When we eat breakfast, we break the fast from the hours of no food during the night. Yet, some people say, "I can't eat when I first get up!"  My husband fits into this group.  Seven years ago, when we married, I learned to eat later in the day, rather than when most  people eat.  I have learned since then that this lifestyle is not good.  I am winning him over to a healthier way of life.  No longer will a cup of coffee sustain us until noon.

There is a reason we should eat breakfast.  According to Health By Choice, Not By Chance (Aileen Ludington and Hans Diehl)  a group of scientists spent ten years studying this very thing and found that both children and adults were less irritable, more efficient and more energetic when they ate breakfast. Breakfast brought about better grades before noon recess.  Some studies have agree that a good breakfast is linked with less chronic disease and increased longevity.

Since my husband and I have started with a whole grain cereal(oatmeal) and whole grain wheat bread  and fruit for breakfast, our energy level  has increased.  We proved for ourselves that studies were right when they said people are  needlessly fatigued because they're not eating early in the day. They are breakfast skippers. 

People  will say that they are not hunger when they arise in the morning.  Could this be because they ate late at night.  Good chance that is what happened and the food remained in their stomach since our digestive mechanism goes into a slower gear while we are sleeping.

I once thought that skipping breakfast would help me loose weight. Not so say the experts. This will actually cause a person to eat more snacks and a larger meal when it is served.   If that is not enough, the decreased energy during the morning hours compounds the problem.

O.k., so maybe you are convinced that you should have breakfast in the morning.  The battle is not over!  Watch out for the cereal aisle. It does not matter if the company used brown sugar, honey or corn syrup in the processing,  they can still lead you down a calorie laden sweet lane. (And watch out for salt too!) Look for no more than five grams of added sugar per serving. You are not a label reader?  I can't think of a better time to start than right now.  

Ms. Dodington and Hans Diehl offer a early morning dish  in their book that sounds interesting.  They recommend   seven-grain cereal that can be found in most supermarkets.   Pour it into a Crockpot at night.  Add water. Turn it on and have your Crockpot work for you as you snooze. In the morning your hot cereal is ready  Add fresh fruit, raisins or perhaps nuts and you have  beaten the mid morning fatigue bug and the sugar monster!

Sometime there comes a time when we just know we need to make a change.  Maybe now is the time to do a whole new thing first thing in the morning.  Start the day out right with  good choices of good things to eat.  That way you and the family won't run out of fuel.

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"I've yet to meet an overweight person who doesn't skip breakfast and snack at night."
~Pat Harper, R.D. American Dietetic Association~

Health~A Change For The Better Health~Nature's Way Health~Think About It