You rarely think of what the farmer and the chicken went through to get them. Well, if you have ever seen the little chicks they sell at certain times in the spring, you can see what happens when they are fertilized. If you want them, all you have to do is to buy a chicken. If you want more chickens, you need to buy a rooster.

So the chicks are brought home to the farm, and they are set up in a very warm environment. The more the farmer buys, the warmer they will keep each other. A bright light needs to be on them all the time at this point, and they will eat a lot of chick feed. As they grow, they become the age to lay eggs. Different types of chickens lay different eggs.

If you have bought them from a home or farm that has all types of chickens that produce them, you will see from the variety that they sometimes look like they are for Easter. There are actually light blue and light green ones in the egg carton.

They will taste a bit different from a chicken farm than when you buy them at the store. The yolks are so bright, deep yellow. You can see the difference. You can see which is, of course, healthier. And the small farmers do not generally feed or inject their chickens with hormones, as they are not producing for grocery stores, and they are eating them themselves.

There are others that can be eaten also, not just that of the egg. Ostrich is also are edible and one will probably feed a family of six for breakfast. From ducks they are also acceptable. And if you ever get to try them from a quail, they are considered a delicacy to all. They do not taste too different, but the presentation is elegant, as they are tiny and speckled.

Eggs are generally thought of for breakfast, because there are so many ways to make them for breakfast. Scrambled, sunny side up, omelets, poached, hard boiled, soft boiled, and over easy are a few simple breakfast recipes. But they can be eaten at any meal. They can be the entree, if they are rolled around something else, like ham and cheese, or they can have a Mexican flavor, such as huevos rancheros. The omelet themselves can be made in an endless number of ways to be the center of a lunch or dinner meal. And other people think of eggs as a brunch meal, as their breakfasts are usually simple, like coffee and toast. Around 10 a. M. Or so, it is time for brunch, and this is when they enjoy a nicely cooked egg.

They are also the one ingredient that often holds all of the others together. This is true for cakes and pies, and many other dessert items. They are often one of the main ingredients in a recipe, like custards and crepes. It is safe to say, without eggs, we would be missing some of the finer things in life.

Healthy food can be hard to find these days. Eggs are very healthy and nutritious for breakfasts, and are extremely easy to prepare, especially with these online easy recipes.

The worst thing we had to deal with back then was probably having too much butter on our potatoes and vegetables at dinner, and maybe some bacon was included in our breakfast. Other than that, school cafeterias weren’t even allowed to have vending machines, they couldn’t sell soda or coffee to even high schoolers, and even though lunches may have left a bit to be desired, they didn’t include pizza or tacos.

Fast forward to the 21st century and things are so different – not only in schools but in restaurants, home life and on the road. Our lives are hectic so instead of cooking we order take out. Rather than finding time for a healthy breakfast we grab a muffin or breakfast sandwich that has enough cholesterol to cause permanent damage to our livers and gallbladders.

Unfortunately, many people feel that they have nothing to worry about if they’re already thin. They fail to realize that even fat people can be “healthy” if their cholesterol levels are normal, and thin people can be at risk for clogged arteries and high cholesterol if they eat junk food.

It’s not easy to explain to kids, or anyone, that looking like a model doesn’t mean you’re healthy. If they are “lucky” enough to be able to live on tacos and burgers and pizza and still wear a size two, there are very few kids who even think of admitting that their health might be at risk, and then continue eating the same foods well into their adult lives until… A major crisis erupts, and it won’t be good.

It is truly a challenge to explain to your skinny girlfriend that ordering extra cheese on her pizza isn’t such a great idea, as she sits across from you reminding you that she takes a size 2 and doesn’t need to watch what she eats.

Until a critical episode occurs, most of these people don’t have a clue they aren’t eating healthy. They believe they are immune to the ill effects of pigging out on some of the worst food choices possible. They equate size with health. Find any 40 year old who works out, take a small size, looks terrific, and eats food that helps put her one step closer to the grave yard each day. Ask her to describe the last salad she had, and she’ll likely describe something that was covered in tons of regular dressing that also included chunks of cheese, meats, croutons, and cole slaw. Delicious, yes. Healthy? Heck no!

Eating healthy is not a diet. It’s a lifestyle. One that doesn’t get adjusted to easily or quickly if you don’t really see the benefit or the need. Don’t wait till it’s too late because changing your ways.

