One of the best lifestyle changes I ever made was changing what I ate for breakfast.  I made a switch from a meal that most would consider to be very healthy to what worked for my body. Those who have made this change as well seem to have the same consensus.

There was a period of time when I was obsessed with steel cut oatmeal and when I say obsessed, I mean OBSESSED. Throughout college and afterwards it was my staple morning meal. I came up with so many delicious variations I would add Greek yogurt to it, blueberries, and nuts, and it made me feel great! It would only be until 11am that I would suddenly feel lethargic.  I would start to crave everything under the sun for lunch. I would crave sugary snacks throughout the day and I would usually need my second cup of coffee around 3pm.

[readolog_blockquote ] I really wanted to make this change because I hated craving junk food.[/readolog_blockquote]

It was only when I started researching juicing and fasting, that I began to understand what was happening to my body day in and day out. It was being burdened with digesting foods that didn’t work for me as an individual. We are all different, and to think we should all follow one diet is silly. What works for Sally may not work for Sue.  Well for me, it was through juicing and fasting that I began to detox my body.  I really wanted to make this change because I hated craving any type of junk food. I always prided myself on being a healthy person who made smart choices, so these cravings had a huge affect on my psyche. These cravings made me believe I was a person who couldn’t control this part my life. These innocent cravings made me question my future self and wonder if I ever came across a rough patch in my life, that I might “let myself slip” and let the cravings take over, consuming processed foods and sugar all day long. As silly as that fear is… it happens all the time. Look around.

So I began to detox my body by juicing and fasting. Mike is someone who could fast all day, but being a woman my blood sugar is way more unpredictable than his. So I listened to my body allowing myself to fast for about 12 hours and then having a juice to keep my blood sugar stable (and to keep myself from turning into that Snicker’s commercial “You’re not you where you’re hungry”). Hopefully the people around me appreciated this self realization. However if you can fast for long periods of time, go for it! I commend anyone who can.

To be honest it took about 3 months of juicing, fasting, and going vegan, for me to eliminate all cravings. No more highs and lows to interfere with being productive at my job or to affect my personal life.  I then read a book called Your Personal Paleo Code (great book) that explains how to modify a Paleo diet to your genetics. This allowed me to tailor a diet to my genetic needs (all my genetics are mostly from eastern Europe ) so I learned what worked for my ancestors and sure enough that diet worked for me!

After detoxing, I stopped juicing and fasting and started listening to what worked for my body and what didn’t. When I started to reintroduce foods into my diet, I discovered some crazy intolerances I didn’t know I had. Corn. Yes corn, I loved corn my whole life, I would eat two corn on the cobs at dinner. But when I reintroduced corn it felt so heavy in my stomach and made me sick. I also learned that hummus and soy sauce gave me the same reaction. Soy in general was something I learned I could only have in small doses. Processed gluten was another trigger… I actually broke out in a few hives when I had a pretzel. But the most alarming realization I made was that glorious bowl of oatmeal in morning was actually doing more harm than good.

BUT NOW what the heck does a girl have for breakfast in the morning.

Eggs and bacon are great, but like most people I don’t have the time to cook before work in morning. I needed to have something quick, on-the-go and delicious. NO it wasn’t a McGriddle I chose. I chose to make shakes in the morning… delicious, refreshing, hydrating and easy shakes!

I plan to give out as many recipes as I can because I love to cook and I love spreading easy, healthy and nutritious recipes with everyone.  I thought long and hard about the best shake recipes I could give but then I realized the best part about morning shakes is that you can have a variety of flavors, nutrients and consistencies to spice up each morning! So below I will give you bases that will determine the consistency for the shake, greens to add for nutrients, superfoods I use and then extras for your liking. So don’t be shy and try different combinations to see what works best for you!

