Dr. Steven Horvitz- Reading between the Lines:
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Breakfast: The first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning. Comes from medieval times "to break the fast."
Many of us do not give ourselves enough time for breakfast as we rush out the door in the morning. We either skip breakfast, or grab something quick on the fly, such as a cup of coffee, a bagel, or a pastry. We need to stay away from processed carbohydrates such as cereals, pastries, bagels and breads. These processed carbs get digested quickly and drop our blood sugar within a few hours, leaving us hungry, tired, and cranky. Not the best of choices to fuel our body for the rest of the day!
By comparison, protein, fat and fiber will satisfy your hunger, and should keep you going well through lunchtime. A balanced meal contains a good amount of protein, some healthy fat and fiber, and a small amount of non-processed carbohydrates. At home this can be a few eggs and fresh fruit. It can be a fresh apple with peanut butter. It can even be leftover tuna or chicken salad. Don't say "eeehhww, tuna or chicken for breakfast." How many of you have eggs for dinner?
So what do I have for breakfast? First a quick little story. In just the past year, my wife started enjoying a Starbucks latte. Of course, being the kind husband that I am, I was "volunteered" to go to Starbucks and pick up the latte for her. Now how many of us can go to a store and purchase food or beverage for someone, and not get one ourselves? Since I am not a coffee drinker, one morning I decided to try one of their protein shakes. It was a blend of orange-mango juice, milk, a banana, and some protein powder. A strange thing happened. I finished the shake by 9am, and when lunch came around at 1PM, I was not hungry. And I had not had any snacks to keep me going. I felt good, my work was getting done, and I felt well balanced. So I decided to continue with the Starbucks protein shakes. One small problem. When I received my credit card bill and saw the amount I spent just at Starbucks, I understood why their stock was the darling of Wall Street many years ago.
So what do I have for breakfast? First a quick little story. In just the past year, my wife started enjoying a Starbucks latte. Of course, being the kind husband that I am, I was "volunteered" to go to Starbucks and pick up the latte for her. Now how many of us can go to a store and purchase food or beverage for someone, and not get one ourselves? Since I am not a coffee drinker, one morning I decided to try one of their protein shakes. It was a blend of orange-mango juice, milk, a banana, and some protein powder. A strange thing happened. I finished the shake by 9am, and when lunch came around at 1PM, I was not hungry. And I had not had any snacks to keep me going. I felt good, my work was getting done, and I felt well balanced. So I decided to continue with the Starbucks protein shakes. One small problem. When I received my credit card bill and saw the amount I spent just at Starbucks, I understood why their stock was the darling of Wall Street many years ago.
So what does one do? I decided to pull out my blender and try to make some protein shakes on my own. I will not mention my first few attempts, but my last two turned out very good, and kept my appetite at bay until lunchtime, and saved me on my last credit card bill as well.
Orange-Banana Protein Shake - close to Starbucks Vivanno shake
Take about 6-8 ice cubes and crush them in your blender.
Add 4 ounces or orange juice or orange-mango juice.
Add 3 ounces of milk. I prefer 2% milk.
Add 1 banana, best if in the fridge overnight.
Add 1 scoop of whey protein powder.
Blend all above until mixed through.
Blend all above until mixed through.
Apple-Cinnamon spice protein shake - my daughter's favorite
Take about 6-8 ice cubes and crush them in your blender.
Add 2 ounces of brewed apple-cinnamon spice tea
Add 3 ounces of apple cider
Add 2 ounces of milk. I prefer 2% milk.
Add 1 banana, best if in the fridge overnight.
Add 1 scoop of whey protein powder.Blend all above until mixed through.
If you have any good homemade protein shake recipes that you would like to share, please send them to me at DrHorvitz@DrHorvitz.com
Take-home message:
Breakfast is important. Do not skip it. Keep the carbs low and the the protein moderate to keep you going well through lunchtime!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Medicine
Founder of The Institute for Medical Wellness
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