Fresh Motivation: The Sequel

Chillin' after yoga in the park.

About a month ago I wrote about summer bringing about fresh motivation. Sadly, motivation ebbs and flows along a spectrum, rushing and receding from day to day. One aspect I've continually struggled with is following through with my plans to work out. I've gone through a lot of pre-workout energizer (though not entirely wasted - some of that energy was put to good use on my workdays, and aided some epic brainstorming sessions).

Just last night I stumbled upon an article posted on the Mercola site. The thing that's been missing of late, that I used to be able to do quite well, is that ability to just get up and go (outside, to the gym, to my mat in the basement, whatever) without thinking about it.

So I've issued a Challenge. For the month of August, I challenge YOU (and myself, of course) to fit in one workout a day. This can be anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up. This can be a workout DVD in your living room. This can be taking the stairs to your office or apartment instead of the elevator. This can be taking your dog or cat or pig for a walk in new terrain. This can be cleaning out your basement for a garage sale. This can be dancing like a maniac to your favourite song when no one's watching.

It doesn't have to be complicated or overly strenuous. The point is to make physical activity a natural part of your healthy day, like drinking water and eating your vegetables. Log your efforts over the course of the month and see that it's not that hard after all.

I'll be putting my daily workouts, no matter how big or small, on Twitter. Today being day 1, I've already tweeted my first workout. Get over there and follow along!

What will you do today?

Summer is a Season of Fresh Motivation! Plus: Green Smoothie Challenge Prize Info...

Apple Basil Lime Margarita

If you're like me, maybe you find that your creative energy reaches its highest highs when the days are long, bright, and sunny.  And as such, you might find that when the days are short, dark, and cold, your inspiration and sticktoitiveness runs dry.  Maybe it's all that natural vitamin D, that potent pre-hormone mood-boosting not-really-a-vitamin powerhouse that's formed in our skin under the right kind of sunlight.  I love that stuff.

Back to summer.

I've had a swell of the aforementioned creative energy of late (thus ending the months-long silence on this blog) and while the focus is still a work in progress (my inner ADHD-kid is practically screaming "can we play outside today?!" and I've literally lost my train of thought several times just writing this sentence), those times I've been focused have been used to spark new ideas, put a new spin on some old ones, and importantly, hone in on what I really want to do and who I really want to help.

Changes to what I call my mission statement will be rolling out on my website and socials as I get the wording down in the next weeks.  I will say that I've spent a lot of time thinking about what gets me going the most when I'm talking to clients and customers, what kinds of things I've had experience with personally, and what areas are fascinating to me, that I'm most interested in when it comes to learning more.  These include but are in no way limited to plant-based nutritional support for fitness and athletics, cognitive function, and reproductive and sexual health.  It may not seem like there's much interrelation between these subjects, broad topics of study that they are, but having experience with all of these, and from what I've learned and observed, everything the body does and is capable of doing is connected to everything else.  Again, fascinating.

Blushing Pear Hydrator

Similarly, I've always been committed to making my workshops, recipes, e-books, and online challenges vegan- and allergy-friendly.  I chose the banner Love Plants for Life to reflect my love of plant-based food, and the belief that sourcing the majority of one's diet from these foods, whether you're vegan, vegetarian, omni, flexi, Paleo, or what-have-you, promotes lifelong vibrant health.  Plant foods are a common denominator in any healthful whole-foods diet - so why not learn to Love Plants for Life?  (See what I did there?  Heh.)

In my ongoing quest for knowledge, I'm taking steps to learn more about healthy food preparation as it relates to plant-based foods, with the aim to expand my current skills and apply them in my practice.  I've always had a knack for cooking without a recipe (thanks, Dad), and use that to create the recipes I post online, jot down for clients' menus, and demonstrate in my workshops; now I want to see what I can do with further instruction, to take my Love Plants for Life offerings in new directions.