Bases

1. Banana is a staple in most of my shakes, it will give your shake a nice thick consistency and plus tons of potassium!
2. Whey protein- great way to get your protein in. Please make sure that your whey is high quality preferably grass fed whey!
3. Hemp Protein- a vegan protein that is made from the hemp plant. It has a nutty flavor and so delicious- tons of fiber too!
4. Avocado- a great healthy fat (fat doesn’t make you fat! Remember that ladies!) this fruit, yes it’s a fruit has fat, protein and fiber! I could technically put this in my superfood section but avocados are perfect for making your shakes thick and creamy like milkshake- NOM
5. Organic Whole Milk Yogurt or Grass Fed Kefir- don’t use skim… they replace fat with sugar and unless it’s organic/ grass fed there is a 95% chance it’s pure crap

Greens

1. Kale- 1 cup of raw kale has just 33 calories yet contains 684% of vitamin K, 134% of vitamin C, 206% of Vitamin A plus iron, folate, omega-3s, magnesium, calcium, iron, fiber, and 2 grams of protein. BAM! That’s nutrient density.
2. Spinach
3. Chard
4. Romaine

Any green that you enjoy I would recommend adding a handful to your shakes. Please remember though that the nutrients in greens NEED fat to be absorbed in your body. Remember 8^th grade science learning about fat soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K?? Well this is where it has real world application. You need fat to absorb vitamins and minerals into the body. So yeah you might not need algebra all these years later but that science class will pay off tenfold… Trust me the fat makes a difference.

Superfoods

Superfoods.. let me count the ways..

Here are some of my favs:

1. Cacao Powder Raw Organic, Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
2. MacaForce™ Dark Mint Maca

Maca- root vegetable that will give you tons of energy… start slow

3. Chlorella Manna™   Spirulina Manna™

Chlorella and Spirulina- These micro-algae contain an astounding array of nutritional elements: vitamins, macronutrients, trace minerals, essential fatty acids, protein, nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), chlorophyll, and a vast spectrum of phytochemicals.. Basically it’s one of the healthiest things you can put into your body… and don’t worry it hardly has any taste.. so pour it up!

4. Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

5.  Organic Chia Seeds

6. Hemp seeds (Mike is addicted to these!

7. Goji Berries

8.  Organic Flaxseed

9. Bee Pollen- great for energy and weight loss as well!

10. Purity Protein™ Pure Natural

Purity Protien VEGAN- Many protein powders are acid forming, difficult to digest/assimilate, create bloating, gas, and allergic reactions, are hard on the kidneys, contain pesticides, GMOs, and hexane solvent residues. Not this one!

Extras (this is for sweetening and flavoring)

1. Almonds
2. Cashews
3. Almond butter
4. Fresh fruit
5. Frozen fruit- a must!! The colder the shake the better!
6. Raw Honey
7. Maple Syrup (pure please! No Aunt Jemima , dear lawddd)
8. Organic Raw Sugar

As for liquids- Water, Coconut Milk (my fav), Almond Milk, Hemp Milk, Soy Milk and regular Organic Grass-Fed Milk.

+ Also, I highly recommend getting a Vitamix… there is no other blender that gives you the consistency that a Vitamix does. It’s a game changer.

In conclusion:

After a week or two of having these morning shakes you will notice yourself craving a shake every morning. Oatmeal is great if it works for you but most oatmeals only give you the macro-nutrients (protein, fat and carbs) that you need. Oatmeal and carb filled breakfasts often lack micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that give you sustained energy throughout the day. I never crash from a shake and I often have to remind myself to eat lunch because I am still so satisfied. Also, I must mention that you are getting hydrated as you drink these shakes as well. Although that may seem obvious, I truly can’t explain the benefits of being hydrated. You must experience it for yourself with an organic smoothie: for your mind, your skin, your colon, etc. Your body will thank you and I promise you that.

So drink up people! Enjoy life and enjoy how good food makes you feel. You deserve the best so start treating yourself that way!  There will be more recipes to come so get excited.