My daughter just went back to school. She’s a 14-year-old eighth grader, so this is our last year before high school. Yikes!
I know many of you are sending kids back to school too. You may be going back as an educator or staff member as well. In a university town like where I live, this time of year it seems EVERYONE is going back to school in one way or another.
Here is a back to school tip for you: Feed your kids and yourself a healthy brain breakfast.
Naturally, we want to send our kids off for a day of learning prepared for their day and food is the cornerstone. The most important item to get into your kids before that school bell rings is protein. A high protein breakfast will provide steady energy without those blood sugar highs and lows. Blood sugar highs and lows translate into brain highs and lows.
Protein will improve their focus and learning potential. If you have a child with attention issues, it can be a real game changer. Protein will also keep them from feeling hungry in an hour or two. A good breakfast is protein-focused with some healthy fats and complex carbs.
A big bowl of cereal, pancakes, pastries and the like are going to give them a sugar rush and they will crash in a few hours. That crash doesn’t just mean they will be hungry, but their brain won’t be performing at it’s best.
When it comes to breakfast protein, eggs are a classic choice and a nutritional powerhouse. Go to the trouble to get farm fresh pastured eggs. Not cage-free. Not organic. 100% pastured and free range from a local farm. A study performed by Mother Earth News in 2007 demonstrated that pastured eggs from healthy farms were vastly superior to commercial eggs. They found that pastured farm eggs compared to commercial eggs had:
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A (improves memory and learning)
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids (form brain cell membranes and facilitate brain cell communication)
• 3 times more vitamin E (protects the brain from oxidative damage)
• 7 times more beta carotene (protects against cognitive decline)
No time for cooking eggs in the morning? Make them ahead of time as a quiche, in “muffins” like these Lady Gaga Egg Cups, or hard boil them.
Now that my incredible edible egg commercial is done, let’s talk food education. Our kids don’t get much food literacy at school. The most important education they get about how to take care of themselves with food is from you. So, feed their brains and yours–lead by example. The decisions you make now will affect generations.
If you are interested in getting your brain, energy, and productivity back and learning crucial food literacy skills that you can pass on to your kids, I invite you to a free 60-minute Breakthrough Session. You can apply right here.