Color Your Morning: Breakfast Art

I LOVE breakfast. It's the last thing I think about before falling asleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up. There's just something about this meal. With that said, it's crucial to EAT breakfast (and a healthy one) in order to set a positive tone for the rest of the day. I'm sure you've heard over and over how important breakfast is. But I am gonna say this, at the risk of sounding redundant (and a little like your mother): DON'T EVER SKIP BREAKFAST. Just don't do it. Your day will go a lot better when you start it off with a nourishing meal.

Looks like I'm not the only one who loves mornings! :)

I wouldn't consider myself a morning person, at least not early. I really love to sleep. But once I am awake, mornings are my favorite. I'm still in school (almost done with my masters in Library and Information Science), so I'm lucky enough that I don't have to work early in the morning. My mornings are for ME. This morning, I started off with a nice big glass of water. That should be the first thing you do every morning. After sleeping for however many hours, your body needs rehydrated. So make it a habit, every morning, to drink at least one full glass of water first thing. Before you even eat. I like to accompany my water with some Fish Oil supplements to make sure I'm getting my omega-3s. After my glass of water, I always feel refreshed and ready to start my day. And what's the first task of the day? BREAKFAST.

Breakfast is a wonderful time for me. Not just the taste and nourishment, but the calm, relaxing feel of it. Today, I put on the Michelle Branch Pandora playlist (I'm a 90s girl, can you tell?) and started off with a few Sun Salutations followed by a little kitchen dancing. (All you yogis out there know what I'm talking about. If you don't, look it up on YouTube. Sun Salutations are a yoga sequence that is the perfect way to wake up your body. Here's a great video with one of my favorite yoga instructors that teaches you how to do Sun Salutations. Give it a try!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zifE71Pd2Pc&list=TLdEVHbhKc7b2wbrMAzlQyyvc4eLEZCMSG)



Now, time to get back to the food. I like to make a nice big breakfast to start my day off right and to assure that I won't be hungry again too soon. Today, I opted for a toasted whole wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter (no salt added), topped with blueberry flax granola, some shredded coconut, a drizzle of agave nectar, and a few blueberries. Heavenly! This is one of my favorite breakfast foods. I mix up the toppings using different fruits and nuts. So satisfying!!!


Sometimes, I just stick with the English muffin with some fresh fruit on the side. Today I was craving a delicious breakfast smoothie. Here is a recipe for one of my favorites:

Simple Breakfast Smoothie:

1 banana

1 handful of baby spinach

1 cup (approximate) unsweetened almond milk

1/2 handful of old-fashioned oats (adds texture)

1 squirt of agave nectar (optional)

(Feel free to add in whatever else you like to make the smoothie perfect for YOU.)

And blend! This one I poured over strawberries (cut up strawberries in the bottom of my glass) and topped with flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pecans, and a single blueberry. Have fun with it!

Such a quick, simple, and unbelievably delicious breakfast that is good for you and will get your day off to a great start! Now, time for some green tea, then it's off to the gym for me. Have a good day everyone! Make healthy choices in the morning, and it's more likely that the rest of the day will follow suit. A good guideline to follow: color your morning with lots of fruits of veggies and you can't go wrong <3