I don’t know about you, but anything that claims to be anti-aging grabs my attention pretty quickly, but an anti-aging breakfast? What does that even mean? Well for starters, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Did your mom tell you that as a kid? Well she wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t exactly right either. There are definitely benefits to eating breakfast, which include kick starting your metabolism for the day to get yourself into prime fat burning mode, satisfying that annoying morning hunger, helping to stabilize your blood sugar, improved heart health, and increased performance for morning activities, such as work, school or a morning workout! On the flip side, there are also benefits to skipping breakfast, like a decrease in overall daily calories, improved metabolic health, weight loss, lower blood pressure, and yep – you guessed it, perhaps even anti-aging benefits! Boom! Sounds good to me! But what if I told you eating breakfast could have anti-aging benefits as well?
Well now isn’t THAT confusing? So what’s the right answer? Well when it comes to breakfast, it really only boils down to personal preference! If you’re hungry and you want to eat – then eat! If not, don’t. It really is THAT simple. More importantly, what you eat does matter, so whether you break your fast at 6am or noon, starting your day with a healthy, balanced meal is crucial.
Enter superfoods! If you’re anything like me, you’re probably picturing a banana in a bright red cape, scaling up the side of a high rise building Spiderman-style, but that’s not exactly what I mean when I say breakfast superheroes. When it comes to a balanced diet, while the timing of your breakfast might not be very important, it’s very important to get the right amount of calories, carbs, protein, fat and nutrients (hence the term “balanced,” which will aid in weight loss, energy and overall health). And if you want to kick it up a notch and get even more benefits, you will want to choose food items that have more bang for their buck. This means they have a very high nutritional density as compared to their calorie content, and they have properties that influence anti-aging, longevity, disease prevention, reduced inflammation, and improved immunity! Please enjoy these easy to make, balanced superfood breakfast recipes to boost your health, control your weight, and increase longevity below! And hey – if they help fight the effects of aging – even better!
Here are some examples of superfoods, some of their beneficial ingredients and their benefit to us. Don’t worry too much about the complicated names of the ingredients, but take a close look at how they benefit your body, because these hard-to-pronounce ingredients may lead to a longer, healthier life!
Turmeric
Phytochemicals, curcumin, tumerone
Anti-aging, decreased cell damage and decreased chronic disease
Kale
Vitamins A, C and K, quercetin, kaempferol
Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, lower blood pressure
Garlic
Vitamin C, B6, manganese
Reduced heart disease, lower bad cholesterol, healthy prostate, fights yeast infections
Curry
Cardamom, black pepper, tumerone, turmeric
Anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal,anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic
Cherries
Polyphenols, catechins, anthocyanins, flavonols, vitamin C
Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, regulates blood sugar, increased muscle recovery
Yogurt
Lactobacillus, calcium, phosphorus
Detoxification, weight loss, healthy digestion, gut health
Cacao Nibs
Flavonoids, MAO, serotonin-inducing components, magnesium
Weight loss, decreased bad cholesterol, balanced mood, reduced cortisol
Flaxseed
Phytochemicals, thiamin, magnesium, manganese, ALA
Healthy cell function, regulates muscle and nerve function
Vegan Veggie Scramble
Vegan Veggie Scramble
- 1.5 tsps nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- A small pinch of sea salt
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 a small white onion chopped
- 1/2 a red bell-pepper, chopped
- A small handful of kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4.25 oz firm tofu
- 2.5 oz canned black beans or haricot beans, drained and rinsed well
Place the nutritional yeast and dried spices in a bowl and stir well.
Place a skillet or frying pan over a medium heat and melt the oil.
Add the onion and bell-pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
Add the mushrooms, kale and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Add the tofu and break it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Stir in the spice mix and black beans.
Heat for 4-5 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Serve. Enjoy!
Calories: 302
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 32g
Fat: 10g
Cherry Chocolate Smoothie
Cherry Chocolate Smoothie
- 10 pitted cherries
- 6 slices frozen banana
- 6 oz unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsps plain yogurt
- 1 heaping tsp cacao powder
- 1.5 tsp cacao nibs
- ⅓ cup chocolate protein powder
- 1 tsp ground flaxseed
- A pinch of ground cinnamon
- 4 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Calories: 345
Protein: 34g
Carbs: 23g
Fat: 13g
Photo Credits
Cherries – by unsplash
Other photos are by FitproRecipes – Used with permission
Guest Author Bio
Kathryn Morrow
Kathryn Morrow is a nutrition & weight loss coach passionate about eating well without deprivation. Have more questions or want more recipes? Connect with her at KGM Nutrition.
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