Start The Day Wet & Raw

So often we read about the importance of starting the day with a good, healthy breakfast. The very word 'breakfast' perfectly captures the fact that this first meal of the day 'breaks' the 'fast' we have endured during the night. Depending on what time you eat your last meal of the day and what time you eat your first meal of each new day, this nightly fast can be lengthy. For example, a 7 pm dinner and 7 am breakfast equals a 12 hour fast. Even if you succumb to a late night snack, your sleep time alone is, for most people, between 6-8 hours long.

So starting the day with a healthy breakfast is something I do every day to fuel my body for the day ahead.

However, even before I have breakfast, I like to start the day with what I call 'breakdrought'. In other words, I start the day with a hydrating drink. Because in the same way that we haven't eaten during the night, we also haven't been hydrating our bodies.

Plain water is fantastic. Water with lemon or lime, or any fruit, is equally great - some say even better. Herbal teas will do it, as will any number of healthy juices, if you don't mind the calories. Unfortunately, as much as I love good coffee, for me that has to wait until later in the morning. Simple hydration comes first. Hence the 'wet' start to my day.

I also try to incorporate something raw into the start of my day. Most people who are concerned about their health understand the importance of increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet.

The variety of ways in which you can include raw fruit and vegetables into your breakfast are endless. Eating the same thing every morning soon gets boring, so it's good to have a few options. Some of my favourites include:

• Whole or slices of fruit (whatever is your favourite, or in season)
• Fruit sliced/diced, or frozen (thawed) berries with cereal or yoghurt
• Fresh fruit juices
• Fruit & vegetable smoothies
• Toast toppings – tomato slices, avocado
• Supplementing poached egg on toast with a handful of baby spinach leaves

It's easy to start the day with the best intentions of eating 'healthy', but intentions and eventual actions don't always align as planned. But by incorporating raw fresh fruits and/or vegetables into your breakfast, you get to tick that box before you even head out the door for the days. First things first, and all that.

 

If you have any creative ideas about how to start your day with fresh fruit and vegetables, I'd love to hear them!