Un-American Breakfast
Go ahead, break the mold! Life is too precious to not savor each moment!
That’s why it’s important to start each day by truly nourishing your body and soul. If you go into flight-or-flight from the moment the alarm goes off, and rush through your preparations only grab a doughnut and coffee on your way out the door, you are setting yourself up for instability the rest of the day. You’ve got adrenaline pumping, you’re dehydrated, and you’ve just given yourself an insulin surge that’s going to drop you cold about 10 a.m. How can you engage with life in a meaningful way if your energy is flat and you have no reserves?
Breakfast is a top priority for me because it lays the foundation for my well-being the rest of the day. I aim to eat equal proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats to give me a long, slow, even burn – instead of the roller coaster ride I used to experience with my repertoire of muffins, pancakes, and cereals. It can be rather liberating to stop the all-carb breakfast that is the American tradition.
Here are three well-balancedrecipes to start your day off right:
Breakfast Pizza 
Sourdough Bread or prepared whole-grain pizza crust
Ricotta cheese
Basil
Vegetables – chopped spinach, sliced tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, etc.
Crumbled bacon
Fried or scrambled eggs, optional
Spread bread/crust with ricotta cheese and sprinkle with basil. Add vegetables and top with bacon. Add egg if desired.
Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie 
(“It’s chocolate pudding ice cream!” –Nathanael, age 3)
1 c. spinach
½ c. coconut milk
2 Tb. cocoa powder
2 Tb. collagen powder, optional
1 c. frozen cherries
½ c. cherry or pomegranate juice
1 avocado
Blend until smooth, adding water if needed for mixing. Serves 2
Note: freezes well for popsicles!
Buttered Crock Pot Oats 
1 c. steel-cut oats
2 c. water
1 c. milk, any kind (it’s nice and creamy with coconut milk!)
1 egg (or 2 Tb. collagen powder)
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 Tb. butter, preferably grass-fed
Salt to taste
Nuts, berries, honey (optional)
Whisk eggs with milk and water. Combine with oats, seasonings and butter in a crock pot. Cook on low for up to 8 hours. Serve with additional milk and top with honey, berries and nuts if desired. Serves 4.