“Eat Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Queen and Dinner like a Pauper” was advice given to me by a respected lecturer at university and this concept has stuck with me for many years and is something I now pass on to all of my clients.
Having a nutritious breakfast cannot be underestimated. Whether you eat as soon as you get up, after your morning exercise or as the first meal in your 16/8 intermittent fasting, your first meal should be one of the most memorable in your daily menu.
It is crazy to think that we have been trained to eat our largest meal at night where the calories are not used for energy and where we go to bed with a full stomach only a few hours later. Maybe this ceremonial way of eating was initiated back in the day when we worked tirelessly on the farm or were doing energy depleting manual chores and needed to replenish our resources? Whatever the reason, it is certainly not the way we should be eating in the modern world we live in today where obesity and lifestyle disease dominate.
It is a tough habit to break though!
It is also important to make sure that you mix up your meals. I so often see clients eating the same breakfast every single day of their lives. This is a great way to miss out on valuable nutrients as your body relies on a diversity of fruits, vegetables, good fats, protein and more to make sure it has the right amount of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals to maintain optimal health. Sadly, when you don’t rotate what you are eating each day, it is very easy to become nutritionally deficient which can impact mental health, immunity, fertility, energy, allergies to name a few.
With this in mind, Bircher Muesli made with whole-grain oats is a wonderful breakfast choice for many people when eaten several times a week.
Oats known as Avena sativa in herbal medicine is a highly nutritious breakfast cereal. Let me explain why whole-grain (not instant) oats are a standout:
Cholesterol lowering: Oats are full of a soluble fibre called beta glucans which help lower LDL cholesterol, the main risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Anti-diabetic: The beta-glucan fibre in oats prevents the sharp rise in blood sugar and insulin levels that can occur after eating a meal meaning it is an intelligent choice in metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Gut health: Oats improve gut health as intestinal bacteria break down and ferment the beta-glucan fibre thus improving microbiota numbers and diversity.
Mental health: As a naturopath I use oats in a herbal liquid medicine for stress and anxiety. Oats in the form of cereal are also a wonderful tonic for strengthening the nervous system in times of exhaustion, stress and when feeling anxious.
The perfect stool: The fibre helps keep you regular and prevents constipation and the reabsorption of nasty toxins.
Improved blood pressure: Oats have been shown to improve blood pressure. It is thought by scientists that the Avenanthramides found in oats induce nitric acid production which is responsible for dilating blood vessels.
Weight management: Eating the beta-glucan fibre in oats slows the rate of digestion and nutrient absorption which makes you feel fuller for longer meaning you don’t over eat. This fibre also regulates appetite hormones.
Nutrient content: Oats contain one third more protein, have less starch and nearly four times the amount of good heart healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats when compared to other cereal grains.
Antioxidant support: Oats have an antioxidant and free radical scavenging capability due to the phytochemicals they possess.
Who wouldn’t benefit from Whole Oats?
In Australia, ‘gluten free’ oats are the equivalent of oats that are labelled ‘wheat free’. Coeliac Australia defines this label as having “no measurable contamination with wheat, rye or barley”.
Scientific evidence confirms that whilst uncontaminated oats are well tolerated by most people with coeliac disease, in some sufferers the consumption of oats can trigger an immune response that can cause serious bowel damage. For this reason, I do not recommend oats for those who suffer from coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
So, now that I have shared why I admire whole oats for a big proportion of people, let’s get down to the recipe shall we.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon flaxseed (ground yourself in small coffee grinder)
- 1/2 tablespoon of nut butter including hazelnut, cashew, almond, macadamia (I prefer hazelnut for that Ferrero Rocher taste)
- 1/2 cup organic fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 cup unsweetened rice milk, nut milk or oat milk, + 1/3 cup for next morning, if needed
- 1 tsp manuka honey, regular honey or stevia
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a container for work or jar that is well sealed; mix well.
Place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning you can add additional milk if needed so that it is less thick.
Serve and enjoy.
