Healthy Homemade Breakfast Cereal With Walnuts, Oats and Apricots

My post last week - The Top 10 Healthiest Foods for Breakfast Ever - was a popular one so I thought I'd provide another healthy breakfast related recipe to try.  It is my favourite meal of the day and finding a good one, that fills you up and provides you with good solid nutrition is always a bonus! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed it, there's a good healthy dose of fibre and the flavours are perfect for getting your day started right.

Ingredients  - makes approx 9 cups

2 cups oats
1 cup spelt flakes
1 cup barley flakes
1 cup wheat berries
1 cup dried apricots chopped
1 cup dried dates chopped
2 cups walnuts roughly chopped





Instructions

Combine oats, spelt flakes, barley flakes, wheat berries and walnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the centre of a 325°F / 160°C oven, stirring often, until grains and walnuts are fragrant and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Combine cooled grain ingredients with walnuts, apricots and dates. Store in an airtight container for up to one month.

Serving Suggestions

1) Overnight Oats:
Place 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the cereal mixture into a bowl. Cover completely with milk and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to one day (make the night before) and it will be perfect in the morning. Serve with fresh berries and plain yogurt.

2) Warm:
Warm through in a microwave if desired. Add shredded apple, fresh berries or sliced banana. Drizzle with a little maple syrup or honey and stir to combine.

Recipe adapted from here

The Top 10 Healthiest Foods for Breakfast Ever

Breakfast really is my favourite meal of the day and I aim to make it as healthy as possible to give me the best start - ready to tackle whatever the day throws at me!   Read on for some healthy breakfast tips and indulge yourself in the morning.... 

The whole "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" saying is cliché for a reason: because it's true. But those breakfast bars are just not going to cut it. Get the most out of your mornings with these 10 healthiest foods for breakfast.

Steel-Cut Oatmeal 

A festival of heart- and waist-friendly fiber, steel-cut oatmeal is a whole grain that everyone (gluten-intolerant or not) can benefit from adding into their daily diet, says Vandana R. Sheth, R.D.N., C.D.E., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. After all, in one 2015 Harvard University study of more than 100,000 people, those who ate at least 33 grams of whole grains daily—the equivalent of a single bowl of oatmeal—cut their risk of early death by 9 percent compared to those who rarely, if ever, ate whole grains.

"A single cup of steel-cut oats contains about 12 grams of protein as well as beta-glucan, a viscous fiber that helps promote a feeling of fullness," adds Jim White, R.D., owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios in Virginia. "It's also very rich in antioxidants to help protect heart health and reduce blood pressure." As if all that weren't enough of a selling point, oatmeal is the perfect canvas for healthy breakfast mix-ins like milk, seeds, nuts, berries, and antioxidant-packed cinnamon.

Eggs

How do you like your eggs? Scrambled? Poached? Sunny-side up? It doesn't matter. They're all great. Every egg provides about 6 grams of muscle-building, fat-quashing protein. (Did you know that eggs are the number-one bioavailable source of protein, meaning that your body can absorb and use protein from eggs more easily than it can protein from any other food? Boom!)

Meanwhile, egg yolks are one of nature's best sources of choline, a nutrient that is vital to brain and liver health and is typically contained in prenatal vitamins because it is so important to neurological development, says White. In case you're still leery of yolks, don't be. Research published last year in the American Heart Journal shows that eating as many as three eggs per day doesn't have any effect on heart health, even in people with existing coronary artery disease.

Berries

Berries (of all kinds—blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries) are the perfect morning fruit, thanks to their low glycemic loads—meaning they won't spike your blood sugar and insulin levels like that glass of OJ will. "A cup of berries contains only about 50 to 85 calories, but tons of anthocyanins, antioxidants that been shown to reduce inflammation and protect the heart, says White. For instance, in one Circulation study of 93,600 women, those who ate at least three servings of anthocyanin-rich blueberries and strawberries had a significantly lower risk of heart attack compared to those who ate less.

