Now that I’m over 50, I’ve become more aware of the insidious effects of sarcopenia:the age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. You gradually begin losing muscle mass and strength sometime in your 30s or 40s. This process speeds up between the ages of 65 and 80. Rates vary, but you may lose as much as 8% of your muscle mass each decade.
Wow.
One of the things I’m doing to take care of myself is through paying attention to best practices to deal with this: resistance exercise and a healthy diet, including adequate protein intake.
That’s why as well as taking up running again, I’m also throwing in strength exercises too.
All this leads up to my main question this week: What do you eat for breakfast on weekdays?
I try to get a good balance of macros with a reasonably healthy start, with a decent dose of protein through varying across two different options (weekends can be more varied, and usually features eggs):
A reasonably healthy muesli with various seeds and nuts (not a fan of fruit in muesli), supplemented with extra slivered almonds, hemp hearts and chia seeds, with a generous serving of natural yoghurt.
A premixed golden syrup / honey porridge with milk (not ideal I know, but trying to minimise mess and prep time with kids to get out of the house and a dog to walk too), supplemented with hemp hearts, chia seeds and a tablespoon or two of powdered peanut butter (concentrates the protein, reduces the fat compared to regular peanut butter).
I’ll usually have a cup of black tea with a little milk, and my first coffee usually doesn't happen ‘til 8am or later.
So, I’m curious: What are your regular weekday breakfast options?
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I alternate between 2slices of toast one with peanut butter and the other jam and porridge made with water with added milk and a wee bit of brown sugar. More often toast because it’s quick when I’m often last in for bench space. I can’t have too much nuts and other stuff as it upsets my tummy.
I think I'm going to follow-up on your suggestion of going a more raw oat form but pre-soaking them with milk overnight. Easier digestion, but less junk.
Breakfast pre June 2021 always consisted of tea and a boiled egg sometimes with sourdough soldiers.
And then the worst year happened I had a traumatic accident in late June 2021 resulting in a brain bleed, head Injury , concussion and broken shoulder! What’s that got to do with the slice of bread you ask?
Having been a vegetarian by default for 22 years (husbear is the most amazing vegetarian chef) I had major cravings for fish - omega 3 calling I’m thinking?! So I kid you not 2 weeks after my accident, after a stint in Auckland hospital. For breakfast I would have 250g of
smoked salmon! On its own initially and then found Piha horseradish (Omg) to accompany the fish. That was breakfast for a year well literally up to leaving New Zealand in May for a stint in the UK. I’m back to leafy Mt Eden in October later this year.
I’m not qualified enough to give a medical diagnosis to why I did this? but I honestly think it was my brain saying I need some healing and salmon is the way to go! There were many unusual food and drink choices after the brain injury ha but that’s another story! Fish are friends not food - yeah right! :)
Oh gosh, Paul - that sounds terrible. I hope you're recovering well now. Interesting how our bodies can often signal its needs quite clearly, if we can tune in and listen. It seems like you most definitely did in the breakfast desires you described. That's a lot of salmon! I'll be back in London with my eldest daughter from last week in Sept to mid-Oct - she hasn't seen her grandparents since she was 8. Will plan a bigger trip when airline routes give us a bit more choice, and we can replenish travel funds again.
I am doing really well a year on. I put the hard yards in (physio, concussion physio and various other words ending in ology and therapy). I forgot to mention I am 54 and religiously use resistance bands now as part of my ongoing recovery. The silver lining!
Yes a similar path to you. I return to NZ in October, replenish funds ready for May 2023 UK for my Mothers 90th. I travelled Air NZ to San Fransisco. For the first time Virgin Atlantic to Heathrow. I’d recommend that route, very enjoyable flights.
Good to hear re: your rehab and recovery, Paul. I did UA from LA to Heathrow and a mediocre Air NZ flight to LA in April. The UA leg was surprisingly pleasant. So much so, that we will repeat the route, with hopefully a better Air NZ experience. Have done that leg on Virgin before though - a few years ago. Was a good service, I agree. We are coming back via Cathay Pacific, transiting via Hong Kong. This is the leg I'm most nervous about.
Sarcopenia. I didn't like reading that word much. I'm also over 50, nearing 60 and I'm not finding it as easy to age gracefully like I intended in my 30s.
But I did find your focus on eating healthy and exercise somewhat validating - as these are two areas I've tried to keep better habits over the past 10 years. I just want to be as agile as I can for as many years as I can basically.
So your question - what is our regular weekday breakfast?
Over the past years (up until a few months ago) I generally have had similar to you.
Porridge or homemade muesli (oats, rice flakes, chia seeds, flax seeds, ground other seeds and nuts, dates, ginger, hemp hearts, dried apple or apricots and any other thing that I like for a change).
I try alternate which types of milk, sometimes I add yogurt.
Last year I kept getting stomach and digestion difficulties so I tried variations of the porridge to try to figure out what was causing the problems. Couldn't work it out as there seemed no consistency so I gave up trying to eat healthy breakfast and resorted to what I used to eat years ago (x2 pieces of vogels bread with butter and marmalade with short black coffee. Yum. With large glass of water - sometimes add in lemon juice, honey and ginger.
But I've been thinking lately I can't keep this breakfast vacation up forever so your email has inspired me to try returning to the porridge - which also has the added bonus of getting my daily bike ride into the Refill Nation sustainable grocer for the ingredients.
