Start Your Day On Healthiest Foods

Starting your day with good nutrition sets you up with lots of energy, helps you feel fresh and keeps nasty bloating away. And when you start your day right, you focus better and make healthier choices all day long.

With the media giving us their perception of a healthy start, we thought we would help clear up what we believe are the healthiest foods to get you going. Plant-based proteins and fats are always a good option, as they keep you full; and also foods rich in B vitamins for energy. Here are our go-to foods for a healthy start.

Organic Eggs

Not to be mistaken with free-range eggs, organic eggs are raised from hens who eat certified organic foods, as well as being able to graze and eat grass. This means your eggs contain higher amounts of omega 3 fats. Eggs are considered to be a very well-balanced food, in that the yolk contains all the good fats, B vitamins and choline for brain health, and the egg white is a complete protein.

Pawpaw/Papaya

A tropical fruit that is loaded with the enzyme papain, which helps you to digest your protein. Pawpaw is a delicious fruit that is rich in vitamin C, is anti-inflammatory and very good for your digestive health. As a nice snack for kids, blend a few chunks in with some yogurt for a smooth and creamy texture.  Otherwise, add frozen pawpaw to your favorite smoothie.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are a complete protein and will keep you satisfied all morning long! These super seeds are also rich in essential fatty acids, magnesium, iron and the B vitamins. Chia seeds are great soaked in some almond or coconut milk overnight, and then sprinkled with your favorite nuts and topped with fruit for a nourishing start to your day

Banana

A vegan’s best friend, next to an avocado, is a banana. This is for a good reason. Bananas are loaded with the mineral potassium,  which is needed to help keep your nervous system firing and sending chemical messages all over the body. Tryptophan is another wonder found in bananas. Tryptophan is needed to make your happy hormone, serotonin. Additionally, bananas contain B6 which is crucial for nervous system health.

Activated Nuts

Activated nuts are nuts that have been soaked to help break them down and are then dehydrated to help keep them fresh. They are a complete protein, loaded with fats, and rich in minerals and vitamins.  If you are busy and one of the many people who don’t make time for breakfast, then activated nuts are the perfect run-and-go food for you. Your best choices are almonds, walnuts, cashews and brazil nuts.

Raw Algae and Grasses

Raw algae are foods such as spirulina and chlorella, and grasses such as wheatgrass and barley grass. These are in fact some of the best foods you can eat! Loaded with protein, healthy fats, B vitamins, minerals and also rich in fiber, these foods alkalize and recharge your cells for an excellent start to your day. Try adding 1 teaspoon of greens to your smoothie or in a cold pressed juice.

Berries

Berries are one of the lower fructose fruits and are a great start to your day. Berries contain anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant to help keep your cells healthy.   Opt for local and organic berries, otherwise they may be heavily sprayed.  You only need 8 or so, so if you keep them frozen, it actually works out to be really affordable per day. We love berries with activated nuts for a super start to our mornings on the go.

Coconut yogurt

Healthy bacteria are needed to support your entire system. The terrain in your gut is hosted by around 100 trillion bacteria! We need to be eating healthy bacteria on a daily basis to make sure we are getting more good than bad through our diet. A vegan-friendly choice of yogurt, which is loaded with electrolytes for rehydration and also fiber-rich when made with the pulp, is coconut yogurt. Eaten with some activated nuts and berries,  it is a delicious start to your day

By eating these foods you set yourself up to thrive. Try including a few of our suggestions to your morning, and let us know how you feel. We also love avocados, paleo granola, pineapples, and some stewed apple with cinnamon.

Source: foodmatters.com