coffee – GRIT By Brit

5-minute Healthy Breakfast Ideas

The week before last I worked from home – yay! On Thursday morning, I made and ate breakfast immediately after I woke up. I was so proud, I took a pic of my breakfast and posted it on Twitter 🙂 This got me thinking, “I’m going to commit to eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up for the next 5 days. Not only that, I’m going to take a picture of my meal and post it on Twitter for accountability.” Well, turns out that what our parents say is TRUE, breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. Studies show making breakfast a daily habit can help you lose weight – and keep it off. Personally, I felt the following changes/benefits that week:

I wasn’t starving at lunch which helped me make better food choices
My digestion was more “regular” 😉
My energy level was higher during the day, especial during my workouts
I felt lighter and leaner

Based on my fitness experience and nutrition knowledge, I have created a formula for what I consider to be a complete “GRITTY” breakfast:

GRITTY Breakfast = complex carb (whole grains and/or fruit) + protein + KICK

FYI – a “KICK” is little bit of caffeine to get my body going full speed. Remember all the benefits of Coffee that we learned about earlier?

Below, are pics of all of my breakfast meals that week. All were prepared in less than 5 minutes, making them excellent options for those of you rushing to work in the morning. Try out the breakfast challenge for yourself. You may just take on a new healthy habit!

Thursday

Greek yogurt + mixed berries + 1 crumbled crunchy granola bar + hot green tea

Friday

photo (2) — Quaker instant oatmeal + 1 large orange + black coffee

Saturday

1 Van’s whole wheat waffle (comes frozen, just put in toaster) + peanut butter + strawberries + hot green tea

Sunday

photo (3) — 2 crunchy granola bars topped w/peanut butter + 1 apple + hot green tea

Monday (up in the air, breakfast at the airport before a 6am flight…the life of a consultant)

breakfast AA — 2 small apples + 1 small bag of almonds (not pictured) + black coffee

Drink Coffee to Control Weight and Make Better Love ;-)

G’ Morning, GritBrit fans! As my still sleepy eyes gaze around my room this morning and squint away the bright NYC sunshine seeping through my blinds, my half-awake brain remembers that I need to get working on a guest nutrition post I promised Brit. I have been brainstorming ideas all week, but at the moment, all I can do is think about one thing: coffeeeeeee!

And that’s when it hit me. I’ll post about COFFEE! Just give me a moment to finish this cup….

Yum. Okay. Now, let’s chat about java 🙂

coffeeheart — A cup of joe can serve you well

First, you may be thinking, what is this nutritionist pumping up coffee for? It’s true, coffee has historically been a controversial topic in the nutrition field. Stunted growth, jitters, and even heart disease are just a few of the ills that were said to be linked with too much joe drinkin’.

But times are a changing, folks, and that’s old news. The latest research about coffee proves otherwise. Keep reading to learn more about why coffee is, in fact, GOOD for you (*in moderation*), and how to drink it to get the maximum benefit for your bod!

What are the benefits associated with drinking coffee?

Increased energy levels
Improved athletic performance
Improved brain function
Improved mood
Alleviation of constipation (ewww)
Improved sex drive (yay!)
Reduced post-workout muscle pain
Protection from certain cancers, Parkinson’s Disease, and Type 2 Diabetes
Coffee contains very few calories and high levels of antioxidants

What IS moderation?

2-4 (8 oz) cups.

How do you recommend drinking coffee?

Time? Morning is best to avoid any interference with sleep. It is also fine to spread your intake throughout the day if you prefer — just make sure it’s not creeping past 3-4pm, and isn’t totaling a quantity greater than the above recommendation. Coffee-ing (okay, I this isn’t an actual verb) about 30mins before exercising can also provide an awesome boost to your workout.

Milk? Skim milk, low-fat milk, soymilk, or none = all good options.

Sugar? Skip it, and avoid the excess calories. If you need some sweetness, opt for a sugar substitute (these do not cause cancer – that is a myth!). I personally like Splenda.

Disclaimers:

*Coffee is not a sleep replacement. If you find that you need coffee to stay awake throughout the day, you may need to re-work your sleep regimen.

*Many of the claims and suggestions contained in this post are not applicable to those with caffeine sensitivities and certain medical conditions such as heart irregularities, GERD, etc.

Questions? Comments? Leave ’em, and let’s chat. I’m am happy to clarify any/all of your coffee concerns!

ENJOY 🙂