I have been wondering more lately though that a certain type of laughing might be required to help the exercise and food process with fullest potential.
Hi Maria - glad you found it validating. You may find my post coming up tomorrow interesting too. And glad you are back experimenting with porridge again. I may try going back to a more raw form soon too. As far as laughing goes, I do try to find a lighter side as we go through the day. Some days are easier than others. If all else fails, I'll find a podcast that helps to lighten my mood. And yes, I think this, as a daily practice, is vital for me. But I draw the line at laughter yoga https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/laughing-yoga
I alternate between 2slices of toast one with peanut butter and the other jam and porridge made with water with added milk and a wee bit of brown sugar. More often toast because it’s quick when I’m often last in for bench space. I can’t have too much nuts and other stuff as it upsets my tummy.
I think I'm going to follow-up on your suggestion of going a more raw oat form but pre-soaking them with milk overnight. Easier digestion, but less junk.
Kia Ora from the UK.
Breakfast pre June 2021 always consisted of tea and a boiled egg sometimes with sourdough soldiers.
And then the worst year happened I had a traumatic accident in late June 2021 resulting in a brain bleed, head Injury , concussion and broken shoulder! What’s that got to do with the slice of bread you ask?
Having been a vegetarian by default for 22 years (husbear is the most amazing vegetarian chef) I had major cravings for fish - omega 3 calling I’m thinking?! So I kid you not 2 weeks after my accident, after a stint in Auckland hospital. For breakfast I would have 250g of
smoked salmon! On its own initially and then found Piha horseradish (Omg) to accompany the fish. That was breakfast for a year well literally up to leaving New Zealand in May for a stint in the UK. I’m back to leafy Mt Eden in October later this year.
I’m not qualified enough to give a medical diagnosis to why I did this? but I honestly think it was my brain saying I need some healing and salmon is the way to go! There were many unusual food and drink choices after the brain injury ha but that’s another story! Fish are friends not food - yeah right! :)
Oh gosh, Paul - that sounds terrible. I hope you're recovering well now. Interesting how our bodies can often signal its needs quite clearly, if we can tune in and listen. It seems like you most definitely did in the breakfast desires you described. That's a lot of salmon! I'll be back in London with my eldest daughter from last week in Sept to mid-Oct - she hasn't seen her grandparents since she was 8. Will plan a bigger trip when airline routes give us a bit more choice, and we can replenish travel funds again.
I am doing really well a year on. I put the hard yards in (physio, concussion physio and various other words ending in ology and therapy). I forgot to mention I am 54 and religiously use resistance bands now as part of my ongoing recovery. The silver lining!
Yes a similar path to you. I return to NZ in October, replenish funds ready for May 2023 UK for my Mothers 90th. I travelled Air NZ to San Fransisco. For the first time Virgin Atlantic to Heathrow. I’d recommend that route, very enjoyable flights.
Good to hear re: your rehab and recovery, Paul. I did UA from LA to Heathrow and a mediocre Air NZ flight to LA in April. The UA leg was surprisingly pleasant. So much so, that we will repeat the route, with hopefully a better Air NZ experience. Have done that leg on Virgin before though - a few years ago. Was a good service, I agree. We are coming back via Cathay Pacific, transiting via Hong Kong. This is the leg I'm most nervous about.
Nervous to be in HK or a nervous flyer?
Great flyer. It’s def about HK and avoiding a quarantine stay. We are transiting through and should be fine ….
Sarcopenia. I didn't like reading that word much. I'm also over 50, nearing 60 and I'm not finding it as easy to age gracefully like I intended in my 30s.
But I did find your focus on eating healthy and exercise somewhat validating - as these are two areas I've tried to keep better habits over the past 10 years. I just want to be as agile as I can for as many years as I can basically.
So your question - what is our regular weekday breakfast?
Over the past years (up until a few months ago) I generally have had similar to you.
Porridge or homemade muesli (oats, rice flakes, chia seeds, flax seeds, ground other seeds and nuts, dates, ginger, hemp hearts, dried apple or apricots and any other thing that I like for a change).
I try alternate which types of milk, sometimes I add yogurt.
Last year I kept getting stomach and digestion difficulties so I tried variations of the porridge to try to figure out what was causing the problems. Couldn't work it out as there seemed no consistency so I gave up trying to eat healthy breakfast and resorted to what I used to eat years ago (x2 pieces of vogels bread with butter and marmalade with short black coffee. Yum. With large glass of water - sometimes add in lemon juice, honey and ginger.
But I've been thinking lately I can't keep this breakfast vacation up forever so your email has inspired me to try returning to the porridge - which also has the added bonus of getting my daily bike ride into the Refill Nation sustainable grocer for the ingredients.
I have been wondering more lately though that a certain type of laughing might be required to help the exercise and food process with fullest potential.
Hi Maria - glad you found it validating. You may find my post coming up tomorrow interesting too. And glad you are back experimenting with porridge again. I may try going back to a more raw form soon too. As far as laughing goes, I do try to find a lighter side as we go through the day. Some days are easier than others. If all else fails, I'll find a podcast that helps to lighten my mood. And yes, I think this, as a daily practice, is vital for me. But I draw the line at laughter yoga https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/laughing-yoga