And speaking of Love Plants for Life, my 10-day Green Smoothie Challenge is back with new recipes for 2015, and a new prize package: a Smoothie Sampler Kit, filled up with a pile of my favourite vegan- and allergy-friendly smoothie ingredients (approximate prize value $60)!  I've really enjoyed putting together the recipes for this Challenge.  It's free, and you get a new summery smoothie recipe daily from July 7-16 just for signing up!  Registration closes and shopping lists get sent out July 3, so if you want to get in on the new recipes and the prize draw, get to it!  Group start July 7.  Prize draw July 20.  Register here: http://saragalipeau.ca/news.html

Prize Pack with all the stuff! (Updated July 14)

Notice: Prize draw eligibility open to registered Challengers only - must sign up via the link above.  The email address you provide will only be used to send you LPFL 10-day Green Smoothie Challenge emails, including notice of prize draw winner.  Registration automatically enters the subscriber in the prize draw.  Further opportunities for extra entries include sharing Challenge posts on Facebook or Twitter (up to 3 extra entries) and posting smoothie photos in the private Facebook group or on Twitter @SaraGalipeauRHN and/or with the hashtag #LPFLsmoothies (up to 5 extra entries).

Now... let's play outside!

New to Juicing - What To Do With All This Pulp? A Recipe is Born!

It's no secret that I love kitchen gadgets.  From my multi-temperature kettle and my combination coffee-espresso maker, to my milk frother, to my citrus reamer and my apple corer.

Fresh resolve (let's say due to the onset of sunnier days and the promise of warmer temperatures) inspired me to take the plunge and add a masticating juicer to my lineup.

I've been a fan of Booster Juice's Ginger Hammer for some time - I especially love it during cold season - and it was naturally the first juice I attempted to make with my new contraption.  I was pleased with the result, and the potency of the juice's flavour (especially that of the ginger - wow!).

My version:

Organic Ginger Power Juice
- 1" piece peeled organic ginger root
- 2 to 3 medium-large organic carrots
- 1 organic granny smith apple

This is the basic recipe.  Since my first go at it I've added to it with whatever I had on hand: a handful of fresh organic wheatgrass here, a third of an organic cucumber there, maybe a rib or two of organic celery.  It makes about a cup of juice - just the right amount for my needs as a juicing noob.

Now, I knew going in that I would be left with a lot of vegetable fibre.  I also knew from reading various posts on various health-oriented blogs and Facebook groups that one can use the fibre to augment soups, sauces, and smoothies.  I added about half of my first "batch" of pulp to a green smoothie that same morning.  Note that if you do add the pulp to a smoothie, you'll more than likely have to add extra liquid.  That stuff is absorbent.  Let's just say that first smoothie was quite thick, filling, and honestly, kind of hard to get down.  Live and learn.

I'd also read that the pulp can be used in baking.  I knew I wanted to attempt baking with my homemade "Ginger Hammer" pulp, so though I made different juices, I mostly saved the pulp from the aforementioned cocktail until I either found or came up with a recipe.  I had collected about 4 juices' worth of pulp, and was starting to worry it would all go bad before I got to bake with it.

I did a little searching online and in my cookbooks, but didn't really find anything I wanted to make, or could make with what I currently had on-hand.

So I adapted another recipe of mine, and hoped for the best.

The original recipe is one that my mother gave to me - a simple oatmeal muffin recipe that came from a school home-ec cookbook, circa her high school years.  Being vegan, I've since adapted that recipe to suit, and from there it morphed into my Banana Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I wanted hearty, filling muffins that would do for a quick breakfast or snack.  Since the banana chocolate chip version uses 2 bananas and ½ cup chocolate chips, I decided to try replacing one of those bananas with ⅔ cup pulp, and the chocolate chips with sunflower and pumpkin seeds.  Then I hoped for the best...

...And was pleased with the result!

So here's the recipe.  If you don't have a juicer, but want to try these muffins, check out some alternative suggestions for juice pulp at the end of the recipe.

Carrot Seed Ginger Power Muffins

These muffins are loaded with fibre and healthy fats, great to start your morning on the right foot.

 

-          1 cup organic whole spelt flour

-          ¾ cup organic oats

-          ½ cup organic coconut sugar

-          3 tsp. (1 Tbsp.) baking powder

-          1½ tsp. (½ Tbsp.) baking soda

-          ½ tsp. organic cinnamon

-          ¼ tsp. organic ground ginger

-          ½ tsp. sea salt

-          ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

-          ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

-          1 banana

-          ⅔ cup Ginger Power juicer pulp*

-          ¼ cup organic coconut oil

-          1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Preheat oven to 400ᵒF.

In a medium-large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder & soda, spices, and salt until well-combined, then add in seeds and stir until just mixed.

