Decade7 Nourish Breakfast

The path that led to my Decade7 Nourish Breakfast had three major cross-roads that kept me going in the right directions:

The first was the research on the importance of breakfast that has stalked me for years.  The notion of “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper” is reinforced by sport nutritionists, Weightwatchers (of which I am a lifetime getting my lifetime), governments and UN agencies. 

The second step was “Wheat Belly”.  During the same week recently, my sister Lesley Brown, a nurse and lifelong learner about anything health-related, and an interview on the CBC, led me to Dr. William Davis’ book, “Wheat Belly”.

While I didn’t accept the absolutes of Dr. Davis’ book, the information about the way wheat has been genetically modified to produce more profit and our body’s inability to deal with the modified gluten protein, caused me to immediately limit the wheat products in my diet. 

The final blow to my atrocious morning nourishment came from Adrienne and Jeff Proseilo, owners of Nourish Market in Lynn Valley Square.  They made a big impression on me with a simple question, “Do you know where your food comes from and what is actually in it?

So, I decided to combine all of the things I know about the importance of the first meal of the day, and take things into my own hands, one meal at a time. 

Replacing the gluten / starch that used to take up the bulk of my breakfast, i.e., toast, cereal, porridge, was my first challenge.  My new found grocery store, Nourish Market, led me to Nourish Market brand Organic Quinoa Puffs, with 0 trans fats, 0 sodium, 0 sugar, but 11 grams of protein and fibre and 50% of daily iron needs.  It is also a good source of amino acids, calcium and Vitamin B and E.

Once I found the quinoa puffs to replace the wheat-based cereal and toast, I started to look for ways to add vitamins, good oils and proteins.  This quest led to “Left Coast” organic products at Nourish Market, and my discovery of putting together a wonderful melange of nourishment to go along with the puffed quinoa.  Something I call my Decade7 Magic Melange: 

·      Raw unsalted almonds

·      Raw unsalted walnuts

·      Cranberries or raisin

·      Pumpkin seeds

·      Flax seeds – ground

·      Hemp seeds

·      Chia seeds

I put a heaping tablespoon of this magic melange on my Decade7 Nourish  breakfast. 

It is best to buy bulk containers of each of the above and keep them in the freezer.  Once every couple of weeks, I make up the Decade7 Magic Melange, including grinding the flaxseeds, and keep it in the fridge in a glass container – ever mindful of the PBA’s lurking in plastic containers. 

For the milk – liquid, I combine 1 tablespoon of half and half Avalon cream with 4 oz of Blue Monkey Coconut Water and 2 tablespoons of Avalon Vanilla Yogurt for the important dairy side of breakfast. 

Oh, there is one more thing.  As previously mentioned, I am a “weightwatchers lifetime member want-a-bee”!  If there is one thing that I have learned in my lifetime getting my lifetime it is that portion size is everything. 

These highly nutritious items in my morning nourish kick start are not low in calories and attention to portions is very important, so I measure everything.

My Decade7 Nourish Breakfast has to stay within the daily point allocation, and for those of you who count points, this entire Decade 7 Nourish Breakfast is 7 wonderful, highly beneficial points.  

The break-down is: 

·      ¼ cup of puffed quinoa: 2pts

·      1 banana: 0 pts – oops forgot to mention that I always include an organic banana or blueberries.

·      1 tbsp Decade7 Magic Melange: almonds, pumpkin seed, ground flax seeds, cranberry, raisin, chia seeds, hemp seeds mix: 3 pts.

·      Cream, coconut water, yogurt combo:  2 pts

If there is a 4^thact in my Decade 7 Nourish Breakfast it is the inclusion of dietary supplements.  I have always struggled to remember my supplements, despite the fact that I have a wonderful doctor who never ceases to remind me.  So, I swallow my supplements with my coconut / cream combo before I add it to my breakfast.  My list of supplements is:

·      SierraSil Joint 14 – to heal all wear and tear on joints

·      Organika Pacific Salmon Oil for all those essential fatty acids and for a healthy cardio-vascular system

·      Sisu Vitamin D, because I live in a rain forest with very little sun from October to April

·      MegaFood Women’s Organic Herbs

Once I have downed these four supplements and added the remaining cream / coconut water to my breakfast, I sit down to my wonderful Decade 7 Nourish Breakfast, with my wonderful canine companion, Boo, lying ever so obediently at my feet.  Just before digging in, I add a tablespoon of Barlean’s Greens to the mixture, which not only adds a wonderful colour, but also has a nice flavour, which is not only savoury but also slightly on the sweet side. 

My added energy, weight loss, and all round sense of well-being must be credited in part to my Decade 7 Nourish Breakfast.