If you suffer from stress, anxiety, depression or low energy on a regular basis, then what you eat really  matters. Though these symptoms may seem to live in your head, they can have physical drivers behind them that can be impacted by what you are eating, and when.

It’s true, the first meal of the day after fasting through the night really is the most important meal of the day. What you eat for breakfast has a huge impact on your insulin and cortisol levels which will affect your mood, energy and stress levels, as well as hunger and cravings later in the day.

In Western culture, it’s popular to eat sweet breakfasts laden with dairy, sugar and starchy grains which unfortunately will not get you off to a good start…your blood sugar will plummet later in the day and leave you feeling  tired, down or irritable and can even trigger panic attacks in anxiety sufferers!

PFF Your Breakfast!

Three elements that you should include in your breakfast are protein, fat and fibre.

SOURCES OF PROTEIN:
Meat, fish, seafood, eggs, natural hemp or brown rice protein powder.

SOURCES OF HEALTHY FATS: Avocado, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut milk, coconut oil, nitrate-free bacon fat, lard, tallow, duck fat, nuts and seeds. Eating enough fat will keep you satiated longer, preventing snacking and grazing in between meals too.

SOURCES OF FIBRE: Lower GI fruits and vegetables, such as all fruits except dried fruits, bananas and mangoes and all veggies except potatoes. Non-startchy vegetables such as greens and the cruciferous vegetables are ideal.

BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR A CALMER MIND:

Super Smoothies: Perfect for busy mornings, simply whizz up some natural hemp or brown rice protein powder with 1-2 serves of low-starch fruit (no banana!), some avocado or coconut milk, and some green veggies like baby spinach and cucumber.

Eggs Your Way: If you haven’t reacted to eggs on a food intolerance test, then eggs are a great breakfast choice: boiled, poached, scrambled or fried with some sautéed vegetables, and perhaps some nitrate-free bacon, smoked salmon or trout or avocado on the side. Frittatas are a great make-ahead option too!

Soups, Stews, Casseroles & Leftovers: It may seem strange if you’re used to a sweet bread/cereal based breakky, but most other cultures enjoy a filling, savoury breakfast more alike to our dinners. There’s no reason why you couldn’t enjoy a homemade chicken and vegetable soup, hearty meat and vegetable casserole or left overs from dinner for your breakfast! And the good thing is, you can batch-cook these in advance, freeze them, then thaw them out over night to quickly heat up in the morning!

Here’s some links to more good breakfast ideas:
https://www.thepaleomom.com/category/recipes/breakfast/
https://paleoleap.com/8-recipes-make-ahead-breakfast-run/
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/top-keto-breakfasts
https://peteevans.com/recipes/green-goodness-smoothie/

And in the comments below, I’d LOVE to hear from you! Tell me – have you noticed a link between what you eat and how you feel mentally or emotionally?