In a smaller mixing bowl, mash the banana.  Fold in the juicer pulp.  Add in the coconut oil (it’s okay if it’s still solid) and mash with banana and pulp.  Pour in the milk and stir well.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until well-combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cups of a regular muffin tray about ⅔ full.  Tip: Silicone or paper muffin cups can be used in the tray for easy cleanup.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let cool about 10-15 minutes before removing from tray.  Makes 1 dozen muffins.

*Make enough juice to yield approx. ⅔ cup pulp.  This juice recipe usually makes a little more than that. 

If you do not have a juicer, try this instead:

½ cup finely grated carrots

½ cup unsweetened apple sauce (use instead of banana), OR 1 small diced apple, mixed in after combining wet and dry ingredients

½ tsp. organic ground ginger (instead of ¼ tsp.)

Superfood Spotlight: Raw Cacao

It's no secret that I love chocolate.  Ask me what my favourite food is, and pretty much without missing a beat, I'll say "chocolate" with a big smile on my face.  Sure, there have been other contenders for the top spot on my ever-evolving list of favourite foods, but my heart unwavering belongs to chocolate.  And the (chocolate) icing on the (also chocolate) cake?  Chocolate - real chocolate, raw cacao, not the processed, cheap crap that commercial chocolate-flavoured candy bars are made of - is loaded with health benefits.

First, raw cacao scores high on ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) lists for antioxidant activity.  Antioxidants fight free radical damage that can play a role in the development of health issues such as atherosclerosis, inflammation, premature aging, and even cancer.  Raw cacao is high in antioxidant polyphenols, particularly flavonoids.

Second, it's high in minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc.  Iron forms the backbone of hemoglobin in red blood cells.  Calcium regulates muscle contraction, buffers acidity in the body, and makes up bone and tooth tissues.  Magnesium tends to be an underrated mineral, even though it performs over 300 functions in the human body, including regulating muscle contraction in conjunction with calcium, alkalizing tissues, balancing absorption of calcium, cleansing the blood, and fighting migraine and muscle pain by causing blood vessels to dilate.  Copper and zinc need to be in balance in the body, affecting mental and reproductive health - possibly why it's considered an aphrodisiac, and a symbol of fertility in ancient cultures!

Third, it's a good source of the amino acid tryptophan, which aids in muscle repair, as well as converting to the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Serotonin is one of your feel-good, happy, calming neurotransmitters, and acts as a natural antidepressant.  Further, serotonin converts into melatonin, which is needed to help regulate your circadian rhythms and tell you when to sleep.  The catch: cacao is also high in stimulant caffeine, which can help improve focus and mental clarity during the day, but inhibits sleep, so it's best to indulge earlier in the day.  The good news: if you do have trouble falling asleep when you need to, indulging in tryptophan-rich foods like raw cacao earlier in the day (i.e. morning and early afternoon) can help your body produce enough serotonin to convert to melatonin when it's supposed to, meaning sleep should come easier when you do try.

So, other than a high-quality organic dark chocolate, let's look at some great ways to include raw cacao in the diet.

Raw cacao nibs (Camino, organic)

1) Smoothies.  Add 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. raw cacao powder to your morning green smoothie for chocolaty flavour, as well as energy and antioxidants.  If your blender can handle it, try cacao nibs instead.  One of my favourite combinations:
PB Cup Smoothie
- 1 organic banana (fresh or frozen)
- handful organic leafy greens (e.g. baby spinach, spring mix, kale...)
- 1 to 2 Tbsp. peanut, sunflower seed, or almond butter
- 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. organic raw cacao powder or nibs
- ½ tsp. organic cinnamon
- 1 to 1½ cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- 2 to 3 ice cubes (optional if using frozen banana)

2) Baking.  Replace regular cocoa powder with raw cacao to give your baked treats an extra health boost.  Brownies, zucchini bread, muffins, cookies... yummy!  Add raw cacao nibs instead of nuts or chocolate chips for crunchy chocolate flavour combo.

3) Cooking.  One of my favourite chili recipes calls for a tablespoon of cocoa powder!  Cocoa adds an earthy depth to cooked dishes.  Why not use raw cacao for an extra dose of minerals?  Other ways to use cacao in your cooking include stews, mole sauces (these are very complex traditional Mexican sauces), and marinades or rubs for protein entrees.

