Peak Hour Rush: Breakfast

Breakfast. That all important first meal of the day that gets you up and running (literally if you're always late for the train like I am) for the day. But don't lie, you skip it. Regularly. Even worst? Your at desk "breakfast" of choice is most likely a coffee (soy latte to be exact). It's a horrible habit that greatly diminishes your brain power, energy levels and is damaging to your overall physical health. But like so many things that aren't good for us, we do it because it's easy and convenient and really time management is not my best skill set at 7am in the morning. 

So what's a resolve that does not compromise speed and ease or demand more time in the early morning rush to work? Pre-packed breakfast is your answer! If you're working full time in an office environment you should be packing lunch at least 3-4 days a week as it is. If you work in the CBD (city) as I do, buying lunch everyday makes coming too work more about spending money than earning it! So, if you're packing lunch the night before, you might as well pack breakfast as well. Best part? Pre-made breakfast is a much less demanding task than lunch. 

Tips 

> Breakfast on the go should be light and easy. Nothing rich and heavy simply because it'll make you too full and you'll be falling asleep at your desk rather than feeling energised and ready to take on the world!

> Pick relatively hassle free, low maintenance foods so that you can eat it on the train or at your desk in the office. Don't be embarrassed, because I can assure you, everyone around you is either completely empathetic (they're on the same train, most likely going into work too!) or completely jealous, they're hungry bellies growling.  

> If you're self conscious and want to be discrete, pick foods that don't have a strong smell. 

Fruit Salad & Organic Yogurt 

Make a big batch Sunday night and keep it in the fridge. You can snack on it during the week whenever you like, but it's amazingly easy to pack in Tupperware and take on the go to work. 

Breakfast friendly fruits may include, but are not limited to:

> Bananas 

> Blueberries

> Strawberries

> Lychee 

> Rockmelon 

I am currently obsessed with Five:am's organic yogurt range. Honey & Cinnamon is my weakness. It's thick, it's creamy and completely addictive. I have a preference for dipping my pieces of slice up fruit in it but you can also stir in some granola for a filling breaky! 

So let's do our best to get on, and stay on, that breakfast bandwagon! Don't let a busy schedule compromise a balanced lifestyle.

Chanel

A Smoothie a Day Keeps The Doctor Away

This is such a simple smoothie but it packs a serious punch! Admittedly I don't have the best immune system and I'm prone to colds and flu most winters. So when the boyfriend came down with a bad cold, a rare occurrence, I was pretty sure I was bound to be shot down next. In what I thought would be a fruitless preemptive attack, I tried to boost our intake of vitamins by throwing together this smoothie. 

Amazingly, it worked! The early signs of contagion I have felt were literally, yes LITERALLY, diminished the day after I skulled a bullet full of this stuff. Now, that said, although I made my boyfriend drink his share, it, as expected, did not cure his cold. However, he reported that his symptoms did not worse AND he actually didn't mind the taste of the smoothie. (The boyfriend was not crazy about being pulled onto my smoothie bandwagon at the beginning)

So no, this smoothie would be the miracle cure to all your aches and pains, but it will help to keep you from contacting all the yucky bugs lurking around this winter. I drank this daily and remained sickness free whilst looking after him and whilst working in a badly ventilated office, a breeding ground for contagions. 

What you need:

- Half a sliced banana

- 3 tablespoons blueberries 

- 2 tablespoons raspberries

- 1 heaped tablespoon Greek yogurt 

- Handful of kale

- Handful of spinach

- Coconut water

I used a magic bullet, but really any blender will do.

What to do: 

1. Throw the banana, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, spinach and kale into the blender. 

(TIP: preferably in that order as these heavier items will help push the kale and spinach into the blender blades, making for a smoother smoothie! Obviously if your blender is reversed, then reverse the process!)

2. Pour over the coconut water to just cover the ingredients. Depending on how you like the consistency of your smoothies, alter the amount of coconut water you include. (For a thicker smoothie, use less coconut water. For a thinner consistency, use more coconut water)

3. BLEND BLEND BLEND! 

4. Pour and serve!

TIP: I keep my blueberries, banana (pre-sliced) and raspberries in the freezer so that they double as ice cubes. This way my smoothies are perfectly cold and creamy!

Let me know if you give this recipe a go!

Chanel