Let Food Be Thy Medicine: Breakfast Version
The seeds of my healthy eating habits were planted early on in my life. My mother was a stay-at-home, and she made everything from scratch. In fact, I still have the manual food processor she used to mush my food. My father taught me how to garden, and his way of showing love was mainly through food, with some of my most vivid memories of him, are of his large, veiny hands giving me a ripened fruit to eat.
As I grew older and faced some health challenges, food was my go-to source for feeling better. Not in the sense that I ate for comfort or became addicted to junk, it was rather the opposite - over the course of more than a decade, I taught myself to know what my body needs and how to get it from natural foods.
I share my recipe was for daily power breakfast, one that I have fine tuned and look forward to eating!
Base: Lavva or Forager Project yogurt. I like Lavva because it is plant-based and has no added sugar, gluten, dairy, gums, oil, or GMOs. Forager is cashew-based and dairy-free, gluten-free, and organic. A note about Lavva: the main ingredient are pili nuts (pronounced “pee-ly”) from a tree found in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, and this buttery-tasting nut is packed with antioxidants and nutrients such as magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, zinc, and copper, as well as provides a myriad of health benefits. It takes a lot of time and money to harvest them, which makes eating them a special practice.
Goji berries: aldo known as wolfberries and native to Asia, these berries are an antioxidant powerhouse, packed with vitamins A and C, fiber, iron, zinc, and more. If you have some time to soak them in a oittle water fora few minutes, you may enjoy them this way versus dried (also, drink the water after!). Another benefit of goji berries is cosmetic: it makes skin glow!
Hemp heart seeds: super nutritious with a mild, nutty flavor, hemp seeds are rich in omega-6 and omega-3s, and are a great source of protein, vitamin E, and minerals, such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc.
Ground flax seeds: great source of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as phytochemicals called lignans.
Pumpkin seeds - vitamins and minerals like manganese, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and vitamin K, unsaturated fats, including alpha-linolenic acid, and fiber. It’s also been used for intestinal parasites.
Maca powder - used by Inca warriors, maca has been used to bolster energy and vitality, and as an adaptogen, may reduce anxiety and depression.
Ashwaghanda powder - also known as Indian ginseng, this powerful adaptogenic herb has been used for improved blood sugar, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety.
Moringa powder - native to the Himalayan Mountains in northern India and grown around the world and by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, this food is packed with nutrients such as calcium, iron and potassium, as well as several important vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, and E, and has been purported to protect tissue (liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs), and to reduce pain.
Cordyceps mushroom extract powder - a type of medicinal mushroom native to several parts of Asia, cordyseps are said to offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and can also aid in oxygen consumption, stamina, and recovery support.
Mix all these ingredients together, bless your food, and you are ready for a great day!
