How we start the day can make a huge difference to metabolism, mood, and energy. Consistency in eating routine is incredibly important for healing gut or hormone issues. Intermittent fasting is a weight-loss trend that has gained a lot of popularity in the past decade, and many practice it by skipping breakfast. However, recent research has shown that intermittent fasting can negatively affect reproductive hormones in women, leading to other health issues. The importance of eating breakfast for maintaining stable weight and metabolism has been shown in many scientific studies.

Consistently eating breakfast is a good first step to caring for your mind and body.

Still, we need to think about what we eat. Common breakfast options like cereals or pastries are sugary carbs that lack the beneficial protein and fiber needed to stabilize blood sugar levels. Stabilizing blood sugar with balanced meals is important to maintaining consistent energy throughout the day, reducing cravings for carbs/sugar, preventing overeating, and supporting mental health. Imbalanced blood sugar has been linked to increased anxiety, depression, and stress responses. Thus, starting the day with breakfast including fiber, fat, and protein is an important foundation for energy and mood stability throughout the day.

Porridge is a great breakfast that is eaten in some form by almost every culture in the world, from rice porridge (congee) in Asia to kasha (buckwheat porridge) in Eastern Europe to corn porridge (grits) and oat porridge in Western countries. The simplicity of cooked grains make porridge an incredibly versatile breakfast that is easy to digest.

This porridge recipe adds ghee or coconut oil (healthy fat) as well as flaxseed/chia seed and other nuts (fiber/protein) to balance blood sugar, which keeps energy and mood more stable throughout the day. The fat also gives the porridge a delicious creaminess. While fats have gotten a bad rep because of many fad diets, high-quality fats like coconut, olive, and avocado oils; ghee; and nuts are great for stabilizing blood sugar and providing sustained energy, which can aid in weight loss and curing gut issues like candida. Additionally, this porridge is made with soaked oats, which are easier to digest because the soaking breaks down the anti-nutrients present in the grains. You can also experiment with using a combination of grains or making a savory breakfast porridge.

Find porridge inspiration from different food cultures here and download the recipe for oat porridge below.