Breakfasts have been claimed to be the most important meal of the day. By eating breakfast, it allows the brain to function better so one can focus more easily. For healthy recipes, visit us today!

Burn energy too quickly?

Here’s some healthy foods and ideas to put together your own breakfast menu for sustained energy.

A short bit about longer lasting energy.

All foods release their energy into your bloodstream at different rates. One measure of this is called the Glycemic Index (GI). The higher the food indexes the faster it releases its energy. And the faster the energy is spent.

• High GI index above 70.
• Moderate GI foods index between 56 to 69.
• Low GI is anything indexing 55 and under.

So on this breakfast menu we’re going to concentrate on a low GI diet. A number of healthy breakfast ideas that will keep you going until lunch.

Low GI breakfast menus

1. The Box Seat – get in the best position for the day with a low GI breakfast cereal and full fat milk. Why full fat milk? Most of the benefits of milk are in the fats, which contain CLA (fat burning and omega 3′s).
2. Cafe breakfast – don’t you just drool over the breakfast menu at your favourite cafe? What they can do with eggs is amazing. The good news is that a ‘traditional’ breakfast high in protein and good fats is good news for your body. They fill you up and release their goodness over a longer period of time. Just make sure the food is cooked as healthily as possible…and with fatty sauces like Hollandaise.
3. A king’s breakfast – like the cafe breakfast above, just lots of it. The old adage “eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner’ makes a lot of nutritional and energy sense. Poached eggs, whole grain toast, avocado, tomato, low GI muesli with full fat milk, black tea. Just don’t forget to get off your throne by dinner time.

Enjoy!

It’s not a time for my best breakfast ideas. Or any ideas for that matter.

That’s why I go for the same old, same old breakfast. Usually something with a mule-like sugar kick and loads of carbs. Delicious, don’t get me wrong, I love the sugary, carby cereals. Fortunately (or is that unfortunately?) there’s lots of breakfast cereal brands out there to fill the gap.

It’s now 7.48pm on a Monday night…

…Perfect breakfast ideas time.

So here’s some of my favourites:

1. Liquid Breakfast – blend a banana, low fat milk or soy milk, soy, linseed and almond meal, low GI cereal and go, go, go. Actually make it a fruit salad smoothie. Throw in whatever fruit you have, even the slightly overripe stuff.
2. Eggs-cellent breakfast idea – eggs on whole grain toast are a great under-rated way to start the day.
3. Low GI diet breakfast – sounds complicated but low GI foods and cereal products are easy to find. And well worth the effort. Start the day with a slow-release food and avoid the m-id-morning ‘sugar low’.
4. Oats with grated green apple – simple, delicious, cheap and nutritious. A great combination.
5. Healthy Breakfast – low GI cereal, whole grain toast, fresh juice and a green tea. This is not only super healthy, a low GI diet helps keep your hunger away for longer than higher GI foods.

Sometimes the best idea is to prepare a little before bed the night before.

Also, a healthy breakfast sets you up for a virtuous day. You just feel better about yourself safe in the knowledge you’ve started the day healthily.

Enjoy!

There are many moods of breakfast. Sometimes I crave all natural cereals, sometimes sugary cereals, sometimes high fibre ones and sometimes just plain old wheat-bix.

(There’s never a time that I don’t eat breakfast. Not from a virtuous ‘the most important meal of the day’ mind, more that, like I said, I love breakfast cereals).

So, I’ve listed the best breakfast cereals by category.

1. Best for kids: Weetbix or any whole gain wheat biscuit type cereal. Kids can burn the carbs off in minutes. They’re cheap, easy to eat, easy to add fruit and stuff to and filling. Many active sportsmen claim to eat as many as nine each morning.
2. Best for weightloss or weight management. Anything low GI. Forget low fat. Most of these are high in sugar. Sugar is the weight losers enemy. Actually, with the amount of sugar we consume, it’s all of our enemy. A nutritionally well-balanced low GI breakfast cereal will keep you feeling fuller for longer so lessening the urge to snack.
   

   Best for weight loss? Low GI breakfast cereal.

