My favorite brain-healthy breakfast
A staple in our household: my favorite, super quick, brain-healthy breakfast that combines the crunchiness of toasted bread with the sweetness of raw honey.
This recipe provides a good amount of dietary fiber, healthy vegetable fats, and sugar from the naturally anti-bacterial honey, while keeping an eye on the glycemic index. Of relevance for brain health is the use of coconut oil vs. more traditional butter or margarine.
Though coconut oil was believed by many to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, research shows that the fat in coconut oil is unique and different from most all other fats and is now gaining recognition as a nutritious health food.
In a nutshell, the difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of fatty acids. There are two scientific methods of classifying fatty acids:saturation, and fatty acid length.
According to the first method, saturation, there are saturated fats (like butter) ,monounsaturated fats (like olive oil), and polyunsaturated fats (like the omega 3 fats in salmon). "Saturated" means that these fat molecules are saturated with hydrogen molecules (see picture below: C= carbon, H = hydrogen). Which is why butter is solid at room temperature - that’s typical of saturated fats. Saturated fats are believed to be bad for you because they raise the level of cholesterol in your blood, therefore increasing risk of heart disease and stroke.
Coconut oil — which, like butter, is solid at room temperature, is also a saturated fat. So by some measures, it might be suspect. But that’s not the whole story.
The other classification system is based on the length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist of chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached (see picture above: C = carbon, H = hydrogen). According to this method, there are short-chain, medium-chain, and long-chain fatty acids.
The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated, whether they come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids. There is increasing evidence that medium-chain fat molecules don’t have a negative effect on cholesterol, and can actually help to lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease, which in turn increase risk of dementia.
There is some confusion over whether breakfast is, if not the most important, at least an important meal of the day.
Many people wolf down several slices of commercial white bread or pastries in the morning (beware of refined flour, it’s nutritionally empty and will do nothing to support your digestive tract) while drinking processed orange juice (e.g. all sugar).
I wouldn’t recommend having a nutritionally empty, heavy breakfast, but the opposite may be just as bad for you.
Many people skip breakfast altogether in favor of a cup of coffee with tons of added sweeteners, artificial flavorings and creamy products. Many observational studies have found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight, possibly because they more than make up for the missed calories in the morning by eating more at lunch or snacking during the day. This may not be true for everyone though, and everybody is different.
So if you, like me, need something sweet to start the day, this is a great way to satisfy your needs and support your body and brain health at the same time.
Just keep in mind that sugar is sugar, and fat is fat. A little of both goes a long way. And as simple as the recipe is, the quality of the ingredients is what really makes a difference:
1x slice vegan, sprouted whole wheat bread (my favorite brand is Alvarado Street Bakery)
1 teaspoon local raw honey. I usually get the Clover, creamed honey variety from the Farmers’ market. Manuka honey is another great option - you can find it in any proper Health Food store.
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil
Toast bread. Spread honey.
Spread coconut oil on top. Coconut oil is liquid at room temperature but becomes solid if you put it in the fridge (as in the picture). In that case, just scrap a little with a knife and wait till it melts.
I always have a cup of green tea or herbal tea for breakfast too