The Anti-process Series: The Best Breakfast for Your Human Body

            I've been meaning to get more recipes on here for cooking from scratch with your family. I haven't made any breakfast posts & I figured that needed to be the next project! I have included a recipe that really nails every aspect of the basic daily dietary need for the HUMAN BODY. 

            This is what your body NEEDS! Not what we want to stick in our mouths, but what you need to rewire your brain to realize is actually food -- real, minimally processed, whole food that your body recognizes, absorbs & can change the way you feel, think & act. So many of the negative aspects in our society can be fixed by simply treating your body for what it is & what IT needs. I know I say this a lot, but I don't think it can be emphasized enough: 

you only get one body!!!! 

            Ok, so I'm going to use the "F-word" a lot in this post. FIBER. Fiber is so important! Whether you are trying to get healthy, stay healthy or even lose weight, fiber should be something you eat & eat LOTS of; but the  majority of Americans hardly ever reach their daily requirement! It is a very small minority that even does this fiber thing right. VERY, VERY SMALL!!!

            The reason we have trouble getting our fiber is because this comes from carbohydrates. When most people think carbohydrates, they think bread, pasta, cereal & other things along these lines; but most of the carbohydrates in these items come from SUGAR, not the necessary dietary fiber that is what our body actually needs. 

            Actually, I just deleted a lot of what I had written because I didn't mean for this to turn into a fiber rant. I'll do that in another post to help you debunk what actually has fiber & what is sugary crap! 

On to breakfast!!!!

            Breakfast is the best place to start your day off with fiber because it's like your body's health insurance for the rest of the day. You want to shoot for somewhere between 10 & 15 grams of fiber in your breakfast. If I ever find a (ahem, still yummy) way to get above 10 while still staying at a proper caloric level, I will let you know; but for now, I have two variations on the same recipe with all the proper nutrition. Ready to get started? OK!

The FNT Miracle Oatmeal of Your Dreams!

(REMEMBER TO DRINK HALF YOUR BODYWEIGHT IN OUNCES EVERYDAY*)

Prep Time:   just enough time to grab the ingredients & boil water.

Cook Time:  30 minutes (if you use steel cut oats -- much less if you use quicker cooking oats. The original 30-minute stuff is the best, but the five minute stuff certainly won't kill you, haha. Because I know the steel cut are the best for me, I like to make a batch the night before & refrigerate in small serving containers.)

First Variation Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 2 scoops vanilla-flavored whey protein powder
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 whole medium banana

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil. Slowly stir in the oats & reduce the heat to a medium/medium-high, depending on your stove. (Just low enough so that the pot doesn't boil over.) Let it cook for five minutes or until the oats are starting to really thicken (it usually is five minutes).
2. Reduce heat & let it simmer (uncovered) for 30 minutes (or to whatever consistency you prefer. I just do the 30 minutes).
3. Turn off your burner & stir the oatmeal. Then, while it is still very hot, add the protein powder, stirring in one scoop at a time. Stir & then taste to make sure there isn't any undissolved powder.
4. Stir in the chia seeds one tablespoon at a time. Really give it a few good stirs to distribute all the ingredients as evenly as possible & then just let it sit for about a minute.
5. This is where I get out four containers & separate the oatmeal into four 3/4 cup servings. Any little extra in the pan I will distribute evenly to the four. Refrigerate or if you want to eat right away, move on to the final step.
6. When you're ready to eat it, either fresh & still hot or just reheated, top with the banana. I like to slice up the banana & just put it on top, but you can also mash the banana into the oatmeal itself if you like!
7. Go eat!

Second Variation Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 2 scoops vanilla-flavored protein powder
• 8 almonds, crushed into pieces (like you put them in a plastic bag & smashed them with your kitchen mallet)
• 1/2 medium banana (a HALF of the banana this time!!!!!)

Follow the instructions above, but top now with the almonds & only half of the banana this time.