Banana Nut Bread Oatmeal

4) Oatmeal.  If you haven't checked it out yet, my recipe for Banana Nut Bread Oatmeal uses cacao powder and optional nibs for a chocolaty craving-satisfying breakfast or snack.

5) Chia pudding.  Chia pudding is made by adding chia seeds to a liquid or plant milk and allowing it to set in the fridge.  Add a spoonful of cacao nibs to the initial mixture.  If you want to add cacao powder to your chia pudding, do so after it has set, and add the powder with a little bit of extra liquid to help it mix in smoothly.

6) Trail mix and energy balls.  Add a handful of raw cacao nibs to your bag of raw nuts, seeds, and organic sulphite-free cranberries to make a delicious energy-packed trail mix.  Add a spoonful or two of raw cacao powder and/or nibs to a batch of Coco-Cranberry Energy Balls or Raw Brownies for a tasty pre- or post-workout snack.  Now hit the trails!

7) Hot beverages.  The next time you stop in at your favourite cafe, top your plain latte with a sprinkling of cacao powder for a mocha flavour without adding sugary flavoured syrup.  A little goes a long way!  And did you know that "chocolate" as we know it was once an unsweetened beverage, spiced with chilis and enjoyed either hot or cold, as a health elixir for stamina and energy?  I love to make my own version of spiced hot cocoa in the colder months - so much so that my recipe for Spiced Hot Cocoa is the November Recipe of the Month on my website!

What are your favourite ways to enjoy cacao?

Supplement Review: Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer, Regular vs. Sugar-Free

Some days it can be hard to find the energy to get up and out the door for a workout.  There are many ways to help boost your energy reserves prior to exercise, and energy drinks have become a popular choice.  

However, the fizzy stuff that comes in cans ranging in size from small to monstrous also comes with a range of health risks, including racing heartbeat, insomnia, dysglycemia, and more, which affect the long-term health of the athlete, someone who would otherwise be considered in great health.  There have even been strings of sudden deaths of young athletes on the field from cardiac arrest, which have been attributed to overuse of these drinks.

Natural (and safer) ways to energize your body and mind before and during endurance exercise include dates with nuts or seeds, a banana, green or yerba mate tea, sweet potatoes, or brown rice.  Finding something easy to consume and portable can be especially advantageous.

Regular, açai-berry

Here I’ll review the first stage of a line of sport supplements I use regularly and have come to love.  The Vega Sport line is laid out quite simply, with colour-coded products for each stage of exercise: before (“Prepare”, yellow), during (“Sustain”, red), and after (“Recover”, blue).  There are products in each stage that are staples in my supplement cabinet to fuel my workouts, and one of these is the Pre-Workout Energizer.

Like most of the Vega Sport products, this is a drink powder that is mixed with water.  Until recently, there was only one form of this product that came in two flavours, lemon-lime and açai-berry, that come in individual-serving packets as well as 30-serving canisters.  The açai-berry is my flavour of choice, and I find it tastes like berry iced tea when I mix the full serving size with 12 oz. of water.  For days when I know my workout won’t be as intense, I’ll only use half a scoop in half the amount of water.

Sugar-free, açai-berry

Not too long ago, a sugar-free form of the Pre-Workout Energizer was introduced, in the same two flavours as the regular version, and also available in single-serve packets and 30-serving canisters.  I noticed that this new version was priced lower than the original ($1.69 vs. $2.49 for the singles; prices vary per retailer), so I picked up singles of both flavours to try.

Both versions contain lots of organic and high-quality energy-boosting ingredients, including yerba mate and green teas, medium-chain triglycerides from coconut oil, and pain-reducing herbal ingredients like turmeric.  (Note – due to its turmeric content, the product may stain your sports bottles if not washed or rinsed right away.)  The regular version also contains brown rice syrup as a source of sweetness as well as fast and sustained release carbohydrate.  The sugar-free version is sweetened with stevia leaf extract.

Here is my comparison for each version.

