Today’s article was meant to be about acne scars. I’ve had a few questions about how to prevent (don’t pick!) and heal acne scars just lately and I felt an article about it was way over-due.
However, I’ve recently become obsessed with these totally delicious pancakes and after enjoying them for breakfast again today, I just had to share them with you right now! But fear not, the acne scar article will be with you next week!
So, what did you have for breakfast today? Did you even have any breakfast at all?
The importance of breakfast
I’m sure you’ve heard it said… breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
To be honest, if you’re like me and absolutely adore food, then every meal is the most important meal of the day!
But breakfast is really important to set you up for the day ahead and to ensure you don’t fall into the blood-sugar roller-coaster trap of getting so hungry that you snack on the first hint of chocolate-y cake-i-ness you can find.
What is the blood-sugar roller-coaster?
Well, imagine mid-morning you start to feel a bit dull – tired, hungry, can’t concentrate – this is your blood sugar level at a low. So you have something to eat to curb your hunger before lunch time. Admit it, this snack is usually something sweet – a chocolate bar, cookie, cake, or something similar. This sudden influx of sugar to your system causes your blood sugar level to spike. This causes your body to panic because there’s too much sugar in your system and, inevitably, is followed by a crash when the sugar is all used-up and/or removed. And so the roller-coaster continues, up and down, high and low, spike and crash.
I know it’s a cliché of breakfast cereal marketing, but a good breakfast really can see you through to lunch time without the roller-coaster.
What should I have for breakfast?
Please, please, please steer clear of commercial cereals. These are packed full of refined sugars which will only enhance the roller-coaster of blood sugar levels which I mentioned before.
Not only that… excessive consumption of sugar has been linked to insomnia, hair loss, dizziness, ADD/ADHD, allergies, tooth decay, manic depression, break-outs and skin irritations (excessive sugar intake is a major cause of skin problems), cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, obesity, hypoglycaemia, type 2 diabetes, colon and pancreatic cancers… you get the idea.
I heard this once and I think it’s really good advice for those of us who aren’t sure what to look for (and avoid) when reading food labels… if the packet is brightly coloured and/or has cartoon characters, then you can safely assume that there are excessive amounts of sugar, additives and other nasties in the food.
What you do want is something filling but not too “heavy” – you don’t want to be sitting at your desk, unable to concentrate because your breakfast is sitting uncomfortably in your stomach. So try to avoid having too much “bread” – slices and slices of toast, croissants, pastries – and greasy fry-ups, as these can be difficult for our bodies to digest.
During the summer months I love a good homemade fruit smoothie or green juice – you get loads of great vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your body needs to function during the day, but because it’s a liquid breakfast, it’s easy for your body to digest.
But as we get into autumn, and definitely into winter, an ice-cold smoothie just doesn’t always cut it; I want something warm and comforting. That’s when I turn to my almond and banana pancakes (porridge, or poached or scrambled eggs with a slice of wholegrain toast are is also favourites).
Almond & banana pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned oats (80g)
1/4 cup ground almonds (35g)
1/2 – 3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 medium banana
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1/2 – 1 cup almond milk (250ml)
Method:
Grind the oats – I have a coffee-grinder attachment which came with my food blender and i use that, but you can probably use a regular food processor.
In a bowl, mash the banana using a fork or potato-masher. Add the vanilla, if using – I often forget to put this in and they still taste as great – and mix together.
Add the ground almonds, ground oats, baking soda, baking powder, and spices – I love cinnamon so I use 3/4 tsp, you can just use 1/2 tsp if you want it to be more subtle – and mix together.
You should have quite a thick mixture. Start adding the almond milk, a little at a time, and mix thoroughly to form a smooth mixture. The exact consistency is up to you, depending on how much milk you want to add, but it shouldn’t be overly runny. I tend to use close to a full cup of milk.
Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium heat and wipe with a piece of kitchen paper soaked in cooking oil.
Pour batter on the griddle in about quarter-cups – I don’t usually measure this exactly – this recipe make about 10 cakes. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. The edges with start to brown slightly and there will be a few bubbles.
Flip the pancakes over and cook for about 2 minutes until set.
Transfer onto a plate, add your toppings, and enjoy!
Toppings
These pancakes are perfectly delicious on their own but if you feel like experimenting with toppings then go for it!
I like a little drizzle of agave syrup (remember, even though it’s a natural alternative, this is still sugar so use it sparingly to avoid the roller-coaster), fruits and berries, or whatever else I have to hand.
What’s even better is that this pancake batter will last for a few days in the fridge. I make-up a batch at the start of the week and it tends to last me for 3 or 4 days, which means I don’t need to worry about what to have for breakfast each day. Or, you could cook a few extra and take them with you for a snack when you’re out and about.
Seriously, you’ve gotta try these! When you do, be sure to leave a comment below sharing your favourite topping and just how yummy they are! We also want to hear from you if you’ve got any other healthy breakfast secrets.
Until next time,
P.S. If you want to see what eating the right foods can do for your health, and the health of your skin, then join us for The Clear Skin Plan. You’ll get loads of great advice and information to help you heal your skin with food. You’ll get loads of yummy recipes too!