over-information when it comes to nutrition, especially when a lot of the advice out there seems to contradict itself. Even after being muscle tested and seeing which foods to avoid the questions still remain: should you eat plant-based? Drinking butter coffee exclusively? Going for a high-protein meal? The options can be overwhelming or maybe the overwhelm is you feeling the lack of options so let me give you some ideas.

When it comes to managing inflammation, we teach our patients at Healing Arts that food plays an important role. Foods help to decrease inflammation based on the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals they contain. They can also increase inflammation if they are full of sugar, processed ingredients, chemicals, and more.

Chronic inflammation leads to ill health.  Even the day-to-day issues such as fatigue, weight loss or gain, and mood disorders like anxiety and depression are due to chronic inflammation. 

Breakfast is not for everyone.  I do believe in eating only when you are hungry and I do believe intermittent fasting can help certain people.  I also believe there is no such thing as breakfast food and you can have salmon with a salad and oil and vinegar for breakfast for a good balance of protein, greens and healthy fats.  I definitely know I need protein for breakfast to be satisfied and productive until lunch.  Whether you eat breakfast or not how you break your fast for the day is very important.  That first meal of the day, no matter what time, should be a healthy, nutrient-dense meal to increase your energy levels, promote cognitive function so you stay alert during the day. This will also lead to making better food choices throughout the day. Do not reach for a donut.  Starting the day out with refined carbohydrates with sugar can cause an increase in your blood sugar and a 'crash' shortly after.  This can lead to the desire to snack throughout the day, reach for another sugary option, or make you feel like taking a midday nap. 

If you're looking to avoid the crash, as well as steer clear of inflammation-promoting foods, start reading food labels for hidden sugars, which are often lurking in many "healthy" breakfast products like yogurts, granola, and cereals. When reading a food label do not read the Nutrition Label that says: Sugar 4 grams.  That is the amount of sugar including natural sugar that is even found in rice and peas.  Instead read the ingredient list for the word sugar, cane sugar, sucrose, or glucose.  The constant blood sugar roller coaster that comes with eating foods high in sugar can cause hormonal fluctuations and inflammation—pretty much the opposite of starting off your day on the right foot. 

The good news is that by making smart breakfast choices, you can manage your energy levels, promote overall health and wellness, and prevent inflammation. Here are some fantastic, anti-inflammatory breakfast ideas to start your day off right.  I can’t find recipes that fits everyone’s dietary changes based on muscle testing but I’m hoping everyone can find 2-3 recipes they can use.

Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Ideas

1

Oatmeal With Walnuts and Berries

This gluten-free grain is high in fiber to help decrease cholesterol levels and balance blood sugar. The walnuts slow down digestion and provide a dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti-inflammatory. Berries add sweet flavor without a lot of sugar and have a lot of antioxidants.  Berries have anthocyanins that reduce inflammation and risk of disease. If you can’t have oats try hot buckwheat cereal. It can be found at any health food store.  Buckwheat contains high levels of rutin, which is a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants can help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress, affecting lipid levels as well as triggering a variety of diseases. Buckwheat is also good for digestion, lowering high blood pressure, and is a good source of iron.

2

Fruit With Almond Butter

For an on-the-go breakfast, grab an apple or banana with a packet of almond butter for a satisfying and portable meal. Fruit is full of antioxidants that prevent free radicals from creating damage and disease in our bodies, and contain fiber, which helps to flush toxins through our body.  Pair that with nut butter that contains healthy fat with some protein, and fiber so that the fruit sugar doesn’t hit your bloodstream so quick.

3

Greek Yogurt and Fruit

The protein and healthy bacteria strains in Greek yogurt serve anti-inflammatory roles, aid with digestion, and keep you satiated. Eat yogurt that is full fat, not 2% or 0% fat.  Without the fat you won’t feel full and enzymes are missing that help you digest the yogurt.  Eat full fat, the way nature intended it to be.  If milk is off the table try CocoJune, my favorite coconut yogurt.  Pair that with antioxidant-rich berries and you have a power breakfast full of healthy fats, probiotics, and protein.

4

Pasture-raised Eggs and Greens

Eggs are rich in nutrients including vitamin D, protein, omega 3, and choline.  Healthy fats and protein are powerful in managing blood sugar levels, which helps temper inflammation. Add in greens for even better nutrition, void of sugar, and high in fiber. I usually saute spinach while I’m cooking the eggs.  

If eggs are not part of your diet and soy is then try an organic tofu scramble with turmeric. Turmeric has an active compound called curcumin that's been shown to provide anti-inflammatory effects, especially for the brain. 

5

Protein-Packed Smoothie

When it comes to inflammation-fighting superfoods, this is your chance to blend them all together for the ultimate anti-inflammatory breakfast.  Kachava is my favorite protein powder because it’s vegan, pea protein, with a bunch of different superfoods.  It’s $4 a serving and tastes so good.  I do put it in the blender with water, a cup of spinach, 1/2 avocado, and 1/4 cup organic wild blueberries from Trader Joe’s for an even more nutrient dense breakfast.  Avocado adds healthy fat but also makes it creamy and smooth.  Avocados also have carotenoids and tocopherols; both help reduce the risk of chronic disease.  Banana would do the same thing but I don’t want high fruit sugar first thing in the morning and banana is high in fruit sugar. Also if you are in a hurry or traveling then just add water or an unsweetened nut milk, shake and enjoy.  I think this breakfast is the most nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory combo.

