A good day is a lot of things: it could begin with a nice dream, a great light entering your room, a wonderful conversation, good news, a good cuppa or if we talk about my life; when I know I have a good breakfast awaiting me. Food plays a major role in my life. It is the deciding factor for the flow of my day and how my mood will be.
Since very early in our childhood, we were taught and trained to love breakfast; simply because, it is the first meal that we relish right after waking up. After a long all-night hiatus. It is the first bite of proper food that we enjoy as we wake up; so, we were always taught to make sure it is a good one, a nutritious one. Food that not only satiates your hunger, but also your soul!
Whether it is a big day at work, or a pumped-up day with the family. Whether you are in your home city or out on a vacation; breakfast is the meal that gives you the energy boost you need to get through the day. Some people choose fruits, some people go for the usual cereal bowl, and some like me, prefer a spread of various items – whether its eggs and toast, put together with a bowl of porridge or a few bites off an Indian breakfast; it tastes as good as heaven in the morning!
Try to run an experiment with yourself. Take a few days. Each day, make a different decision on your breakfast. One day wake up, and don’t eat anything until lunchtime. The next day, choose to go with a bowl of cereal and some freshly squeezed juice. On the third day, choose a heavy breakfast; probably some pancakes, a paratha and some eggs to go!
Observe how you feel on each day. The energy levels that you gain from each day, the mood you are in on each day, and how you welcome your lunch on each day. It will show you all the difference there is!
My love for nutrition began when I ransacked every store for a good snack for my children for their post-playtime hours in the evening. I scanned every nutrition label, every ingredient, but was never satisfied. Thus, I decided to fix up a few snack items on my own for their consumption; it began with energy bars and laddoos, and then went on to the mini-bites and cereal mixes. My love for breakfast stepped into this venture and my cereal mixes have been a hit ever since!
Most people think cereal can only be had with milk. Well, sorry to have to correct you, my friend. Cereal can be had with a fresh glass of juice, as a topping on a fresh salad, as the base of a bhel or simply just as a pop in your mouth snack. It all depends on how innovative you can be with your meal. For me, I would even consider my millet cereal as a rice supplement and enjoy it with a bowl of dal or sambhar! The additional nutrition never hurt anybody!
Today, whether it is a muffin, a sandwich, a breakfast taco, a bowl of upma or simply just a plate of chopped fruits; my heart flutters at the sight of a breakfast table. My soul smiles on the inside, my brain charges up and my eyes twinkle! Nothing makes me happier than the sight of nourishment first thing in the morning!
I also believe, that while we embrace the opportunity to enjoy a breakfast, when many others cannot, we must also be mindful of the way we enjoy it. Do not spoil your breakfast experience with work on the side, or with some reading, or anything that takes your attention away from the food at hand. Chew slowly, look at the colours on your plate. Enjoy every taste, every zing. The textures of the food in your mouth; the way it changes the way you feel every moment!
Simply live in the moment, is my advice to everyone around me. Feel good. Do whatever makes you feel good. Life is short, make sure you have breakfast!
Written By Gouri Gupta
Week 48, November ’20
