Breakfast: The Key to a Happy Life
Written by Marcella Friel
Though my mother’s parenting skills weren’t great, she did always make sure I had breakfast in my little belly every morning. Her “smoothie” was one of my favorites: whole milk, vanilla extract, raw egg (no salmonella in those days), and frozen overripe bananas whirred in the blender. I drank these down, wiped away my milk moustache, and held out my empty glass for more.
During my therapeutic chef training, while reading about the virtues of breakfast, I jumped up from my studies one day to call my mother and thank her for feeding me breakfast all those years. Choking back tears, all she could say was, “You’re so welcome, little pumpkin.” Thanks to her early training, it’s rare for me to start my day on an empty stomach.
Breakfast and Blood Sugar
We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is, literally, breaking the fast. During sleep we abstain from food and drink (unless we’re raiding the fridge at 3 A.M., but that’s another story).
Breakfast sets up our blood sugar for the rest of the day. A breakfast rich in high-quality protein, health-supportive fats, and complex carbohydrates keeps our blood sugar stable, even if we don’t eat a great lunch or supper.
Conversely, if we skip breakfast, or snarf down coffee and pastries, our blood sugar spikes, crashes, and never rebalances, even if we eat well the rest of the day.
Blood Sugar and Life
What’s the big deal about blood sugar? Plenty. Blood sugar affects every area of our life. When we suffer from dysglycemia (unstable blood sugar), we can gain weight without eating a thing. We’re cranky, weepy, and more prone to stress, which destabilizes our blood sugar further and sets a vicious cycle in motion.
Dysglycemia sends cortisol coursing through our bloodstream. You probably know cortisol as the chemical that’s helpful when we’re running out of a burning building. On a day-to-day level, however, excess cortisol translates directly into visceral adipose tissue (gut fat), along with weakened immunological and emotional resilience. In other words, dysglycemia makes us more vulnerable to trauma.
Tapping for a Better Breakfast
When you say the following statement to yourself, how true does it feel, with 100% being absolute truth? Tune into any body sensations, emotions, story lines, or self-talk that comes up:
“Each day, I enjoy nourishing myself with a complete and delicious breakfast.”
If your number feels low, and resistance is high, use the following tapping script to tune into what’s in the way. Change the words as you need. See what comes up:
Even though I have a hard time eating breakfast, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
Even though it’s hard for me to eat a good breakfast, and some part of me wants to keep it this way, I love and accept myself right where I’m at.
Even though people like me don’t eat a good breakfast, and I really believe this is true, I love and accept myself just as I am.
Eating breakfast
It’s too much work
I don’t have time
I can’t get it together to have a good breakfast
It feels overwhelming even to try
People like me don’t eat a good breakfast
I’ve never had a good breakfast
Why start now?
It’s easier to just skip it
I don’t deserve that much nourishment
It’s easier to deny my need for breakfast
I don’t wanna take that much responsibility
It’s way too healthy to eat a good breakfast
People like me aren’t healthy with food
Eating a good breakfast would push me out of my comfort zone
Better to stay stuck and safe
It’s too much work
Furgettaboutit
Just give me some coffee and doughnuts
Let’s test that statement again:
“Each day, I enjoy nourishing myself with a complete and delicious breakfast.”
What percentage of truth would you give that statement now? Depending on what came up in the tapping, it could feel more true or less true. If it feels less true, there’s more digging to be done into the unconscious roots of resistance to nourishing yourself. Keep tapping, using your own words, until you feel peace.
What’s for breakfast?
What is a nourishing breakfast, anyway?
Three nutrients are needed at breakfast to keep your blood sugar slow and steady. The first one you won’t believe:
1. Fat: high-quality fat is your friend: high-fat yogurt or kefir, butter, avocado, goat cheese, eggs, coconut, olive oil, nuts
2. Fiber: whole-grain cereal, nuts, fruit, beans, vegetables
3. Protein: nuts, eggs, cheese, beans, meat
Putting these together, breakfast á la Marcella looks like this:
• Avocado smoothie with nut butter and berries
• Poached eggs over sautéed greens
• Baked sweet potato with nuts, coconut oil, and fresh herbs
• Beans and whole-grain tortillas with avocado and salsa
• Whole-grain toast with goat cheese, tomato, avocado, and fresh herbs
Try your own combinations to see what works for you.
A motivational coach once said that the most effective changes are not big ones. They’re usually a one-millimeter shift. Eating a breakfast can be that change of habit that swings your life from hopeless to happy.
Commit to eating breakfast every day for seven days. If that works, commit to another seven. If you get stuck, tap it out. And hang in there! You deserve the nourishment you desire.
