To see the original article, please visit Habit: Healthy Breakfasts.

Why 17 days?

(Over) 17 days ago, I started a new habit.  I vowed to make a healthy breakfast each morning – a glass of green smoothie and a bowl of homemade, omega-3 packed oatmeal with fruit – even though eating breakfast has always made me feel hungry before lunchtime.

So, it’s been 17 days. How did it go?

Well, until the stomach bug hit (hence, the longer-than-17-days between the first healthy breakfasts post and this one), it went wonderfully. Each morning, I woke and blended up a pitcher of green smoothie, and I fixed myself a bowl of Shana’s Omega 3 Oatmeal with fruit. I made up the oatmeal mix in a large batch ahead of time and doled it out one cupful each morning to make it easier on my sleepy self. The smoothie, however, I didn’t. Since I enjoy different fruits in each smoothie depending on my mood, I figured, why not throw in a handful of whatever looks good at the moment? So, I did. Bananas, pomegranate, blueberries, apples, oranges, lemons, strawberries, pears, blackberries, dates, persimmons, watermelon – you name it, I blended it.

As expected, I felt hungrier earlier in the day; however, I had a store of energy that simply wasn’t available to me before! More things were cleaned. More words were written. More meals were cooked from scratch. I even got back into Tai Chi, something I truly love but haven’t been practicing much, recently, because I’d just been dragging so much. My goodness, this extra energy has been incredible! And it doesn’t just fade after breakfast time. It lasts all day.

Will I continue this habit of eating a healthy breakfast each morning?

Yes. Emphatically, yes.

Do I plan to make any changes?

Well, I’m thinking a mug of green tea might go nicely.

Also, on days I have to rush around, or days I don’t feel all that great, a bowl of my “instant” Omega 3 oatmeal and a few pieces of fruit work nearly as well. Other than that? No. Eating breakfast every morning has made an astounding difference in the way I feel throughout the day.  Did I expect it?  No, I really didn’t – certainly not to this extent!