Be It Resolved: Start The Day Off Right

You know you should start the day with a healthy breakfast but that often seems to take more time than you care to spend, or take away from another few minutes of blissful sleep.

That decision could be sapping your energy though, and also leads to over-eating later in the day.

The flax meal and flax oil in Dr. Merrell’s Morning Shake (recipe below) help with reducing your chances of heart disease, cancer, arthritis and stroke. Flax also helps clean the colon and helps give you skin a healthy glow.

The probiotic powder or liquid called for in the recipe helps with the development of your immune system, probiotics also help with your digestion of food and absorption of important nutrients.

Here is a fast, easy, delicious way to start the day:

Dr. Merrell’s Morning Shake

Serves two

1 ½ cups mixed frozen berries (or fresh cut pineapple or papaya*)

1 cup pineapple juice (or pomegranate or cherry juice)

½ cup water

¾ cup unsweetened soy milk or rice milk (for soy allergies use whey or organic brown rice protein powder**)

1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or turmeric)

1 heaping tablespoon flax meal

1 teaspoon flax oil

1 tablespoon probiotic powder or liquid***

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

* Can cut pineapple or papaya ahead of time and store in airtight container or bag in fridge for up to three days.

** Combine 2 heaping tablespoons of powder with ½ cup water (use instead of soy milk).

*** Make sure contains, at least, acidophilus and bifidophilus. Available in refrigerator section of most health food stores.

Nutrition per Serving

Calories: 193; Total fat (g): 5.2; Saturated fat (g): 0.6; Cholesterol (mg): 0.0; Monounsaturated fat (g): 1.1; Polyunsaturated fat (g): 3.5; Total carbohydrate (g): 33.3; Sugars (g): 21.3; Dietary fiber (g): 4.1; Protein (g): 4.6; Sodium (mg): 51.0

Excerpted from Power Up by Woodson Merrell, M.D. Copyright © 2008 by Woodson Merrell, M.D. Excerpted by permission of Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.