by Joan A. Davis

I'm sure most of us can remember our parents constantly telling us as a kid that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  Surprisingly, it appears that more and more adults have forgotten just how important breakfast really is.  Sure, it's easy to get side track with the hustle and bustle of your rigorous morning schedule; waking the kids up, getting the kids dressed, morning traffic and early morning conference calls.  Realistically, eating breakfast may be the last thing on your to-do-list (it its even there at all).  Overcome your reasons for not having breakfast and make it part of your morning.  If your mornings are ultra hectic try preparing as much of it the night before and wake up ten minutes earlier to allot yourself more time.  Eating a healthy and balanced breakfast daily jumps starts your day and refuels your body with nutrients that your body may not receive throughout the rest of the day.  

Breakfast and Weight Management...

Skipping breakfast will not help you loose weight nor is it a good way to reduce your daily calorie intake.  When you don't eat for long periods of time your blood sugar drops and your metabolism slows down which results in less energy and you becoming more hungry and will probably end up eating a  larger portion during your next meal; breakfast helps control your urge to nibble on foods that are no good.  According to the National Weight Control Registry 78% of people that are successful at loosing weight eat breakfast daily.  Remember, the foods we eat gives us the energy we need accomplish physical and mental tasks.

To make a healthy breakfast each day, choose one item from at least three of the following four food groups:

Protein: Peanut Butter, Hard-boiled eggs, lean slices of meat and poultry.
Grains: Whole-grain bagels and cereals, crackers, low-fat bran muffins
Fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables.
Dairy: Skim milk, low-fat yogurt cups or low-fat cheeses.