Nutrition Information:

Both variations have pretty similar nutrition, except for the fat; but the fat is healthy fats from almonds that your body needs & ups the fiber to exactly 10 grams, so that can be easily overlooked at this point.

First Variation:

• Calories 350
• Fat 5
• Carbohydrates 55g
• Dietary Fiber 9.6g
• Soluble Fiber 3g
• Insoluble Fiber 6.6g
• Sugar 16g
• Protein 24g

Second Variation:

• Calories 353
• Fat 9.8g
• Carbohydrates 57g
• Dietary Fiber 10g
• Soluble Fiber 3g
• Insoluble Fiber 7g
• Sugar 16g
• Protein 25g

*If you are adding fiber to your diet, you are doing something really awesome for your body & any of it's icky symptoms; but when you are increasing fiber, you certainly want to increase your water intake as well. 

(YES, I SAID WATER! DIET COKE IS NOT WATER! GATORADE IS NOT BETTER FOR YOU THAN WATER! IT'S CALLED ADVERTISING & THEY PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO MAKE US THINK THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE TO GET US HOOKED ON THEIR PRODUCTS BECAUSE WE THINK WE'LL BE BETTER, SMARTER, FASTER, OR STRONGER BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT WATER IS THE ONLY DRINK THAT CAN DO THAT FOR YOU! YOU'RE A FREAKING HUMAN BEING & YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DRINK WATER, DAMMIT! WOULD YOU GIVE GATORADE TO YOUR CAT? NO! BECAUSE IT'S BAD FOR THEM! AND IT'S BAD FOR YOU, TOO!

Oh, but green tea ain't too shabby, either; BUT THE REAL STUFF YOU STEEP AT HOME & NOT PRE-MADE IN A BOTTLE MADE BY BASICALLY ANYONE ELSE!)

       

.....ok, whoops. Sorry about that. ANYway, I've said it on this blog a hundred times, but I'll say it again. We are supposed to drink half of our bodyweight in ounces each day. So if a woman weighs 130 pounds, she needs 65 ounces, or 8.25 8-oz glasses, of water (AT LEAST) to keep her body operating optimally. For anyone who didn't catch that math, I wrote out the instructions below. Just remember that this is the minimal amount. Drinking about two extra glasses is even more ideal.

1. Find your bodyweight in pounds
2. Divide it by 2
3. Divide that by 8 (as in ounces of water in an 8-oz glass)
4. The number you get is the number of 8-oz  glasses of water you should be drinking a day.

Thank you all & I hope you enjoy!

Stay FNT,

Natalie

The Healthiest (UNPROCESSED) Foods for Everyday

I have mentioned before that the best way to lose weight and get your best body (including muscle tone you never thought you could achieve and long lean muscles) is to improve your diet by including foods in their most natural state as possible. In simple terms: AVOID PROCESSED FOODS! Remember, if it didn't swim in the sea, walk on the land, fly in the air, or grow in the earth you probably don't want to eat it. If it comes in a box, carton, can, etc. you probably don't want to eat it. When processed foods are unavoidable, try to pick foods that are minimally processed (i.e. less than 5 ingredients). Here are some everyday foods that you can choose in their best form, a somewhat processed form, and the worst form.

