Hey, guys. It might be a bit difficult at first to wrap your new anti-cancer brain around this one, but you’ll get used to it:

Ditch the carbo-centric b-fasts.

No more filling up on cereals, breads, even whole grains. (Ok, you could have ½ cup slow-cooked steel oats with berries and a sprinkle of nuts. Or better yet, oat bran.)

The problem with carbs is that they’re full of sugars–complex ones, mind you, but they still stimulate your pancreas to produce insulin, which ushers the sugars into your cells.  And insulin’s been linked to the growth of some cancers. (More on that in a future post.)

The solution: Protein. A little fat is good, too. Both slow down the release of sugars. Plus, they help you feel full.     

Want something quick and buttery? Try quinoa—even the flakes, stirred a few minutes in boiled water and enhanced with a dash of salt. For a splurge, add a dab of organic, grass –fed butter. Technically, quinoa’s a seed, not a grain, and it’s still got some carbs, but it’s also a complete protein.    

Some other breakfast ideas to get your lettuce-wrap-with-tempeh brain around:

•Nut butter or tahini on slices of apple, pear, jicama (Goes well with your quinoa)

•Hummus, tomatoes and piles of sprouts, in or on celery sticks or cukes (Ryvita crackers will also do– 3 max/meal, assuming no other carbs.) 

•Breakfast burrito with side of salsa

•Salmon patties (Did you make a batch this week?) with Mideastern salad– or last night’s leftover fish 

•Tofu scramble with veggies and turmeric

•Mung bean soup with onions galore

Have you other ideas for protein-packed mornings? Send in your comments. Loads of anti-cancer breakfast recipes are coming this fall in Eat and Beat Cancer’s ™  digital guide and cookbook. Watch our Eat and Beat Cancer ™  Facebook page for details.