In 2009 I blogged about a spoonful of peanut butter for breakfast because that was my choice for the all-important first meal of the day, and I had nothing better to write about that morning than what I ate for breakfast. I then added half a banana to the mix and breakfast became a spoonful of peanut butter and half of a banana. I christened this my "Elvis Breakfast" for kicks.
Recently I read an online article, published by Redbook I believe, that discusses foods that can improve mood. The witty title of the article is "Happy Meals" and I found it to be an enlightening piece, especially for those of us trying to get a handle on stress, lousy moods, or anxiety and depression.
Desiring another tool for my arsenal against my own anxiety, I decided to make a conscious effort to incorporate some of these foods into my diet.
But wait, peanut butter is not on the happy list! "Okay," I thought, my breakfast plan is going to have to change. Peanut butter, I will miss you, but as it turns out, the first peppy food on the list is oatmeal and I like oatmeal. Another trick I've added to my repertoire of defensive against anxiety/depression is to cut out as many preservative-filled foods as possible. I had purchased the Weight Watchers brand oatmeal, but it left a strange after taste in my mouth (I could be wrong, but it probably contains aspartame or another sugar substitute), so I nixed the WW brand and switched to Mom's Best Naturals Better Oats brand. I stumbled upon this brand in the "Natural" section of my grocery store.
This oatmeal for breakfast routine was working very well, then I remembered another goodie on the good food list, walnuts, so I started tossing some walnuts in my oatmeal to liven up the party.
Even though I had embraced my new breakfast plan, I began missing my spoonful of peanut butter and my half of a banana in the mornings. Last week I had a flash of brilliance (which does not happen often): oatmeal and walnuts are good for the brain and the body, and peanut butter and bananas are good for the body (even if they failed to make the cut for the "happy list"), so why not marry them, creating a breakfast of ambrosial harmony?
So I did. My oatmeal is now sprinkled with walnuts and bananas, and I have a teaspoonful of peanut butter every other day with my oatmeal. Me, my oatmeal, my peanut butter, and my half of a banana are blissfully happy!
--Fortuitous Observer
