Breakfast is becoming inextricably linked to good health: more studies than ever are showing that people who eat a regular, balanced breakfast will experience a healthier weight, state of mind and live longer than their counterparts who forego the meal altogether. Serious health concerns such as depression and diabetes, heart disease and memory deterioration are linked to quality of the morning meal. When you first wake up, your brain and body crave nourishment to help the transition from sleep to waking life; you are literally breaking the fast of the night before. Ideally, food should be consumed within 2 hours of waking up and provide you with 25-30% of your total calories for the day. Suddenly, the daily coffee and croissant ceases to look sufficient. Here are some reasons why we should all take breakfast more seriously:

• Cognitive function: if your brain is starved of the nutrients it needs to get going, what kind of precedent are you setting for the rest of your day? Breakfast fortifies your glucose levels, allowing the brain to perform its essential functions, including memory, better. 
• Weight management: for people looking to lose weight, foregoing breakfast is like shooting yourself in the foot. If you starve your body early, you will seek out extra calories later and actually end up eating more. 
• Energy needs: feeling low, or not as productive as possible? Attention deficit? Consider that eating breakfast  provides you with the energy you need to perform to your very best from the word Go.  
• Longevity: your eating habits should be fluid throughout the day to achieve optimal balance. Keeping your body at a fluid threshold, rather than tormenting it with peaks and valleys of nutrition is a key to longevity. 

Stop abstaining from breakfast or letting it fall down your list of morning priorities today: your body and brain are both ready to take breakfast seriously. At Associates in Chiropractic, we are here to help you with any health goal. If losing weight or feeling better throughout the day is on your agenda, eating breakfast is a great place to start. 

Dr. Albert Stabile, D.C.