menopause, motivation and more

What are you breaking your fast with?

My first meal of the day is usually after my sport/exercise. I’m flexible when breaking my fast, in other words having breakfast, depending on time of year, weather, work and most important how I feel. That said if I’m off ski touring then eating first is a priority, otherwise I wouldn’t survive.

Oats, berries of some sort, chai seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, a few walnuts and almonds. Thrown in a bowl with natural yoghurt. I’ve eaten oats for the longest time. As kids my mum made us porridge topped with a spoon full of honey or evaporated milk. Sweet and scrumptious.

I’m a coffee lover, my first of the day more often than not with milk. I also gulp down a glass of warm water. Needless to say my coffee hits the spot!

Rather than açai berries originally from South America I prefer my hand picked cranberries, raspberries or blueberries. There’s something satisfying about picking your own. Probably not marketed as ‘superfoods’ but all the same packed with those important vitamins helping to support our immune system.

Gut health is a hot topic at the moment. An important one because during perimenopause and menopause we can become bloated due to hormone imbalance. Hormone receptors in the gut help the bowel. Eating fibre helps ‘good’ in turn helping our digestive system. Even more important for over 50’s because with age ‘good’ bacteria decreases. So we need to look after our gut.

There are proven health benefits eating probiotics and prebiotics every day.

Probiotic is live bacteria meant to restore the balance in your gut. Important if you’ve been unwell.

Prebiotic foods help to feed, grow healthy gut bacteria.

A few probiotic foods include, live yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut (a favourite of my husband’s, he’s Austrian), cottage cheese and other fermented foods.

A few prebiotic foods include, bananas and other fruits, garlic, artichokes, onions, soya beans, asparagus, ginger, fennel

Tips

Oats, fibre, folate, iron

Chia seeds, omega 3, prevention of high cholesterol, calcium, manganese, zinc

Flaxseed, omega 3, lowers cholesterol, magnesium

Sunflower, omega 6, vitamin B6 and E, selenium

Almonds, omega 6, folate, vitamin E

Walnuts, omega 6, vitamin B6, iron

Blueberries vitamins C, E and K . Vitamin E good for skin. Vitamin C strengthens immune system, fights infection. Makes collagen, keeping bones, skin and joints stronger

Water, we all know the benefits of staying hydrated!

What are you breaking your fast with? When is your first meal of the day?