Berries not in season? Go for frozen. Research from the University of Chester in the U.K. shows that frozen berries actually tend to have higher antioxidant levels than fresh varieties because they are picked, packed, and sealed at their peak ripeness.

Cottage Cheese 
A muscle-building powerhouse, cottage cheese contains 25 grams of protein per cup. In a 2015 University of Missouri study, dieters who ate a high-protein breakfast (35 grams of protein) ended up being less hungry and eating fewer calories throughout the rest of the day compared to those who ate low-protein breakfasts. Opt for full-fat, grass-fed varieties to get the most conjugated linoleic acid per spoonful. White explains that the fatty acid has been linked to weight loss, muscle development, and even a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in women.

Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is another protein-rich option that pairs perfectly with several other foods on this list: berries, nut butter, even eggs (your scrambled eggs just got so much creamier). It's an obvious breakfast choice for its bone-protecting calcium and immunity-bolstering probiotics, explains Kimberly Gomer, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., nutrition director at the Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Florida. But it has a slew of other health benefits such as keeping your digestive system running smoothly, helping you feel full longer, and giving you a low-fat choice that doesn't sacrifice other nutrients.

Nut Butter

"This is a quick and easy option for when you don't have a lot of time," says Sheth. Spread it on some toast (more on the best pick for bread later) or mix it into your Greek yogurt or oatmeal. A spoonful provides a perfect blend of protein, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats. In fact, people who eat nuts every day are 29 percent less likely to die of heart disease and 11 percent less likely to die of cancer, according to a 30-year-long New England Journal of Medicine study. (Did you know you can make your own nut butter at home?)


Avocado

All hail, avocado toast! These green goddesses have it all—omega-3s, protein, fiber (half an avocado contains a quarter of your recommended value for the day), vitamin E, and more potassium than you'll find in a banana, says White. Those nutrients come with a big payoff: New research published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology found that eating one to one and a half avocados per day (in place of other foods high in saturated fat) significantly reduced levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.



Sprouted-Grain Bread
This is the perfect bread to feed your avocado-toast habit, says Gomer. Baked goods made from sprouted grains—meaning they have been allowed to germinate—actually have a lower impact on blood sugar levels compared to other whole-grain bread with the same amount of carbs, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. Plus, researchers found they triggered a greater post-toast increase in GLP-1, a powerful satiety hormone that's linked to maintaining a healthy weight.

Flaxseed

"These little seeds reduce blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and have been found to protect against breast cancer," says White. Research published in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that the compounds contained in flaxseed may be behind the seeds' protective effect. Use these little guys as a staple breakfast ingredient, like in this Strawberry Banana and Flax Smoothie.

Coffee
Coffee really does get your brain going, says White, noting that a blend of caffeine and antioxidants may be to thank. So strong are the anti-inflammatory compounds in coffee that research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that when patients with memory problems drink three cups of coffee per day, they delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease by an average of two to four years. Basically, with that and all the other health benefits of coffee, you can feel better about your daily java habit.


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Great Food Combinations for Losing Weight

Power Pairs
When it comes to slimming down, two (or more) foods can be better than one. That’s because each has different nutrients that work together. As a team, they can help you fend off hunger, stay full longer, and burn fat or calories better than they would solo.

Avocado and Dark Leafy Greens

A spinach or kale salad is low in calories and high in nutrients, but it can leave you wanting more. To make it more filling, top it with avocado. One study showed that people who had lunches that included the green fruit felt 23% more satisfied afterward than those who didn’t. That’s because it has a kind of good fat (monounsaturated) that staves off hunger. Bonus: Avocado also helps your body absorb more of the veggies’ disease-fighting antioxidants.

Chicken and Cayenne Pepper

Chicken breasts are known to be good for weight loss, and for good reason. One breast serves up 27 grams of protein for fewer than 150 calories. Protein takes longer to digest, and that can keep you full longer. Spice up this dinner staple with a rub or sauce made with cayenne pepper. It may boost your calorie burn and make you less hungry.

