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

Five Daily Habits of Happy Women

I just read a great article that made me feel inspired and happy. It discussed how research shows that small, everyday habits make a huge difference in the ability to create a positive mindset. By adding a few easy choices into your daily routine, you can really change your attitude. I liked this so much I am going to make a conscious effort on my own part to do these as well.

9 AM - Start your day with green tea. People who drink four or more cups of green tea a day are 44% less likely to be depressed than those who sip it less often. There is an amino acid in it called "theanine" that may spur the release of seratonin, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good.

12:30 PM - Detox your lunch. When you pack your lunch, pack it full of fresh, raw fruit and vegetables in addition to fish and whole grains. Women who eat these things have lower odds of depression.

4 PM - Take a power walk. Exercise endorphins are proven to lift your mood. A single session, even as short as 20 minutes, can raise spirits for up to 12 hours.

7 PM - "Pump iron at dinner." For best absorption, take your vitamin supplement with food and make sure it has at least 18 milligrams of iron if you are premenopausal. It has been proven that sufficient iron intake improves mood.

10 PM - Track the good stuff. I really loved this idea! Every night, write down three things that went well for you that day. Describe the role you played in making them happen. You'll be increasingly mindful of how much control you have over the bright spots in your life.

I'm really struggling with a lot of pain lately and I'm trying to find holistic and natural ways of healing. I've been doing yoga on my own and received a prescription from the doctor to take yoga class so I can add the cost of the classes into my medical bills to go toward taxes at the end of the year. I also see a chiropractor friend of mine once a week and should begin decompression therapy soon.

I also researched a diet that aids in relief of pain and have begun following those nutritional guidelines. Along with all of these, I am trying to become more mindful in general. Mindfulness meditation can help ease pain, manage stress, gain control over addictions and things like emotional eating, boost your immunity, strengthen relationships, improve memory, and the list goes on and on. I hope that this inspires someone else!

In Good Health, Natalie "FNT."

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