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One Spirit of Healing

2001 South Barrington Ave., # 300A
Los Angeles, CA, 90025
310.795.8500
traditional chinese medicine, acupuncturist, herbalist, brentwood, los angeles, california

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What is a Healthy Breakfast

August 20, 2012 Candace Veach
A Healthy Breakfast Burrito

Scramble eggs with a whatever veggies you have on hand, add salsa or some cheese; wrap in a tortilla for robust breakfast.

The Chinese Medicine adage:  "Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Merchant and dinner like a Pauper", is rooted in the TCM theory of how Qi, life-force, circulates though the organ systems. 

Similar to the Western concept of biorhythms, Qi is considered at high-tide in the digestive system in the morning, and at low-tide for the digestive system in the evening. Therefore breakfast should be the biggest meal and as the day wears on the amount of food taken in should decline in volume.  This is opposite of how Americans think of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is regularly skipped or pacified with a muffin.  Even the American ideal of a bowl of fruit, croissant, and glass of juice break down to: sugar, sugar, and sugar.  Fiber and protein slow the transference of sugar into the blood and should definitely be included at breakfast time. Trade the croissant for a fiber-full bread and the juice for eggs and then you you have a breakfast fit for a KING.

Breakfast like a King 

This means a full complement of nutrition in the morning: protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins all in a warm meal. Obviously a King would eat their meal in a comfortable setting.  If this sounds impractical or not worth the effort consider this:  in his book,

Timeless Mind Ageless Body

Deepak Chopra reviews a study of people who lived to 100, undertaken to identify life-habits or attitudes common in this population.   Interestingly, a particular diet consistent with reaching 100 years was not found; however it was found that all the centenarians identified themselves as regular breakfast eaters. 

When you eat a Breakfast like a King, you take in 40-50% of the nutrition you will need for the day in a tight caloric package. However fast your crazy-busy day becomes you can function with sustained speed and clarity well into the afternoon if needed.  This is a clear competitive edge! 

The coffee and muffin crowd will drop into an energetic gutter within hours.  Then they overtax their adrenals by making them fill the energy gap left by improper diet.    Even if it takes Ninja-like skill to insert breakfast into your morning routine, it is well worth it.

Lunch like a Merchant

This acknowledges that this meal will be a simple, functional, and likely hemmed in by work.  Most people eat fairly well at lunch, the bigger problem is eating while stressed.   If you must eat at your desk take this time to turn your attention to your food and your breath.   Put brackets around that fifteen minutes of eating and use it as a break; do not multi-task.  Take a few deep breaths and relax your shoulders and jaw.  Look at that photo on your desk and remember a fun time with a loved one.  Trust that relaxing for fifteen minutes will make you more productive when you resume working.

Dinner like a Pauper 

This means at day’s end you're tired and eat whatever is available (remember junk food did not exist in Ancient China).  If you don’t have the energy to prepare a full meal, why assume your body has the energy to digest one. As the day winds down, eat a small, light meal or throw the meal away entirely.   If you want a muffin as a meal, or lose your wits and want to call popcorn dinner, this is the time to do that. 

In Wellness, Nutrition Tags blood sugar balance, wellness, healthy lifestyle, healthy breakfast, self-care, diet, sustained energy
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