Time, who has it anymore these days? Each morning many of us arise with an already over booked schedule, and an extreme sense to accomplish everything right now! Often times ones nourishment for the body comes last. Many individuals start the morning with a cup or two of coffee  along with non-dairy creamer (full of trans fat), and that’s it!  Well, not until  the severe hunger pangs hit around 10am and the result is reaching for whatever office sweets and/or junk that can be found.

Starting the day with the ritual caffeine high followed by a sugar rush is prescription for a sluggish metabolism and crash time come around noon.  This is of course, followed by riding that wave of lethargy and decreased mental performance until 5pm. I’m not the first to say this, missing breakfast is dumb – period.

The rule of never missing breakfast is not a new one. Your mother stressed this as you were growing up, dietitians get paid to reiterate this rule to their clients, and almost every diet book follows this rule as well.  In fact, more and more studies suggest that those who eat a nutritious breakfast regularly not only have better mental performance and steady energy,  but also keep a slim and trim waste line.

Breakfast is the one opportunity to light the day’s fire in your metabolism and prepare oneself  to take on that long stressful day. Now, I’m not talking about stuffing your face with three pancakes, eggs and a side of bacon – that will just put you right back to bed with a feeling of just having swallowed a boat anchor. And, who really has time to prepare that anyway- right?

What I’m talking about is a perfect mix of carbs, proteins and fats – everything your brain needs to start cranking in the morning. So what’s the method of achieving this right mix? None other than the breakfast shake! No,  not the slim-fast can, quick start mix, or anything you bought from the store ready to go. This breakfast shake is self prepared in five minutes and better than anything you could ever purchase outright from a store. All you need is a blender of some sort and some good earth provided ingredients.

Northwest Berries

Before we get to the full list of  ingredients and prep here, let’s talk a little about berries. The Northwest is well known for its variety of nutritious berries. I prefer a mix of raspberries, blue berries, black berries and huckle berries (when in season.) During the late summer months, these berries can be found fresh just about anywhere. When out of season, frozen is equally as good and is preferred in the mixture because it ads the ice element for the shake.

Blue berries deliver the highest amount of antioxidants of all the berries mentioned above, but each have their own health benefits. Antioxidants are necessary to provide protection against stress and free radicals from pollution that we face everyday. More and more studies also suggest that eating antioxidant rich berries everyday protects your cardiovascular system and may decrease the risk of certain cancers. Additionally, berries are that perfect nutrient rich food that pack a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, great for lowering cholesterol. Berries are the essential breakfast ingredient, and whether it’s in a shake or as a handful, try eating a serving or two of these everyday.

Northwest Berry Shake – in 5 minutes

Ingredients (organic is preferred here):

• 1 – cup mixed berries (Fresh Frozen – blue berries, raspberries, marion berries, strawberries, really any berries you prefer)
• 1 – Tbsp Stone Ground Flax Seed – Full of Omega 3 fatty acids and powerful lignans
• 1/4 – cup Granola or plain quick oats
• 1 – Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter or almond butter
• 1 – scoop chocolate whey (optional)
• 1 to 1-1/2 cup non-fat or 1% milk  (or soy milk) – you may need to add more or less here depending on the consistency you prefer

Preparation

Toss all of these yummy ingredients into the blender (the Magic Bullet is perfect for this recipe), and blend for 2-3 minutes or until you have a smooth consistency that you like. Again, you may need to add more milk to this depending on what consistency you prefer. If using the magic bullet, fill the cup to roughly the top with liquid once the ingredients have been added.

That’s it! You now have a fully prepared, well balanced breakfast that is the right mix of carbs, fats, and protein (and tastes like a peanut butter, jelly sandwich!). Not to mention loaded with powerful antioxidants and fiber! This little breakfast shake will keep you satiated until that lunch hour and deliver the proper nourishment to kick your morning off right!

No excuse to ever miss breakfast again…enjoy!

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