NATURAL STATE *** SOMEWHAT PROCESSED *** HIGHLY PROCESSED

1. Apple *** Natural Applesauce (No added sugar) *** Apple Toaster Pastry

2. Orange *** 100% Orange Juice *** Orange Drink/Gatorade

3. Fresh Strawberries *** Strawberry Preserves *** Strawberry Gelatin Dessert

4. Peach *** Canned Peaches in 100% Juice *** Canned Peaches in Syrup

5. Fresh Figs *** Fig Preserves *** Fig Newtons

6. Pineapple *** Canned, Diced Pineapple *** Pineapple Cocktail Cup

7. Corn on the Cob *** Corn Tortilla Chips *** Corn Flakes

8. Spinach *** Bagged, Pre-washed Spinach *** Frozen, Creamed Spinach

9. Garlic *** Jarred, Minced Garlic *** Bottled Garlic Marinade

10. Carrots *** Baby Carrots *** Frozen Honey-Glazed-Carrots

11. Soup from Scratch *** Canned Soup *** Dehydrated Soup Mix

12. Heritage Ham *** Deli Ham *** Packaged Deli Bologna

13. Whole Turkey *** Deli Turkey *** Turkey Meatballs

14. Grass-fed Beef *** Grain-fed Beef *** Frozen Beef Patties

15. Fresh Chicken Breasts *** Deli-sliced Chicken *** Chicken Nuggets

16. Pasture-raised Eggs *** Omega-3 Fortified Eggs *** Egg Beaters

17. Cream - Fat-free Half Cream/Half Milk *** Flavored Dairy Creamer

18. Plain Yogurt *** Flavored Yogurt *** Flavored Yogurt Drink

19. Whole Grain Bread *** Whole Wheat Bread *** Fortified White Bread

20. Dried Whole Wheat Pasta *** Dried White Pasta *** Instant Noodles (i.e. Ramen)

21. Brown Rice *** White Rice *** Flavored Instant Rice

22. Peanuts *** Natural Peanut Butter *** Processed Peanut Butter

23. Fresh Edamame *** Tofu *** Frozen Veggie Burgers

When you don't have time to cook from scratch, here are some good ideas of packaged foods that can still be healthful and minimally processed.

Pantry Staples:

• Uncle Ben's Fast and Natural Whole Grain Instant Brown Rice
• Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Spaghetti
• Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free-range Chicken Broth
• Bumble Bee Skinless and Boneless Pink Salmon

Fruits/Vegetables:

• Dole Wildly Nutritious Signature Blends Frozen Mixed Berries
• Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Cut Spinach

Meals:

• Bird's Eye Asparagus Stir Fry
• Annie's Homegrown Organic Whole Wheat Shells and White Cheddar
• Kashi All-natural Tuscan Veggie Bake

Dairy:

• Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt
• Organic Valley Lowfat 1% Milk

Breads:

• Food for Life Organic 7 Sprouted Grains Bread
• Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted Multi-grain Bread

Cereals:

• Bear Naked 100% Pure & Natural Cranberry Raisin Cereal
• Arrowhead Mills Organic Steel Cut Oats Hot Cereal
• Post Shredded Wheat Cereal

Snacks, condiments, and Spreads:

• Larabar Energy Bars
• Snyder's of Hanover Sourdough Hard Pretzels
• St. Dalfour Black Cherry 100% Fruit Spread
• Crazy Richard's Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (ONE ingredient!)
• Maranatha Organic No-stir Creamy Peanut Butter
• Guiltless Gourmet Mild Black Bean Dip
• Wholly Guacamole Classic
• Sabra Classic Hummus
• San Marcos Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• Drew's All Natural Organic Salsa

Desserts:

• Haagen-Dazs Fat-free Mango Sorbet

This is a simple list that helps you get the idea of what "processed" really means. If food is not in it's purest form, then it is processed. Foods that you would even consider healthy - like brown rice, applesauce, pre-washed bagged salad, baby carrots, and whole grain bread and pasta - are processed. It is nearly impossible for most of us to avoid all processed foods, but you just need to be more aware of what you are eating and how much of it is actually pure, natural food.

Just as a little tip - if you have a food processor or coffee bean grinder you can try to make your own nut butters and fruit spreads. Then you know exactly what is in it. Just be careful when you buy nuts that you buy plain, raw nuts. Buying roasted, salted, or flavored nuts just defeats the purpose.

Go back and read some earlier posts to remind yourself of other tips. Remember to try to keep sugar less than 5 grams per serving. Check out free Apps for your iPad or phone, especially Fooducate which gives each food a letter grade based on processing and nutrition simply by entering the barcode. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments and check back often!

In Good Health, Natalie

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