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Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It makes sense that your body needs nourishment in the morning. If you ate supper at 7:00 p.m. the night before and don't eat again until lunch, your body has gone for seventeen hours without nutrients. The caffeine in a cup of coffee may dull your feelings of hunger, but it doesn't give your body the fuel it needs to function properly.

It doesn't take much Internet searching to discover the benefits of eating breakfast. A healthy breakfast increases your energy and enables you to concentrate better. Studies show that those who eat breakfast have increased longevity, a greater sense of well being, quicker reaction times, and better overall health than those who skip the meal.

Yet studies show that 1/5 of American adults don't eat a proper breakfast. It's easy to find good excuses not to eat breakfast. "I'm in a hurry." "I'm not hungry yet." "I hate breakfast foods."

My own personal favorite was "I don't want to gain weight." To me, it wasn't "breakfast" unless it included fried eggs, bacon, and biscuits slathered with butter and jelly. I knew that would pack on the pounds, so I satisfied myself with a cup of coffee. I didn't "break my fast" until lunch, by which time I was starving.

Recently I read a passage in the book Eat More Weigh Less, by Dr. Dean Ornish. He mentioned a study (though he didn't cite his sources) of moderately overweight women who regularly skipped breakfast. They were divided into two groups. One group ate breakfasts for the next 12 weeks, the other did not. I probably don't have to tell you that the group who ate breakfast lost weight.

I decided to give it a try. For two weeks, I ate breakfast cereal every morning. I was deceived by the packaging. My cereal showed a huge bowl of cereal on the front, but the actual serving size was only 2/3 cup. However, it still satisfied me. After two weeks, I had lost five pounds. I made no other changes.

If you are still doubtful after all those reasons, give breakfast a try and see if you notice any changes. Don't take the easy way and try a donut or a pop tart. It really doesn't take that long to eat a bowl of cereal.

If you are always in a rush in the morning, slice up some fruit and cheese the night before and snack on your way to work. Make a peanut butter sandwich if you don't like cereal. Try some cottage cheese with berries. Make a smoothie with milk, fruit and a tablespoon of bran. Add some berries to leftover rice. Eat a slice of cheese pizza and drink some orange juice.

I'm betting that if you try it, you will find that you are less irritable in the morning and perform better throughout the day. You might even lose five pounds.

Learn more about this author, Shelly Kneupper Tucker.
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