Oatmeal and Walnuts

A simple way to slim down: Eat the rough stuff. Simply adding more fiber to your diet can lead to weight loss. That’s because your body can’t break down fiber, so it slows down digestion and takes up space in your stomach. With 4 grams of fiber per cup, oatmeal can be a good source. Walnuts add another 2 grams, plus satisfying protein and crunch.

Eggs, Black Beans, and Peppers

Start your day with this protein-packed scramble. According to research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, people who had eggs for breakfast ate 22% fewer calories at lunch -- and less the entire day -- than those who had a bagel. Black beans and peppers make this morning meal even more filling, thanks to a double dose of fiber. 

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Add a broth-based vegetable soup to your lunch or dinner. The liquid fills your stomach, leaving less room for higher-calorie foods. One study showed that people who started with soup ate 20% fewer calories during a meal. Stirring in beans, such as chickpeas or black beans, can give it more staying power because they’re high in protein and fiber. In fact, eating 3 cups of beans a week has been shown to boost weight loss. 

Steak and Broccoli

Too tired to hit the gym? This meal can help you out. Beef is rich in protein and iron, which your body uses to build red blood cells. They take oxygen to your organs, so falling short in those can zap your energy. Broccoli is the perfect side, because its vitamin C helps your body take in iron. A half-cup of this veggie has 65% of all the vitamin C you need in a day.

Green Tea and Lemon 

If you need a pick-me-up, brew some green tea. The low-calorie drink is packed with antioxidants called catechins, which may help you burn more calories and fat. Japanese scientists found that people who drank a bottle of tea high in catechins each day shed more fat after 2 weeks than those who didn’t. To make it even healthier, add a squeeze of lemon -- it helps your body absorb them.

Salmon and Sweet Potato    Fish is often called “brain food,” but it’s also good for your waist. Its omega-3 fats may help you lose body fat, and salmon is a top source. Plus, one 3-ounce serving packs in 17 grams of protein. Serve it with a baked sweet potato for a filling yet light meal. A 5-inch-long spud has 4 grams of fiber and just 112 calories.

Yogurt and Raspberries

This creamy treat may help turn up the fat burn. Research suggests that people who get more calcium and vitamin D as part of a weight loss plan shed more fat than those who don’t. So, look for a vitamin D-fortified yogurt, which serves up about 35% of all the calcium you need in a day. Top it with half a cup of raspberries for sweetness and 4 grams of fiber.

Mushrooms and Ground Beef

You can eat burgers and lose weight -- the key is to swap at least 50% of the meat for chopped or ground mushrooms. With only 16 calories a cup, they can lighten any dish made with ground beef without skimping on flavor. They may also help keep your blood sugar levels steady, which helps curb cravings.

Olive Oil and Cauliflower

At just 27 calories a cup, cauliflower is a diet-friendly food. It’s also low on the glycemic index (GI), a measure of how much a food raises your blood sugar. One study showed that low-GI vegetables led to more weight loss than starchier ones, such as peas and corn. Drizzle chopped cauliflower with olive oil and roast it -- this brings out the flavor, and olive oil’s fats can curb your appetite by making you feel full.

Pistachios and an Apple

Need a midday snack? This combo offers protein, healthy fats, and fiber to fend off hunger. With about 160 calories for 50 of them, pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie nuts. Plus, they’re usually packaged in their shells, which can slow you down and keep you from munching mindlessly. The apple adds sweetness and crunch to your treat, along with 4 grams of fiber.

Fish, Whole-Wheat Tortilla, and Salsa

One of the top reasons weight loss efforts fail is taste. Eating bland foods at every meal can lead to a junk food binge. So it’s important to have healthy, flavorful dishes in your lineup. Fish tacos are a perfect example: Make them with white fish for lean protein and a whole-wheat tortilla for fiber. Top them with some salsa for extra vitamins.  

Dark Chocolate and Almonds

Swearing off sweets sounds like a good way to drop pounds, but it can backfire. Nixing them altogether can lead to overeating. With about 7 grams of sugar per ounce, dark chocolate is one dessert you can feel good about eating. Pairing it with high-protein almonds keeps your blood sugar levels steady, and that can keep you satisfied longer.

