Most people would agree that starting the day with a healthy, well-balanced breakfast sets them up for a more positive day. You know, the kind of day where you keep the high-energy, healthy food momentum going instead of reaching for junk food or caffeine to get through the afternoon slump.
But what really is a healthy breakfast? If you’re reading this, chances are you already know what it’s not — the hundreds of varieties of sugar-laden, heavily processed cereals that line the breakfast aisle of your local supermarket. But what is it? Is it a hardboiled egg and turkey bacon? Is it plain yogurt and fresh fruit? What about a bagel and cream cheese? Is that healthy? The answer is that it’s not the same for everyone.
Each one of us is unique. There is no right or wrong diet or lifestyle that dictates what we should eat for breakfast (or any other meal!). There are only right or wrong choices to be made based on our individual genetic codes. If you’re a follower of The Blood Type Diet®, you already know that it’s your ABO blood profile — your blood type — that provides the key to understanding why yogurt is a perfect breakfast for some people (we’re looking at you Blood Type Bs) but not for others (Type Os – stay away!).
Get a great start to your day with these personalized nutrition breakfast tips.
Power up on Beneficials
The best way to start the day is with a meal powered up with “Beneficials” — foods that contain an enzyme known to react positively with the antigen of your specific blood type. Oatmeal, for example, is highly Beneficial for Blood Type A secretors, whereas Blood Type Os would be better off with a few slices of Essene bread (sprouted grain) with almond butter and a poached egg.
To find out which foods are Beneficial for your blood type (as well as which foods are Neutral and which ones should be avoided), The Official Blood Type Diet App is the perfect on-the-go companion. Or, if you prefer the experience of a book, our pocket-size Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists for each type make it easy to stay on track with your personalized nutrition plan.
Watch out for added sugar
No matter your blood type, avoiding added sugar is critical to overall health and wellness, especially as you start your day. Even if oats are a Beneficial food for your Type, oat-based meal replacement bars, marketed for health and convenience, can contain excessive amounts of sugar. It’s best to eat foods as close to nature as possible, but if you do go for a packaged food, be sure to read the label carefully.
Coffee or no coffee?
Like all foods and beverages, when it comes to coffee, your Blood Type matters. Type Os should try to eliminate coffee. This particular genetic makeup has plenty of stomach acid naturally and the increased levels from drinking coffee can have long-term effects on certain stress hormones. Green tea is a healthier alternative for Blood Type Os.
For Type As, however, coffee may actually be Beneficial. Its antioxidants and enzymes are practically custom designed for the Type A digestive tract and immune system. Although coffee doesn’t do any real harm to Blood Type B secretors, they are better off limiting beverages to herbal and green teas since the goal is to maximize performance, not to keep it neutral. For Type B non-secretors, coffee is an Avoid. Type ABs are also much better off replacing coffee with green tea. You can find categorization of coffee for each blood type on Dr. Peter D'Adamo's TypeBase Food Values page.
As an alternate to standard green tea, brighten up your morning (or any time of day) with Sip Right 4 Your Type® Tea, specially formulated to provide health benefits to each blood type.
Break out of your breakfast comfort zone
Most of us have been conditioned to think of a small group of foods as those appropriate for breakfast. From eggs to yogurt, from toast to granola, we tend to think of foods as either “breakfast foods” or “non breakfast foods.” But there is no reason that a salad couldn’t be a very satisfying breakfast. Or a bowl of miso soup or baked (but not smoked) salmon. Breaking out of your breakfast comfort zone could be just what you need to add a level of excitement or convenience (think leftovers!) to your morning routine.
Highly Beneficial foods that are compatible with your blood type help to clean and detoxify the body and keep it functioning at its very best. Keeping breakfast “Beneficial,” avoiding added sugar, knowing if coffee is Right 4 Your Type and trying new foods to keep breakfast interesting are surefire ways to start your day feeling great.
