I fondly remember my mother reminding me each morning how important breakfast was as she lovingly prepared this meal religiously for my sisters and I.
We were never allowed to leave the house without it. I was raised in the 40′s and 50′s and was not offered breakfast cereals until about the 5th grade when they began appearing in stores. We loved them and I also loved reading all of information on the boxes (not the nutritional information however) and looking for the prize that was always inside the box.
It was not until I was raising my own children that I began to realize how much sugar was in those boxes and only allowed Cheerios, Shredded Wheat and Grape Nuts into the pantry. It was much later that I began to see better options appear on the shelves (at a much higher price I might add) and Kashi was one of the brands I purchased simply because I believed in their labeling.
According to Wikopedia, in April 2012, a grocer in Rhode Island found out Kashi, an American food company purchased by Kellogg’s in 2000, used genetically engineered, non-organic ingredients. The store pulled Kashi products from the store’s shelves, posted the sign displayed on the shelf that stored the Kashi products, describing why they removed the cereal, and later posted pictures and notification through social networking tools.
Some customers began to call into question Kellog’s use of the term “natural” used on Kashi product labels. Kashi’s general manager responded by stating, “The FDA has chosen not to regulate the term ‘natural.’ (The soy in Kashi cereals comes from soybeans that have had a gene inserted to protect the soybeans from the herbicide Roundup, which kills weeds). Many consumers, including myself, did not want genetically-modified foods in their cereal and were reacting to the company’s lack of transparency regarding this issue.
This morning I read an article that stressed even more important news about how we begin our day. It emphasized the amount of sugar and hydrogenated fats that are in the cereals particularly being marketed to our children. Just as my mom emphasized the importance of breakfast all of those years, I don’t think she had in mind a bowl of cereal with as much or more sugar than that of a candy bar. And often these cereals are eaten any time of the day or night. I noticed that in the list of recommended cereals, my choice of grape nuts for my children was included. That gave me a little comfort!
I actually choose to stay away from cold cereals as much as possible. If I eat cereal at all anymore it is a steaming bowl of nutritious oatmeal. My choice is usually a shake with tons of protein, ( with no gmo), so I feel full, leucine (the amino acid that signals the body to preserve muscle during weight loss). so I don’t lose muscle, and a creamy flavor so I enjoy it with all the benefits of a meal that tastes like dessert! It’s fast, and gives me 24 grams of protein to help control my hunger and helps me feel full. I prepare mine with Almond Milk but my husband prefers his mixed with cold filtered water, kale and organic frozen pineapple, a great way for him to get his greens!
What about you? What helps you keep focused and energized all morning? If you are interested and would like a sample of my non-GMO shake (Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, or Cafe-Latte) contact me and I will send you one to try.
I recently read the book, The Food Revolution ~ How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World and found the information to be carefully researched and life-changing. I thought, if every patient in every doctor’s office read this book, it could revolutionize the health of America.