3. Best for sugary hit. Take your pick. For mine it’s Crunch Nut Cornflakes. Just the other evening I was talking to a friend about our secret cereal fetishes and lo and behold the next morning the honey covered cornflake delights were on the table. My wife had bought some for a kids’ treat. More lo and beholding as I chowed through three bowls of the stuff. Fun while it lasted but regretted it the whole day.
4. Best breakfast recipes using cereals. I’m a serial cereal mixer. If you’re in a sugary mood, offset it by mixing the madness with some healthy breakfast cereal, especially anything low GI and high fibre and protein.
   For extra healthy breakfast, mix your healthiest cereals with some soy grits or protein. They don’t taste too bad but need to be part of a mix.
   A fresh breakfast recipe is to add some grated green apple to your cereal. Actually any fruit in season is a good idea. They add flavour, freshness and fibre.

Enjoy!

There’s other things as well but sugar is a major factor in so many negative health issues, especially weight gain and obesity.

Sugar is so pervasive in our diet we hardly notice it any more.

When’s a diet food not a diet food?

When it’s full of sugar. So many so-called ‘diet’ foods are laden with sugar. That’s how they make it palatable. It’s certainly not how they make it a healthy food.

When you’re next scouring the supermarket aisle for diet food, say “no sugar, thanks”. The answer is on the nutritional panel.

When’s a healthy breakfast cereal not a healthy breakfast cereal?

When it has dried fruit in it. Dried fruit is a sneaky way to add the flavour of sugar without actually adding sugar in the ingredient list. But it’s there. Again, the answer is on the nutritional panel.

By the way, a sugary breakfast cereal can make the ‘most important meal of the day’ far less important. Sure the sugar gives you a burst of insulin and energy but it’s short-lived. Plus there’s the bust of a mid-morning energy slump.

Would you like a meal with your sugar?

Alternatives to sugar

• Try products with no sugar added. Give them three days to change your palate from sweet to neutral.
• Stevia. It’s an all-natural sweetener ‘no sugar sugar’ I’ve been using for years. I actually tried a dried Stevia leaf the other week and you can tell where it gets it’s sweetness from.
• Low Glycemic Index (Low GI) foods. Not a guarantee of no sugar but at least a low GI diet will even out your body’s burning of carbs.
• Honey. Still a sugar but in a far more natural, unprocessed form. Use sparingly.
• Fresh fruit. Again, still lots of sugar in them but you get added nutrients and all important fibre.

Breakfast cereal is good. Right?

For some reason most of us think cereals and especially muesli are good for us and our family. Of course, there are the obvious examples but surely grains and milk are are a healthy way to start the day.

If only it were so.

Are your kids eating a bowl of sugar?

Eating a healthy breakfast or a bowl of sugar?

Take 2 minutes and check the levels of sugar in the cereals your kids are eating. Go on, I’ll wait.

Surprising isn’t it?!?

Even the so-called ‘healthy’, ‘whole grain’, ‘all natural’, ‘real fruit pieces’ claims can mask sugar levels of 25%. And more.

Healthy foods aren’t always healthy I’m afraid.

The good news of breakfast cereal.

The good news is there are a few really healthy breakfast cereals on the market.

The first place to look is not the the front of the pack. That’s where all the marketing hype is. Go straight to the back. Check out the nutritional panel. There’s no hype there. Just facts.

DIY breakfast ideas

If you can’t find something healthy and low in sugar, it’s pretty easy (and cheap) to make you’re own. Plus, you can tailor it to suit your tastes.

Try nuts like:

• almond flakes
• hazelnuts
• linseed
• walnuts

Seeds like:

• sunflower
• pepitas
• sesame

Grains (whole) like:

• Oats
• Puffed wheat

Fruit (fresh is best)

• Whatever’s in season
• Kids favourites
• Berries
• Green apples, sliced or grated

Develop your own breakfast recipes. Share them with friends.

Maybe one day they’ll be so popular you can market them.

Enjoy!

It’s so easy being bad. It’s just so much fun. By ‘bad’ I mean eating junk, partying hard, drinking too much, not exercising, scoffing sugary foods. The list goes on. And on.

We all go through phases in our life where we fall out of good habits like eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and not snacking.

Then there’s the bad times. We just can’t get up the motivation to do all, or even some, of the things we know are good for us.

The best way to start making yourself feel a little better about being a little bad is to start. Start somewhere.

Start with a healthy breakfast

If you’ve been partying and drinking and partying and drinking the night away then you’ll inevitably wake in fright. Did you comfort eat your way through a chocolate bar? Did you take the elevator up 1 flight?

Being bad

The best way to emotionally and physically feel better is to eat a healthy breakfast. By healthy I mean low fat and definitely low sugar.

