Eat Old Fashioned Oatmeal, not Instant Oatmeal

I used to be an instant oatmeal eater. It was convenient: rip it open, pour it into a bowl, add some liquid, microwave and ta-da! breakfast is ready all under 2 minutes. Then I learned how to make swiss muesli using old fashioned oats and my life was changed. It's just as fast and easy, but it tastes 100 times better! It keeps me full longer so I'm not starving before lunch and I can add a large amount of super foods to it to boost my health and body. I'm telling you, it's the bomb.

So what's the difference? Old fashioned oats (the actual rolled out kind that take a few minutes rather than a few seconds to cook) are minimally processed so they retain most of their original nutrition, providing you with a variety of vitamins and minerals and lots of fiber. They also slowly release into your bloodstream, providing you with level and sustained energy and helping you feel full longer. Instant oatmeal, on the other hand, is highly processed and often times loaded with sugar, therefore lacking nutrients and quickly elevating your blood sugar levels so that you feel energized quickly, but only for a short amount of time. Plus, they aren't nearly as filling! Making the simple switch from instant oats to old fashioned will make a big difference in your morning.

 Here's a fun and easy way: Homemade Muesli
*This can be made ahead of time in mass quantity and stored in your fridge for up to 5 days. Talk about an instant breakfast!

Basic Muesli Recipe
Soak a desired amount of whole old fashioned oats in water, almond milk, brown rice milk or organic whole milk for at least 5 minutes or overnight. ½ cup per person usually works well.

After soaking, add toppings, such as...
½ squeezed lime juice
Scoop of organic yogurt
½ to 1 cup of chopped fruit, any kind
½ to 1 cup of berries, any kind
A few shakes of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel
A few handfuls of seeds like chia, flax, sesame, sunflower or hemp
A handful of nuts of any kind
A tbsp or so of brown rice or hemp protein powder
coconut milk, oil or flakes
bee pollen or other super foods, green powders or phyto-food powders.

Mix it all together and eat immediately, or let it sit for 20 minutes and allow the flavors to blend together. The longer it sits, the creamier it gets. YUM!

Here is one of my favorite muesli combos:
1/2 cups whole old fashioned oats
Almond milk or rice milk to cover
1 tsp of flax.
1/2 lime squeezed on top,
1/3 apple, chopped,.
1/2 peach, chopped.
1/2 banana, sliced.
1 scoop organic whole yogurt (optional)
sprinkle of pecans or walnuts.
Sprinkle of dates (my favorite) or raisins or cranberries (make sure they're non-sweetened or apple juice sweetened).

Again, you can just maximize the sizes to make this last for multiple days and store it in your fridge.