Five Minutes to a Healthy Start to Your Day

I’m popping in this morning to send  you loving energy, and share real-life solutions to make your days a little easier. We have many demands placed on us on a daily basis so how you start your day is important.

Do you make the time for a healthy breakfast every morning? If you’re like most of my clients, the number one reason that can make this challenging is finding the time, the ingredients and the motivation. As a working mom with an infant and three pre-teens, I certainly had my days of skipping breakfast and grabbing only a cup of coffee while scrambling out the door to get to the kids to school–and me, to work on time! Skipping breakfast is like going on a 100-mile road trip on an empty tank of gas!

What I came to realize is that it really comes down to a mind shift; the realization that it only takes a few minutes of self-care to make yourself a priority. I am a firm believer in the notion that self-love is the foundation to self-care, and when we take even just a few moments for ourselves, out of what may seem like an impossible day, we are practicing self-love. This sets the tone for more room for light, self-love and your ability to be more heart-centered and loving to others.

When you start your morning the way I do, you can be at the top of your game every morning, ready to face your day, grounded and nutritionally fueled. Breakfast is the perfect way to give yourself a little bit of love, every morning.

So today, I want to share an important part of my daily morning routine, that is delicious, fuels my entire morning, gives me the nutrition I need and only takes five minutes.

Every morning, I start my day with a smoothie. You may have an immediate impression in your mind of “oh, I love smoothies”. Or, if you’re thinking “I’m not a fan…” I ask you continue on with an open mind because the smoothies I have created are not your mama’s, or should I say not your “Jamba’s” smoothies. Those are shakes, typically masquerading as something healthy but are sugar-rich, high-calorie gut bombs that raise our blood sugar, result in excess energy storage and are always followed by an inevitable mid-afternoon energy crash.

My smoothies are the perfect meal to start your day because you can:

• Use your own ingredients depending upon what you have on hand
• Make them in advance the night before and blend them in the morning in seconds
• Drink them on the way to work or to work out
• Pack them to go, to sip on the job to fuel your day
• Enjoy them for any meal, any time of the day
• Freeze them into popsicles for a cool treat
• Get a jumpstart on your day by placing all the ingredients in your blender, except for ice, then refrigerate overnight.
• Sneak in more leafy greens or even your multivitamin!

But first, it’s important to let you know that as an integrative wellness and nutrition coach–with a specialization in food science–that every meal and recipe I design has balanced macronutrients—this means the perfect proportion of lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. When you balance your macro’s your food digests more slowly, helping to regulate your blood sugar. Why is this important? When your blood sugar is even, and you’re getting the nutrition you need, you’ll have fewer cravings for sugary, salty or crunchy snacks. You’ll boost your metabolism and also benefit by enjoying a stable mood and sustained energy for hours. What’s not to love about that?

Here are three of my most delicious, balanced macro smoothie recipes:  

Each recipe has a video and a blog article so you can learn how to make it, which ingredients I recommend and why, and where you can buy them. If you don’t have all the ingredients, you can swap them out, and a blender of any type works just fine.

• Coconut Blueberry Smoothie
• Strawberry-Yogurt Chia Smoothie 
• Good Moo’d Chocolate-Peanut Butter Smoothie 

If you would like more ideas for how to easily eat healthy, check out my latest book, Sacred Eating.

Mindset Moment: Experiencing food insecurity in my teens and 20’s, I have a deep appreciation for all food I receive, whether ideal or not. So, when eating, I always express my gratitude. I am thankful especially for the bountiful, live fruits and vegetables for their amazing benefits as a gift from our beautiful Earth. When I enjoy my morning smoothie, I appreciate the perfection of what it does for my body, mind and spirit. I envision all these superfood nutrients going into my stomach, breaking down and being absorbed in my body as the most perfect food for what I need, right now.

Feel your best so you can share your light and your gifts with others!

From my heart to yours,

❤