	Regular	Sugar-Free
Taste (mixed with 12 oz. water)	Like iced tea!	Stevia is pretty noticeable, flavour may be improved by a bit more water or blending with fruit (see below for a recipe idea)
Mixability	A little grainy, but otherwise good; give it a shake every now and then if you’ll take a while finishing it	Very smooth, perhaps due to lack of sugars to dissolve
Functionality	Great sustained energy, fast-acting, hydrating	Great sustained energy, fast-acting, hydrating
Packaging	Individual – a little hard to open, which may be annoying on-the-go Canister – the original canisters are a bit cumbersome to cart along in a gym bag, but not as big as the protein powder canisters; new smaller canisters are appearing on store shelves as stores sell off their older stock	Individual – easier to open, with tear-off notches; smaller packets that are slightly larger than the Electrolyte Hydrator packets Canister – these are the new much smaller ones, very portable
Unwelcome side effects	May cause mild jitters and the need to go to the washroom, which can be disadvantageous in the middle of a workout; try drinking it slowly over the course of half an hour, about 20-30 minutes before exercise, or using half the serving size	May cause mild jitters and a stronger need to go to the washroom than the original; same recommendation, or stick with the regular product
May be ideal for	Endurance exercise, high-energy cardio, workouts that burn lots of calories	People who are watching their sugar intake while wanting the energy to get a great workout

Overall, I love the Pre-Workout Energizer, and use it as an additional, quick and portable option for my workouts.  Though I also love pretty much all the Vega Sport products, I have to admit that I am honestly not as much a fan of the sugar-free product, but perhaps that is the result of being accustomed to the flavour of the regular product.  I tried it again recently, blending it in a smoothie instead of straight:

My PWE smoothie.

- 1 organic pear
- ½ scoop unflavoured hemp protein powder
- 1 packet/scoop sugar-free açai-berry Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer
- 12 oz. (1½ cups) water
- 4 ice cubes
Seed and dice the pear.  Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Drink immediately.  Variation: replace the pear with a banana.

I did find that blending the product into a pre-workout smoothie helped the flavour.  Doing so on a regular basis, however, would probably negate any money saved by buying the cheaper sugar-free product.

Overall, if you're very busy and need a pre-workout energy solution that is portable and easy-to-consume, I highly recommend the Vega Sport line.  Choose whichever one is right for you.  

For those who like to plan ahead, and to save money, you can try to make your own simplified version to keep in your fridge:

- 1 Tbsp. organic yerba mate loose-leaf tea
- 4 cups hot water
- 2 tsp. raw honey or maple syrup
- a pitcher with lots of ice
- juice of 1 fresh lemon
Brew the loose-leaf tea in the hot water.  Add the raw honey (if using) to the steeping tea so it dissolves completely.  Steep about 15 minutes and remove or strain out the tea leaves, pouring the hot water into the pitcher filled with ice.  (This is the flash-chill method to make iced tea.  Alternatively, place the pitcher of freshly steeped tea in the fridge for several hours until cold.)  Stir and add more ice if needed until cold.  Squeeze the lemon juice into the pitcher.  Makes about 4-6 cups of iced tea, depending on how much ice you use.  Drink 1 cup as needed about half an hour before exercise.  Also great to improve alertness and focus throughout the day.

Now go and get the best out of your workout!

The advice in this article is not meant to replace the advice of your doctor or health professional.  Use caution when adding new supplements to your health regimen.  Vega Sport supplements are generally not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing, or for people under 18 years of age.  Always read the labels for product-specific contraindications.  Product info is also available online at http://myvega.com/.  I am not affiliated with the supplement company mentioned in this post and receive no compensation for my review.

September has Arrived: Nourish Your Busy Day with Oatmeal

With the end of summer comes the return to routine for many.  Your kids are going back to school, and your work schedule may change to fit.  Or you may be returning to teach or take classes of your own.  Things can get pretty hectic – and unfortunately, eating habits may suffer.  You may have already noticed that kids (and adults) who don’t get a good breakfast can have problems with learning, maintaining good behaviour and attention span, experience fluctuations in energy levels and mood, and diminished overall performance during the day.

But what do I mean when I say they don’t get a good breakfast?  This can mean they’re having a poor breakfast of too many sugary and artificially-flavoured/coloured/preserved food products, not enough food, or no food at all.

Let’s first look at the scenario where no breakfast is eaten.  When you first wake up, your body’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol begin to rise.  This leads to a release of insulin and a drop in blood sugar, in turn triggering hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin.  Once you eat, blood sugar and insulin levels should return to normal, and cortisol should come down as well.  If you don’t eat, cortisol remains high, blood sugar levels remain low, and insulin stores fat instead.  Translation: increased sensitivity to stress, low energy, and weight gain.

