Starting Your Day Right with a Healthy Hearty Breakfast with Elyse Kopecky

When you talk about meals, it's not uncommon to hear about breakfast being the most critical meal of your day. A healthy and hearty meal in the morning can give you the boost of energy you need to get going for the rest of the day. It can also sharpen your focus and increase your productivity. Of course, other than ending your fast, your morning routine can start your day right and keep it going well. This is something we learn from this episode's guest, Elyse Kopecky.

Elyse joins us to talk about the importance of mindfulness and wellness in your morning routine. In addition to knowing why you need a healthy and hearty breakfast, you'll learn the importance of movement and sunlight. She also talks about her upcoming book and her experiences writing it amid the pandemic. Mother, chef, and author, Elyse gives us a wonderful peek into food, writing, and her beautiful mornings.

Tune in to discover simple ways to have better mornings! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: 

  1. Prepare a great breakfast for you and your family with Elyse’s tips.

  2. Get to know how Elyse Kopecky makes the most out of her day as a busy mom. 

  3. Peek into Elyse's bestselling books and her upcoming release, Rise and Run.

Resources

    Episode Highlights

    Rise and Run In the Making

    • Rise and Run is much more than just a cookbook. 

    • In addition to breakfast recipes, the book includes tips about mindfulness and wellness. 

    • It was inspired by and written for athletes who need a full breakfast but are often too busy. 

    The Challenges of Writing

    • The unexpected start of the pandemic posed a significant challenge in finishing the book.

    • Elyse’s pandemic writing routine included writing in the early morning during quiet hours.

    • Halfway through the writing, her publisher decided to move up the deadline by six months. 

    • To help Elyse finish the book, her husband left his job to be a full-time stay-at-home dad. He quickly realized how challenging the role was.

    • Elyse advises working moms to do the most difficult tasks first as our brains are freshest in the morning. 

    Getting the Recipe Right

    • Elyse has an assistant who has been her recipe tester for seven years and all three cookbooks. 

    • In addition, she has a team of recipe testers who are beginner cooks.

    • Each recipe in the book gets tested multiple times to ensure that they are easy to follow — even for beginners.

    Easy-to-Make GRAB-AND-Go MealS

    • Superhero muffins are a staple at Elyse’s house. 

    • These grab-and-go meals are full of fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, and proteins — perfect for a healthy and hearty breakfast, lunch, or snack.

    • You can find 24 variations of superhero muffins in Rise and Run.

    Getting Kids to Eat Well

    • Elyse uses the same recipes that she’s sure her kids will eat and are familiar with.

    • Her youngest is picky about food, so Elyse has had to find ways to sneak in healthy ingredients.

    • For example, she makes smoothies with frozen steamed cauliflower, banana, and strawberries.

    On the Book Tours

    • She recently had a book tour in Chicago where she met great fans even amidst the difficulty of the pandemic.

    • It’s still difficult to organize an elaborate book tour because of the COVID restrictions. So, most of their events are going to be virtual. 

    What’s In Store for the Rest of the Year

    • Elyse is turning 40 and will be training for her first-ever marathon.

    • She’s also looking forward to her book launch in New York this November, alongside celebrating 21 years of friendship with Shalane Flanagan.

    Her First Marathon

    • Long-distance running isn’t Elyse’s forte.

    • Health, professional, and familial priorities led to her taking a break from running.

    • She feels great about training for the marathon, as it keeps her accountable. 

    Elyse’s Writing Process

    • Elyse writes first thing in the morning when her motivation is at its peak.

    • She makes it a practice to stay away from noise and other distractions such as her phone to increase her focus.

    • She warms up by writing the easier parts first before doing sections that take the most brainpower.

    • Her youngest is still in part-time preschool, so she only has a short window for writing. Having limited time helps her increase her focus and productivity.

    Food for Creativity

    • A guiding principle of Run Fast, Eat Slow is the benefit of healthy fats for the brain. 

    • Athletes often quickly deplete their food fuel, so they need nutrient-dense and heavy meals.

    • Elyse writes best after eating proteins and good fats for brainpower.

    • Little kids especially need a good, high-fat diet for their development.

    Elyse’s Morning Recommendations

    • Caffeine from either coffee or green tea is essential for Elyse.

    • She recommends walking or running in the morning. The sunlight exposure wakes up the body.

    • Even simply standing and getting sunlight can help wake you up and improve focus.

    The Next Nourish + Escape Retreat

    • Elyse hopes to have the next retreat in close quarters. However, she’s not too optimistic about the COVID situation.

    how Elyse Feels Radically Loved

    • Elyse didn't know someone could love like her youngest, Rylan. 

    • He makes her feel radically loved through his actions and words every day.

    5 Powerful Quotes

    [04:25] “The only way to have good energy the whole day is to eat a nutrient-dense, delicious nourishing breakfast."

    [09:54] "Your brain is freshest in the morning so stay off social media stay off email and just get the hardest thing done first."

    [22:50] "I think having a really short window time helps because it forces you to focus. You can't drag it out through the whole day." 

    [24:04] “A big part of the belief behind Run Fast Eat Slow is all of the healthy fats. And that is so important for brainpower. Our brain needs those good healthy fats to function optimally.”

    [26:53] “Even on days, when I don't have time to run, I'll just get outside and get that sunlight because that helps wake me up so that I can focus better.”

    About Elyse

    Elyse Kopecky is an author, nutrition coach, and inspirational speaker, passionate about encouraging others to live and eat healthily. Alongside Olympic medallist and marathon runner Shalane Flanagan, she co-authored two New York Times bestselling cookbooks: Run Fast Eat Slow and Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow. Now, Elyse spreads a healthy lifestyle and good food through their upcoming book, Rise and Run, and many other works.

    Elyse learned to create healthy, hearty meals for herself and her family of four. Her travels across the world introduced her to many amazing recipes to control and improve her health. Now, Elyse is happier and healthier and helps others to be the same.

    Interested in getting to know more about Elyse Kopecky? Visit her website. Check out her inspiring cookbooks and follow her on Instagram.

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    Rosie Acosta