Does my breakfast make me sleepy?

[MollyB]

While driving to work yesterday morning, I heard something on the radio about foods that make you sleepy. They listed my entire breakfast: oatmeal, flax seeds, almonds, bananas.

Every morning, I fix myself a bowl of oatmeal, lace it with maple sugar, sliced almonds, flax seeds, blueberries, and top it with a banana. Much of this is to address some health issues (high cholesterol), but I use the banana to try to give the breakfast some staying power.

I eat around 7:45 in the morning and am usually starving by 11:30, so the strategy doesn't work that well. I also have some thyroid issues that make me a somewhat sleepy person. BUT, could my breakfast be adding to this?

Does anyone know about foods that make you sleepy (other than the obvious TG turkey)?
Thanks!


Molly B

[Lori French]

Steel cut oats would be the best choice, any other oatmeal digests too quickly, makes your blood sugar soar then drop off and crash, drop the banana, it's full of sugar that makes you hungry and sleepy, substitute it with blueberries or other berries, maybe add some healthy fat like coconut oil to slow the digestion and keep you feeling full longer. Adding protein of any kind will help, including protein powder, to the cooked oatmeal. The almonds and flax seeds are great but may be not enough fat and protein....

Eggs keep me feeling awake and full longer than any other breakfast food....

[u]Lori</u>

[gr8fisch]

dittos. protein & carb, preferably vegie or sprouted ezekiel bread, nuts/nut butter, lo-fat ricotta w/toast or rice cake, hb egg & broccoli (had to get used to green things for breakfast). can't do oatmeal either, or typical white-stuff breakfast foods or starchy fruits.

keep movin'..the path shows up behind you...

[semmens]

Definitely add some protein....IMO it isn't so much specific foods that can make some sleepy, but more like fast-burning carbs that jack up and then drop blood sugar.

I used to eat oatmeal (steelcut or regular) mixed with cottage cheese (I also added cinnamon, flax or or ground flaxseeds, Splenda or a bit of brown sugar). Yep, it may sound gross to some but I swear it kept me full for hours. Perfect balance of P/F/C, for me anyway. When I find a raw milk CC or learn to make my own I will try it again.

Laura
O+ secretor

[Brenna]

try muesle. Here's the link to the recipe I posted earlier:

http://forum.t-tapp.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=50068

Also, If you wanted to use steel cut oats be sure and soak them overnight with 2 TBSP yogurt.

I hope that helps.

[MollyB]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I should have also said that I am severely lactose intolerant. So, no cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. Argh.

I have been eating the oatmeal as part of a strategy to reduce my (very) high cholesterol. So, even though I know eggs have been rehabilitated, I am still reluctant to eat them quite so regularly. I generally will have an egg breakfast once a week. A weekend treat.

To complicate things more, I generally follow a vegetarian diet, so I would not eat breakfast meat, and I also try to follow a whole foods diet, so I generally stay away from processed foods, although this can be a little challenging.

I haven't tried Ezekial bread, so perhaps I might look at that. Also, I could add coconut oil to my oatmeal and bump up the almonds. I will definitely deep-six the bananas after I eat the two I have left.

Any other ideas?

Molly B

Editing to say (sorry folks that I am being SO MUCH TROUBLE) that I don't eat much soy either because it doesn't support thyroid function. So, that leaves me with . . . . . . .???

[Lori French]

Some of the whey protein powder are soy and lactose free. I'm lactose intolerant and have no issues with it. Almond nut butter would also be a good stir in for your oatmeal, up the protein and fats....

[u]Lori</u>

[justkim]

Molly B.
Saw that you are trying to reduce your cholesterol. My husband has been taking Red Yeast Rice supplement. He has dropped about 20 points. Here is the website: http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Red-Yeast-Rice-600-mg-240-Capsules. I see that you're a vegetarian, not sure about the type of capsules used. Pretty sure the content is vegetarian. Hope this helps.

Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don't take it serious, Life's too mysterious...