The Lovely Husband thinks I’m obsessed with cockroaches. He’d be right. If you’d had one drop off the ceiling and onto your shoulder while making lunch boxes at 6am, you’d be obsessed too. I don’t want them in my dishwasher, on my ceiling or sliding down my pyjama top. I don’t think moving the contents of the entire kitchen into the living room so that we could smog them without poisoning ourselves was an overreaction. I admit it might have been annoying, but finding roaches in your cornflakes is more than annoying. It’s repulsive. So there.Fortunately we have a few other breakfast options and this week we’ve been whipping up some high-energy smoothies. I’ve been doing a little running lately and have noticed a big improvement in my runs when I start the day off properly, rather than having half a piece of toast in the car. A high-energy smoothie needs fruit for carbs and also benefits from a dose of healthy protein. But as I try and stay away from heavily processed protein powders, finding a quick and easy option can be tricky. Fortunately, the Lovely Patrick at Miles has a solution the ground seed mixes by Linwoods.I often use ground seeds in smoothies, when I have them. It’s having them that’s the problem. It’s easy to buy ground flaxseed, but it’s been hard to find a variety. While ground flaxseed provides a healthy dose of Omega 3, other seeds are rich in Omegas 6 and 9 too, and your body will benefit from the full spectrum. Ideally, you would mix 1 tbs flaxseed or linseed and 1 tsp each of sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds. If like me, you’re too busy or not organised enough to have this ground and stored in your fridge, try the Linwoods mixes. They have a fantastic pre-ground flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and goji berry mix. It may seem expensive, but I’ve found it cheaper than buying all of the individual seeds and then grinding my own.You can add these seed mixes to smoothies for kids too (for the omegas, protein and fibre), but as flaxseeds have a laxative effect, start with just a little. You can also use the mix in yoghurt, pancakes and baking so it has a really wide variety of uses. Whatever you do though, store it airtight in the fridge once opened, as the delicate oils in seeds can go rancid very quickly when exposed to oxygen.Get up and Go breakfast smoothie:Ingredients:⅓ c milk or milk substitute (almond, oat, rice or soy)⅓ c fruit juice (choose a brand with no added sugar)½ banana⅓ c berries (e.g. blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Frozen is fine.)2 tbs ground seed mixFor the seed mix: Aim for 1 tbs flaxseed or linseed and 1 tsp each of sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds. All seeds must be unroasted and unsalted. Grind in an electric coffee bean grinder, food processor or in a pestle and mortar. Alternatively, use the Linwood mixes from Miles.The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbda[AT]gmail.com.