Hi Afibbers. Had to miss a meal yesterday for cardioversion (back in NSR 🤞) hence my mind on breakfast this morning! Seeing as lifestyle change is central to Afib control and cure, I thought it would be interesting to share ideas on our first meal of the day and maybe how this has changed over time, and if its working for you.
So to kick off, breakfast used to be non existent or just a croissant grabbed on the way to work. Today it's muesli to which I add a couple of chopped walnuts and Brazil nuts, flax seed, half a banana or handful of berries, and a spoonful of full fat Greek yoghurt. Other days its porridge made with a spoonful of ground almonds, or blueberry pancakes. The extra protein does keep me full up til lunch, but wonder if it's slight overload!
Would love to know what others enjoy and if you think it has made any difference.
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Rainfern
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Hi Rainfern, here's my home made muesli recipe. Before eating this I start the day with a glass of orange juice, with a little water added. There was a time when I had bowel problems but not anymore! I have been using this recipe for about 2-3 years now,
1-2 heaped dessert spoons of Buckwheat flakes. Its not wheat, despite the name but a seed that's been rolled and looks a lot like porridge oats.
Half a teaspoon of ground flaxseed
Half a teaspoon of chia bia (ground chia seeds)
A good pinch of ginger, or cinnamon powder ( I alternate each day)
1-2 Dates chopped (I use one and a half)
1 dessert spoon of sultanas
1 dessert spoon of sunflower seeds
1 dessert spoon of pumpkin seeds
This is a recipe I made up myself and all the ingredients I use are organic, milk is lactose free semi skimmed from Sainsburys (I feel other makes don't taste as good, but any can be used). I'm actually looking for something natural and healthy to replace that milk with if anyone has any suggestions.
Put all the ingredients in a breakfast bowl and mix, add milk - quite a lot – it will look like too much. Microwave for 2 mins, take out and stir and add more milk if needed. Pop back in the microwave for another 2 minutes and again add more milk if needed. Mix and its ready to eat, should look a bit like an uncooked cake mix.
That looks delicious Jean and so healthy! Thanks for sharing. I love the idea of cooking everything up in the microwave. I guess that would make it more digestible too. I have some chia seeds I'd forgotten how to use, and snack on pumpkin seeds. Will text hubby now for buckwheat flakes - he's on route to wholefood shop!
Mid morning now and I've just eaten a banana and some strawberries. Don't usually have strawberries but they were 'taste the difference' and the price had been halved when I shopped yesterday and they were still in perfect condition (must shop in the afternoon more often). I snack on mixed nuts and because of my snacking my lunch and dinner are usually quite small.
Now here's the down-side of the perfect eater I'm portraying. Yesterday I also bought a bag of butter-mint sweets, ate over half the pack yesterday and will probably eat the rest today. Have just popped one in my mouth.
Mmm.. nice. I do like buckwheat flakes. I’ve been experimenting with making buckwheat bread and it’s OK. Very distinctive flavour that takes a bit of getting used to.
That sounds like a perfect breakfast to me ....eating all the right stuff!
Myself, my breakfast is usually the same every day......50g Tesco high fibre bran cereal plus peach or small banana with almond milk and a large coffee ! If I'm feeling fed up I will have 2 slices of wholemeal toast with butter spread and marmalade!!
Toast and marmalade is an essential occasional treat in my book! After buying a jar of ultimately gorgeous marmalade in a farm shop near Stroud, we spent the next year or two perfecting our own. Sadly this had to end with a largely sugar-free diet, but we still have a few old jars for treats!
Can't beat home made marmalade if you can get hold of the right oranges !
normally I’m a goody two shoes when it comes to breakfasts, porridge with apples, raspberries and a couple of chopped Brazil nuts. Yesterday however, having spent the night in a Premier Inn after a funeral, I tucked into an all you can eat cholesterol special and did I enjoy it, you can bet your sweet pippy I did!! 😂
My favourite go-to is overnight oats although it’s not alwayoats but a combination of any other kind of flaky grain, such as barley, rye, spelt, quinoa, millet, buckwheat. Always with seeds such as chia, flaxseed, sometimes hemp, always with nuts - almonds, walnuts, cashews etc, soaked in a plant milk overnight, with a plant yogurt for texture and protein, sometimes a scoop of plant-based protein if I feel I need it. There’s usually a banana, sometimes a dollop of nut butter. Always have a nice big glass of dairy kefir in the morning. In winter I like a savoury porridge especially when made with pinhead oats and lots of veg, sometimes lentils and beans. I can do a mean porridge curry too. It’s fab on a winters morning. In summer I do an apple Bircher with seeds, nuts, dried fruit etc. Other times, especially when husband is off work we have poached eggs, avocado and spinach. Occasionally I’ll make a smoothie with berries and veg, some chia and avo to thicken it up and a nice zingy piece of ginger to give it a kick.
Wow that sounds super healthy! I love the idea of cooking up all those mixed grains and buckwheat flakes but I never thought of making savoury porridge. That would take some courage on my part! I never add sugar, but sometimes put a small portion of pure cocoa in my porridge and serve with a spoon of peanut butter. Snickers porridge! Thanks for posting - lots of new ideas here.
It does have some probiotic bacteria but I don’t consider it a good source. I have to be careful with dairy products because it gives me an unpleasant episode of what I’ll politely describe as IBS-D so I need to stick to my tolerance limits. I can tolerate fermented dairy a lot better so I have milk kefir and sometimes small amounts of dairy yogurt. I can have a little bit of milk in a cup of tea now and then if I’m at a friend’s house or whatever, but if I was to have a milky coffee at a cafe, something like a latte, oh dear…
Growing up it was always something like egg on toast or mushrooms on toast etc before going to school. Got married, full time job and it was nothing as I got daughter off to school, packed lunches husband to work and myself into work for 8am. Then it was a coffee and cigarette breakfast before starting. Gave up smoking 18 years ago, early retirement 10 years ago but breakfast was still just coffee. For last few years it’s been fat free Greek yoghurt, blueberries, mango, strawberries, grapes. It’s more at elevenses than breakfast though as can’t face anything more that a cup of tea first thing.
I love the brunches my husband makes some weekends with egg and mushrooms on toast - but couldn't eat first thing these days. Retirement really does have its benefits. Greek yoghurt isn't Greek yoghurt to me unless it's full fat, but I make a big tub of Yeo Valley last a week. Great selection of fruit you eat.
Thank you. I love the full fat too but not when I’m trying to lose weight 😫. Need to lose about 20lbs. My one treat of the week is a bacon bap at our local country market. I don’t have spread and give half the bacon to my friend as you get loads.
I lost 3 stone over 2 years with the online "Second Nature" programme. I know we all find our own route, but what I loved about it was the approach to healthy fats (as in Greek yoghurt!) - fine in moderation Not free but you get qualified dieticians and it's NHS recommended.
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