Go low GI

A low GI breakfast cereal full of whole grains, nuts and seeds is the good way to feel less bad. There’s plenty of vitamins and nutrients and the low glycemic index (GI) means you’ll feel fuller for longer, so less bad snacking.

Even a big breakfast of eggs (poached), toast (whole grain) and sausage (low fat please), is a good idea. Interestingly, this breakfast idea can also be part of a low GI diet that satisfies your cravings.

Another must-have for a healthy breakfast after a bad day or night is plenty, and I mean plenty, of water. Flush out the bad stuff and fill yourself with the good.

Enjoy!

So how do we prepare healthy meals that can also help manage our intake of calories? All healthy meals, in fact all healthy foods regardless of their health-value, are a mix of fat/protein/carbs. In this article we’ll look specifically at the role carbs play in a healthy, weight loss diet.

When it comes to carbohydrate consumption it’s important as it affects your body’s blood sugar and hormones plus it stimulates cravings. You could eat 2200 calories a day of a higher protein, higher fat meals along with reduced carbs and actually finish the day at 2200 calories all because your appetite is satisfied.

On the flip side,  eat the same amount of calories per day of a high carb diet (ie 2200), and you may end up eating 3000 calories or more because the higher carbohydrate diet stimulated your hunger cravings and you overeat.

I know for me if place a nice lean beef fillet in front of me with a mound of vegetables and salad, my appetite will be satisfied immediately and for hours afterwards.  However, I find it easy to eat a big plate of pasta and even easier to go back for more. And sometimes more again!

This is what happens to many people… once you start eating large quantities of carbs like pasta or cereals or rice, it’s hard to stop and then you’re craving more carbs within the next hour.

What I’ve found works best is to eat in a “reduced carbs” way… this doesn’t mean no-carbs… it means lots less processed grains, no refined sugars, and instead, preparing healthy meals where almost all of your carbs are from healthy foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans.

Here’s a quick breakfast recipes to get you going.

• Low GI cereal with low fat milk and fresh fruit. Not only good for you the low glycemic index (GI) means you’ll feel fuller for longer.

Low GI diet food can be yummy

• Eggs and sausage. Yes, eggs and sausage! Use a non-stick pan (no oil), free range egg and a low fat sausage. A quick to prepare and filling healthy breakfast.

Whole wheat pancakes with fruit is a wonderful way to start your day. Eating healthy is hard when the foods you have to choose from are somewhat less than desirable. I have found that whole wheat pancakes topped with fruit instead of super sweet syrups is actually quite the treat. It’s almost as though the two were meant to go together.

Offering whole wheat pancakes for breakfast, Sunday brunch, or even a breakfast-for-dinner meal is sure to be a crowd pleaser. In addition it offers you a great dose of fiber that will keep you healthier and stick with you longer than the average breakfast.

Making the expense and effort to eat whole wheat pancakes should not be wasted by the pouring high sugar syrups and dessert toppings all over you plate. There are so many other toppings available that provide the sweetness we all desire and doesn’t have the bad side effects of a high sugar content. Fruit or yogurt or both together seem to blend so well with the nutty taste of wheat pancakes.

Try something like blueberries or raspberries heated with a few teaspoons of lemon and a couple teaspoons of natural cane sugar. The warm topping comes with a lot less sugar than the high fructose corn syrup alternative and is so inviting on a cool morning. It will soak into your whole wheat pancake creating a great taste and texture.

Here is a great recommended recipe: Use blue berries or raspberries or whatever berry you like and add five tablespoons of lemon juice and heat to boiling. Stir in one third cup cane sugar or equivalent in sugar substitute if you have it. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes until it starts getting a little thicker. Remove from heat and serve.

Once the scent of sweetened and heated fruit starts creeping around the house you will have curious visitors looking forward to a delicious treat. There is something about a hot berry topping poured over whole wheat pancakes that creates such a wonder taste combination.

Whole wheat pancakes are a healthy, more natural way to start your morning. The advantages of whole wheat to your health are well known. Offer them to your own family and make breakfast an event that everyone looks forward to.

Even if it’s only done on the weekends, getting together for a delicious meal is a treat for all. When you serve healthy whole wheat pancakes topped with warm yummy fruit toppings everyone will enjoy, you get an event that will last. The benefits of the whole wheat pancakes will give you the health and energy to enjoy the day, the benefits of eating a delicious meal together will last long after.