But it must be better to eat something instead of nothing, right?  

Yes – and no.  

Yes, because it balances the hunger-hormones and gives you energy to start your day.  No, because the type of food you eat is also important.  

Let’s say you start your day with a bowl of brightly-coloured, sugar-coated cereal in skim milk with a glass of fruit juice.  Because this breakfast is so sweet with little to no fat or protein, it causes a spike in blood sugar levels, and the insulin response produces a quick drop in those levels.  This means a spike in energy (the “sugar high”), and a crash soon after.  Not long after that, you’ll be hungry again, and probably sleepy, too.  In addition to the sugar, those brightly-coloured O’s are getting those colours from artificial chemicals such as tartrazine (yellow #5) and red dye, and the juice may contain preservatives like sodium benzoate.  These chemicals have been shown to produce a response in children that shortens attention span and may spur undesirable behaviour such as tantrums and defiance.  On top of that, there may be undiagnosed food sensitivities to some of the other ingredients in that breakfast – milk and wheat, for example, are ranked high among the top allergenic foods today – that can also contribute to behavioural fluctuations.

So what is a good breakfast?  And how can you make sure you and your family are getting it on these busy days?

A proper nourishing breakfast should consist of a balance of the macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  The carbs, as I already mentioned, are important for providing energy, while the protein and fat help sustain the release of that energy over a longer period.  Choosing complex carbs over sugary ones contributes to this sustained release.

A classic, easy-to-make example of a balanced breakfast is oatmeal made with nuts and seeds.  The oats provide soluble fibre, which is an easy-to-digest complex carb, while the nuts and seeds provide protein as well as healthy fats like omega-3, omega-6, and plant-based saturated fat.  Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook than rolled or “quick-cook” oats, and tend to be higher in nutrients like fibre, iron, and B vitamins, but quick-cook oats are still a good choice.  Check out my recipe for Banana Nut Bread Oatmeal to get some ideas.  Be sure to get plain organic oats, rather than the single-serve, sugar- and flavour-laced “instant” packets.  You can then control the toppings and create your own delicious, healthy oatmeal recipes.  That said, if you choose to go the “instant” route, choose organic varieties like Nature’s Path for a healthier packaged option.

If you want to get the goodness of oatmeal, but are still pressed for time in the mornings, try making oatmeal for yourself and your family in a slow-cooker overnight, or combine your ingredients in a jar and put it in the fridge to make it into a raw overnight cereal parfait that you can just grab-and-go. 

Some cafés have started offering their own individual cups of oatmeal with your choice of toppings so you can get it on-the-go.  If you go with this option, try to choose nuts or seeds as a topping, and either skip or go easy on sugary toppings like brown sugar, which you may receive in a packet that can contain upwards of a tablespoon of the stuff.  Instead, hit the milk bar and sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg, honey or cane sugar, even a splash of cream if you like.  If you're dairy-free, you may be able to ask the barista to pass you the soy or almond milk from behind the counter.

For those who are gluten-sensitive, -intolerant, or celiac, you may find that you tolerate certified gluten-free oats, which are becoming easier to find in grocery stores.  Bob’s Red Mill and Only Oats are a couple of brands to look for.

Other ways to get the goodness of oatmeal into your morning without making porridge:

-         Make breakfast cookies.  Stick to recipes that don’t call for much sugar.  I like Sarah Kramer’s recipe for Simple Oatmeal Cookies in her cookbook “La Dolce Vegan!” – I use blackstrap molasses instead of sugar and coconut oil instead of vegan margarine in this recipe.  The cookies come out flavourful but not too sweet.  Add dried cranberries or goji berries, shredded carrots, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and spices to make an easy morning treat.

-          Make oatmeal muffins.  Again, you can cram a lot of goodness into an unassuming oatmeal muffin.  Check out my recipe for Banana Chai Chocolate Chip Muffins for inspiration.

-          Add oats to a breakfast smoothie.  I like this Apple Pie Smoothie posted on the Vega website.  The flavours of fall in a cup!

You now have no excuses.   Get a good breakfast and go take on your day!