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Gut Health, Part 3: How To Nourish Your Gut

For background info, please refer to Gut Health, Part 1: Why we should focus on the health of our gut this January and NOT our weight, and Gut Health, Part 2: Probiotics and Prebiotics. The suggestions below are not intended to replace any medical or nutritional opinion.

To nourish our guts, we first need to remove any potentially inflammatory factors (this could be some foods), improve digestion, heal any gut permeability (often called leaky gut), optimise absorption of nutrients, and balance the gastrointestinal microbiota.   Simple….


…or not! I do always encourage that you work with a qualified professional if you have specific gut health issues. It can be complex and rather overwhelming to figure it all out by yourself. Here, I have laid out 3 steps of practical information to help you get started and I suggest that you take it slowly, choosing one thing at a time to incorporate. Get comfortable with the concept, integrate it into your daily life and make it a new habit. Allow it to become effortless. Only then move on to the next one. There is always greater benefit from making a few changes that last a lifetime, than making all of them at once.

Gut Health

Step 1: Remove factors that may be damaging your gut health.

If you have a specific food allergy or intolerance, this may need to be eliminated for a while, to allow your gut the time to heal. It’s best to speak to a Registered Nutritionist or Nutritional Therapist to advise you on this if necessary (head over to my FAQs page for info). Please be wary of any online company that supposedly offers at-home tests to find if you have any allergies or intolerances – these are not proven to be effective, and may result in you restricting your diet unnecessarily.
Cut down or eliminate as much heavily processed and/or junk food as possible from your diet, especially processed meats and high-sugar foods. What’s bad for your whole body health is inevitably bad for your gut health too.
Reduce Omega-6 fatty acid intake. Although these are technically essential (we need to eat a small amount to stay healthy), the average Western diet contains far too much. They are found mainly in vegetable oils – so ditch any sunflower, soybean or other ‘vegetable’ oils you may have in the kitchen, along with margarines, and minimise your consumption of fried foods. Embrace olive oil instead.
Stress is a big factor in overall gut health. Our brain and our gastrointestinal tract are connected – even our microbiota can influence or be influenced by our digestive system. Although we all feel stress, and a bit of it can actually be beneficial to us, too much is definitely unhelpful. Consider ways that you could target excessive stress in your life.
Be mindful of antibiotics. Of course, antibiotics can be life-saving and essential medications, so I am certainly not suggesting going against medical advice here. But if you do have the choice, or your doctor is even advising against antibiotics (patient.info/health/why-wasnt-i-prescribed-antibiotics), I would err on the side of caution, and avoid taking them unnecessarily wherever possible. Not only will this help cut down antibiotic resistance (an international concern – nhs.uk/video/Pages/what-is-antibiotic-resistance), but antibiotics can also have a dramatic effect on the gut microbiota, and restoration of this important ecosystem varies a lot between people (Dethlefsen and Relman, 2010).

Also, try to be mindful about how and when you take over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as Ibuprofen. This is because they may increase the permeability of the gut wall (and are also linked to the development of stomach ulcers and irritation if not taken carefully). This also happens when taking NSAIDS before exercise (which is often why they are taken in the first place) (Bjarnason et al., 1986) (Lambert et al., 2007). For more information on painkillers in general, take a look at this article: patient.info/health/painkillers. NB: if you have been prescribed NSAIDS (especially Aspirin) you should always continue to take them as your doctor recommends.

