I'm a Morning Person, Sunrise, Coffee and Breakfast

My facebook friends know that pretty much every morning except for Shabbat, Jewish Holidays and fast days, even when not home, I manage to post a #morningcoffeehaiku. My computer photo gallery is full of pictures of sunrise, coffee and breakfast.

When I was growing up, a gazillion years ago, in America, parents were instructed that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. It worked for me, and I've always made a point of making sure that my kids had a good breakfast before leaving home for school, play etc. To this day I can't imagine not having breakfast. I don't function without it.

Until recently when American style breakfast cereals succeeded in marketing themselves here in Israel, most Israelis had nothing at all for breakfast. They relied on "aruchat esser," the "ten o'clock meal." Parents packed a sandwich, sometimes with nothing more than chocolate spread on the bread, and a fruit. That was the standard in the 1970's when my older children were growing up. Of course I gave my kids cheese or peanut butter in their sandwiches, never chocolate spread. And they always ate a proper breakfast before leaving the house, even when it meant that they just got some fruit for "aruchat esser." One nursery school teacher was furious with me; she insisted that "aruchat esser" was more important than breakfast.

As I've blogged, my breakfasts have varied over the years, but one thing I must have is a protein, even if it's nuts on the run. For some reason, my vegetable omelets just aren't doing the trick of late, because I immediately crave fruit or something sweet. So, I now have fruit as part of my breakfast. Sometimes, when I know that I'll be eating again soon, I just have a fruit with a bit of yogurt. And then I can have a vegetable omelet for lunch or even dinner.

When I was seriously dieting and managed to lose about 15 kilo, over thirty pounds, I sometimes had vegetables and fish for breakfast. Eating a large nutritious meal in the morning made it much easier to resist temptation during the long day.

And don't forget that I actually don't start the day with coffee. I drink close to a liter of water, sometimes with freshly squeezed lemon juice and ice. I drink the same before going to bed. My morning coffee adds another liter or more of liquid to my body, which is why I must have a couple of hours at home before going any place. Only when my body "empties of old food" do I have breakfast. I firmly believe that this promotes good health! And, yes, it's a reason I must get up early in the morning or I'd never get out before noon.

What's your morning food and liquid routine?