Healing Arts Food Pyramid

I have helped people get healthy for the last 15 years by showing them ways to personally change to a healthy lifestyle including their relationship with food. I have taken those 15 years of experience and boiled it down to one diagram, a Healing Arts Food Pyramid. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and our food pyramid is worth that and more. It's a foundational step in creating the healthy life you want. There is 7 parts to it and if you read this blog and decide there's no way you can follow our food pyramid then start with one part at a time. Make the change for 3 weeks before starting a second part. I want 21 days of a change before you make another change and that way you can build on it vs. doing your best for a little while and then deciding it's too hard and not doing it ever again. True lifestyle changes are for a lifetime. Healthy habits equals a healthy life.

I will start at the bottom, 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water.  So for the average person I suggest 64 ounces of water at least.  More if you work out, drink caffeine, decaf coffee, or alcohol, or sweat more than the average person. Those five things cause dehydration.  Dehydration is the number one reason for headaches and muscle cramps plus is capable of adding to so many other problems that can go wrong with the body.  Water is so important that if I could put it in pill form I would to make it easier for some of my patients to get their 8 glasses in a day.  Until then, we will just have to drink up.  

Next is to eat is 5 servings of veggies a day.  That is not a typo. Thinking about how many servings of veggies is what made me create my own food pyramid.  I always hated bread at the bottom with 6-11 servings of carbohydrates on the original food pyramid that the USDA put out and used 1992-2005.  However, I do agree with the food pyramid’s vegetable serving of 3-5 servings a day and want you to push for at least 5 servings a day.  What is a serving size?  You might be surprised to realize 1 cup broccoli and 12 baby carrots is a serving size.  In general, 1 cup for raw vegetables and 1/2 cup for cooked vegetables. So what does that look like for me? 1.5 cups of spinach in the morning in my pea protein (I love Kachava, here is a code for $15 off) or collagen smoothie (I use Garden of Life). I need to alternate to keep my body happy.  Click here for the full Green Smoothie recipe. 2.5 cups arugula for lunch and 1 cup arugula for dinner.  I keep it simple and obviously love arugula with whatever protein I am going to eat.  You may want to get interested in different vegetables.  I think the key is to find a way to have a serving at breakfast.  There is no such thing as breakfast food, so maybe start with a cup of leafy greens with eggs or hide it in a smoothie like I do.

Also at every meal should be a protein and healthy fat. I do believe in eating 3 meals a day for most people.  So breakfast should have a protein and healthy fat.  Protein can be beans, lentils, eggs, animal protein, and hemp seeds.  I think of other seeds and nuts to be in the healthy fat category along with avocados, coconuts, olive oil, butter, and tahini.  It's not for everyone but dairy would go in the fat category too.  I only buy A2 whole milk and full fat yogurts.  With the fat comes the enzymes that naturally occur in the milk to help the body digest it.  It's the 2% and fat free milk products that the body does not recognize as food.  They truly are just a product and not real food and should not be consumed.

Complex carbs is only 2 servings a day which means one meal a day (assuming you are having 3) will not have a carb.  Oats, quinoa, sweet potato, rice (wild rice is the best), Ezekiel bread can be included in the category.  Less complex carbs would be white potato, corn, and white rice which turn to sugar easily in the body and spike insulin which you don't want so complex carbs are healthier.  Best thing to do is get muscle tested to figure out what carbs are best for your body.  

Fruit does have to be limited to 1 serving a day.  There is a lot of vitamins and minerals in fruit but the fruit sugar can cause stress on the body.  Too much sugar in the body causes stress on the pancreas but fruit sugar in particular (known as fructose) puts extra stress on the liver too.  Also with genetic modifications and our soil being depleted of minerals an apple today contains more fructose and less minerals than 50 years ago.  Our food unfortunately isn't as nutritious as it used to be. 

At the top of the pyramid is minimal sugars.  Minimal sugars include honey, stevia, real maple syrup, and coconut sugar.  Other natural sweeteners can be agave but I wouldn't do that if you have blood sugar concerns or monk fruit but that would count as a fruit serving as well.  Maximum allowed is a serving a day and better if you were to have it only once a week. Again, you can get muscle tested for your specific natural sugars that work for your body.  Stay away from white refined sugar, brown sugar, or cane sugar to the best of your ability even though they are hidden in ketchup, salad dressings and sauces.  Sugars like those are very inflammatory to your body and can wreak havoc on your health.  Nancy Appleton has a list of over 140 reasons not to eat sugar.  

Follow these food guidelines and I truly believe you can create a healthy life no matter what you suffer from. I have seen great results with asthma, arthritis, insomnia, depression, infertility, constipation, anxiety, PMS, thyroid concerns, menopause, bloat, acne, eczema and so much more using these food guidelines. It is amazing, food can really be medicine and we can help!