Step 2: Replace factors that may be lacking or limited

Start with the basics. Your digestion needs time to work properly (so sit down to eat, and try to give yourself at least 10 minutes). Chew your food well and give your digestion a break between meals (I suggest at least 5 hours). These simple factors can do an awful lot of good without changing a single thing in your diet.
Replace your cooking and dressing oils with olive oil, coconut oil or butter. Other healthy fats, such as avocados and nuts & seeds, are also very gut friendly.
If you are not eating wild, oily fish regularly, you may want to consider adding a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement into your daily routine.
A fibre-rich diet is associated with an increased diversity of the gut microbiota (and, in general, the greater the diversity the better), as well as helping to reduce constipation and other bowel-related problems. It can even help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke (Wald, 2013) (Gobson and Shepher, 2010) (De Filippo et al., 2010). Plus, fibre is super filling and very low in available calories, so great for those who are watching their weight. Aim for at least 18g/day, which you can get from lots of fresh vegetables, beans and pulses, and unrefined, whole-grain carbohdyrates (oats, millet, quinoa, amaranth etc.)
Try to get plenty of relaxation and good quality sleep. Easier said than done, I know, but this is so important for gut health nonetheless.
Drink plenty of fluids. Your body maintains a finely tuned fluid balance by absorbing more water from your gut if you are getting a little dehydrated. This hardens the contents of your bowels, and is a common cause of slow gut transit time and constipation. Good hydration enables good elimination! For gut health, it is suggested that you aim for around 30-25ml fluids per kg of body weight per day (although this will vary according to the temperature and amount of exercise you are doing too). Good old water is the best way to do this.


Step 3: Repair any damage and help to protect your gut for the future

Consider adding in lots of what I call ‘Intestinal fuels’ to your diet. These are specific foods or supplements that can directly help to repair and protect our gut.

- Regular consumption of turmeric, or its active component, curcumin (White and Judkins, 2011). Take a look at my turmeric socca, smoothie, soup and salad dressing recipes for some ideas.

- Probiotic foods: organic fermented dairy products such as bio live plain yoghurt, sour cream, aged cheese or kefir (if you tolerate casein protein and lactose). Alternatively, kimchi, kombucha, miso, natto, sauerkraut and tempeh are fermented too. Do make sure that these contain ‘active, live cultures though’ – if they have been pasteurized or heat-treated after fermentation then they will no longer have significant probiotic function.

- Prebiotic foods: these include things like asparagus, under-ripe banana, aubergine, endive, garlic and onions, Jerusalem artichokes (check out this Eat in Season), leeks, pulses (such as beans, peas and lentils) and chicory. Unrefined and ideally organic wholegrains can also have some prebiotic function. See Part 2: Probtiotics and Prebiotics for more information on both of these.

- Plant polyphenols. These are important naturally occurring compounds that are found in a range of plants, fruits and vegetables and have all sorts of beneficial effects for both your gut and your body as a whole (Puupponen-Pimia et al., 2002).

Great sources include:
1. Citrus fruits (whole fruits though, not just the juice!). Why not try my Kale and Orange Saladon page 94-95 of Cook. Nourish. Glow. for a great polyphenol boost?
2. Dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, chard, cabbage, kale etc)
3. Green tea
4. Red and purple berries (I often recommend a portion a day for gut health, ideally organic if possible – frozen ones are fine too!)
5. Nuts and seeds, especially linseeds (also known as flax seeds), are gut friendly, although do soak them for a few hours or overnight before eating them for maximum nutrient absorption. Again, I would suggest trying to have a moderate portion every day (assuming you tolerate them well and have no allergies)
6. Cacao – yep, that means chocolate! Either go for raw cacao or organic cocoa powder, or look out for organic chocolate with a cocoa content of >85%. Check out my Eat in Season post about Chocolate for more information.

- Glutamine, an amino acid (the building blocks of protein), has also linked to gut health (particularly well researched in the critically unwell) (De-Souza and Greene, 2005). The good news for the rest of us is that it is found in lots of dietary sources: beef, pork, poultry (especially turkey), raw spinach & parsley, almonds, cabbage and organic milk and yoghurts. So as long as you are getting a varied diet, you should also be getting enough glutamine.


I do hope you’ve found this gut health series informative and helpful. Most importantly, I hope that you feel incentivised to really focus on the health of your gut. Please refer back to the other two articles: Part 1: Why we should focus on the health of our gut this January and NOT our weight & Part 2: Probiotics and Prebiotics in gut health.

Article & Images source, by Amelia Freer