Most days we have the same thing for second breakfast (our first breakfast is fresh veggie/fruit juice, or a smoothie), and I think I'll just call it Wagner Cereal. And I'll tell you, this sure fills me up.
It is protein packed and fiber full!
You can modify it to change things up a bit by adding different fruits to it.
The Walnuts and Flaxseed are the only 2 EXCELLENT sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Flaxseed has twice as much as Salmon, and Walnuts have 50% more.
"What are the functions of omega-3 fatty acids?
Every cell in our body is surrounded by a cell membrane composed mainly of fatty acids. The cell membrane allows the proper amounts of necessary nutrients to enter the cell, and ensures that waste products are quickly removed from the cell.Promoting Healthy Cell Membranes To perform these functions optimally, however, the cell membrane must maintain its integrity and fluidity. Cells without a healthy membrane lose their ability to hold water and vital nutrients. They also lose their ability to communicate with other cells. Researchers believe that loss of cell to cell communication is one of the physiological events that leads to growth of cancerous tumors.
Because cell membranes are made up of fat, the integrity and fluidity of our cell membranes is determined in large part by the type of fat we eat. Remember that saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while omega-3 fats are liquid at room temperature. Researchers believe that diets containing large amounts of saturated or hydrogenated fats produce cell membranes that are hard and lack fluidity. On the other hand, diets rich in omega-3 fats produce cell membranes with a high degree of fluidity."
"What can high-omega-3 foods do for you?
- Reduce inflammation throughout your body
- Keep your blood from clotting excessively
- Maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes
- lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream
- decrease platelet aggregation, preventing excessive blood clotting
- inhibit thickening of the arteries by decreasing endothelial cells' production of a platelet-derived growth factor (the lining of the arteries is composed of endothelial cells)
- increase the activity of another chemical derived from endothelial cells (endothelium-derived nitric oxide), which causes arteries to relax and dilate
- reduce the production of messenger chemicals called cytokines, which are involved in the inflammatory response associated with atherosclerosis
- reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and is expressed primarily by adipocytes (fat cells)
- help prevent cancer cell growth"
http://www.whfoods.com/
So don't skip the ground flax seed and raw walnuts.
And Almond Milk has 50% more calcium than cow's milk. Pretty cool!
I was also surprised that I could eat uncooked oats, but then I realized that I've eaten them before in no-bake cookies, and they're just fine! And they certainly contribute to the fiber in this breakfast. I am sure that eating this every day for breakfast is definitely contributing to my digestive health!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tb ground flax seed (Wholefoods bulk section)
(Costco or any grocery store has it too)
- 1/4 c. raw chopped walnuts (Costco)
- 1/4 c. Grape Nuts cereal (Costco)
- 1/2 c. plain Shredded Wheat (Walmart)
- 1/3 c. regular rolled oats (LDS Cannery or Costco)
- 1/8-1/4 c. raisins or even craisins(Costco)
- 1 Tb raw shelled sunflower seeds (Wholefoods bulk section)
When you're ready to eat, add:
- 1 c. soy or almond milk (Costco)
- half a banana(or a whole if you are really hungry!) Cut it down the center twice and then into chunks to get a piece in every bite
Optional Additions:
- 1 tsp. agave, pure maple syrup or honey to sweeten (Costco)
- 1 Tb unsweetened coconut (Wholefoods bulk section)
- any fresh or frozen thawed fruit - we love to add berries! or peaches!
Tips:
Gather a whole bunch of tupperware containers and make a week's worth at a time. Then all you have to do in the morning is open it up, cut your banana, pour your milk and enjoy!
And thanks for all the positive feedback! I love comments, and they motivate me to keep posting!
2 comments:
This sounds great! Thanks for sharing!
Emily! Kolby just linked me to your blog. What great ideas! I am really excited to try to this cereal idea! Keep posting - I'd love to benefit from your wealth of knowledge!
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