The Savory Drink That Breaks My Fast Every Day

We are living in the golden age of protein powders and collagen supplements. Every wellness influencer has a tub of something vanilla or chocolate flavored on their counter, sweetened with stevia or monk fruit….UGGGG. Every Instagram ad promises that this particular blend of grass-fed whey or plant-based pea protein will transform your body in thirty days. The market is saturated, the claims are enormous and most of what is being sold is sweet, processed and frankly sickening.

You all know that I am not a smoothie person. I know that is almost heretical in the wellness world where the green smoothie has become as sacred as a morning meditation, but sweet drinks, however virtuous their ingredients, have never felt right to me as a meal. I do not want to drink dessert at noon. I want something that tastes like food.

What I make instead is a warm, deeply savory, extraordinarily nutrient-dense cup of powders that breaks my overnight fast and gives my body everything it needs to carry me through the afternoon with genuine energy and not a single craving in sight.

It took me a while to arrive at this particular combination. Each ingredient found its way into my cup for a specific reason and together they have become something I look forward to every single day.

I have practiced intermittent fasting naturally for most of my adult life, long before it had a name or a following. My body simply does not want food in the morning. I start the day with hot lemon water, movement and quiet. The hunger arrives around noon and when it does I want it to mean something and break my fast with something that genuinely nourishes me at the cellular level rather than something that spikes my blood sugar and leaves me hungry again an hour later.

This drink does that. It is protein-rich, collagen-dense, loaded with B vitamins and minerals and it is completely and satisfyingly savory. It breaks my fast gently, feeds my gut supports my joints and my liver and my neurological function and keeps me full and clear-headed until a proper meal in the late afternoon.

Brewer's yeast is one of the most complete nutritional supplements available and one of the most underappreciated. It is rich in the full spectrum of B vitamins, which are involved in almost every neurological and metabolic process in your body, from energy production to mood regulation to cardiovascular health and to the detoxification pathways that keep my liver functioning well.

I carry the MTHFR gene variant, which affects my body's ability to process and methylate B vitamins properly, particularly folate and B12. People with the MTHFR variant need to be deliberate about their B vitamin intake and need to choose forms that are already methylated and bioavailable rather than the synthetic folic acid found in most supplements.

Brewer's yeast provides B vitamins in their natural food form, which my body can actually use. It also contains chromium, which supports healthy blood sugar regulation, particularly important when breaking a fast and selenium, zinc and a complete amino acid profile. It tastes deeply, satisfyingly savoury in a way that makes it perfect in a hot drink or sprinkled in a salad, added to soup or on eggs.

If you grew up in Australia or New Zealand you know exactly what Vegemite is and you probably have strong feelings about it! Vegemite is a savoury yeast extract, intensely flavored, deeply umami and also packed with B vitamins including folate. A small amount goes a long way and it transforms a warm cup of powders into something that tastes genuinely like a meal rather than a supplement.

CurEase beef liver powder is, without question, one of the most nutrient-dense protein based foods on the planet. It contains highly bioavailable iron, the kind your body actually absorbs, unlike the iron in most supplements along with vitamin A, B12, CoQ10, folate and a broad spectrum of minerals that support energy, immunity and neurological function. Traditional cultures around the world prized liver above all other organ meats for exactly this reason. We have been told to fear it for cholesterol reasons that the research does not support and as a result most people are missing one of nature's most extraordinary nutritious foods entirely. It is delicious, loaded with collagen minerals.

Ancient Nutrition Bone broth protein is the collagen anchor of this drink. Made from slow-simmered grass-fed bones, it delivers collagen peptides — glycine, proline and hydroxyproline — that support my joint health, gut lining, skin elasticity and the connective tissue that holds everything in my body together. Collagen production declines with age and significantly accelerates that decline after menopause so supplementing with a quality bone broth protein daily is one of the most evidence-based things a woman over fifty can do for her joints, her skin and her gut. Ancient Nutrition's bone broth protein dissolves beautifully in hot water and the savory flavors. I use the original or the turmeric which make this drink feel genuinely nourishing rather than medicinal.

I simply fill a mug with hot water — not boiling, just hot enough to dissolve the powders comfortably adding one heaping tablespoon of organic brewer's yeast, a small amount of Vegemite to taste, two tablespoons of Organised liver powder and one scoop of Ancient Nutrition bone broth protein. Stir well until everything is dissolved.

That is it. The whole thing takes two minutes and on days when I have been on the reformer and I am genuinely hungry, I stir in a tablespoon of almond butter, rich in vitamin E, magnesium, healthy monounsaturated fats and additional protein or cashew butter. The healthy fat blends into the warm drink, adds protein and richness and makes it completely sustaining for several hours.

The flavour is deeply savoury, warming and satisfying in a way that feels like real food. In one warm cup I am getting: 50 grams of complete protein, 12 grams of Collagen peptides for my joints, gut and skin, the full spectrum of B vitamins in natural bioavailable form, critical for those of us with the MTHFR variant, highly bioavailable iron and B12 from liver, CoQ10 for cellular energy production, chromium for blood sugar regulation, selenium and zinc for immune function, glycine and proline for connective tissue repair and gut-lining support from bone broth gelatin and all in under 300 calories.

All savoury. All warming. All genuinely nourishing.

The MTHFR gene is responsible for producing an enzyme that converts folate into its active methylated form, which your body can actually use. When this gene is compromised, the conversion is impaired and the downstream effects — on energy, mood, detoxification, cardiovascular health and neurological function — can be significant.

The good news is that the dietary and supplemental response is straightforward: prioritise natural food sources of B vitamins, choose methylated B supplements rather than synthetic folic acid and include foods like brewer's yeast, liver, leafy greens and eggs regularly in your diet.

This drink covers much of that ground in a single daily cup. Which is exactly why I have not missed a day of it in longer than I can remember.

written by Marjolein Brugman

Marjolein Brugman is the founder of lighterliving and Aeropilates. “lighterliving is a movement and lifestyle choice we can all make. Let’s make it simple – make one decision a day to be better and watch the small steps lead to big changes. Eat smart, stay active, and you’ll live to feel a lighter life."