A healthy breakfast?

Someone who read my blog yesterday asked me to define a healthy breakfast. This shook me a bit as I often say that there is no such thing as healthy food, only a balanced diet.
To which he responded; "well what kind of breakfast is consistent with a healthy diet?"
So lets run through my idea of a balanced breakfast. Which unfortunately for my friend does not start with food at all.
The best way to start the morning is without an alarm clock. It consists of gradually, over 5-10 minutes, coming awake because you manage yourself to get enough rest. Be that 6 & 1/2 or 9 hours sleep. And that is only known through practice. If, like me, you need 8 & 1/4 hours to wake without an alarm clock, then that is the amount of sleep you will need. And it will vary as stress and seasons change, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less.
When you wake go to the kitchen and boil the kettle, 'no not for coffee.' Drink a large glass of slightly warmed water, around 35 to 40 degrees. This is to give your system the kick start it wants, it will start your system by flushing out toxins that built up overnight as your body recuperated from the previous day. Think of it as the garbage truck coming to empty your bin. Once you have urinated, this could take anywhere from 5-60 minutes you are ready to start thinking about food.
(Like me this can be a productive time, I spend it at my desk doing work like this blog.)
One of the reasons for not eating immediately is to give your insulin system some practice at managing your sugar levels without your interference. I personally do not like eating until I have been awake for several hours, but if you eat early then follow that habit, but only if it feels good to you.
Keep drinking water/tea etc during this time. As the day progresses you should need to urinate at least every 4-6 hours. More about hydration and water in another blog.
Surprisingly for most people I do not recommend a cereal breakfast. There is a whole range of issues to do with cereals and grains that mean I recommend only one serving per day of grain, even whole grain. One of the best of all possible breakfasts is a vegetable omelet. This gives a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and antioxidants without all the added issues of fats and grains. At least 3 types of vegetables would be included. Things like Broccoli, cabbage, rocket, mushroom, sprouts and onion. Also feel free to through in some fresh ground flax seed. I have an old coffee grinder that I use for fresh grinds of almond meal and flax or linseed.
You can add pancakes(gluten free is best) made from almond meal.
Alternatively bacon and eggs is OK as long as there are several servings of veges to go with it. Onion, tomato, mushroom, and baby spinach are all smart choices, or add any others that work for you.
Some other people recommend starting with a large bowl of miso or vegetable soup or an equivalent. This also can be a great boost.
The important thing to realize is that the morning sets the tone for the entire day and the food aspects of it should be aligned with that. A healthy start to the day is more than just what you eat. It is a state of mind that must be cultivated, fertilized and supported.
As you can see, this takes more than 10 minutes or even 1/2 an hour. This is an important realization. A healthy balanced morning does not include rolling out of bed and rushing off to work. No balanced morning includes that, even if you start work at 5AM.
Enough sleep, fluids and a calm soothing start to the day is just as important as what you eat. It will assist you to be more productive and happy. Which after all is what life is about. Doing what you love with zest, joy and passion.
Wishing all the joy and happiness you could use, until next time.
Francis