Breaking the Fast

Breakfast may well be the most important meal of the day, even more important than the Midnight Snack. Breakfast is a chance to make good choices and get one-third of the way to a healthy day. During the work week, I like to start the day with shredded wheat, a banana, frozen blueberries, cinnamon and soy milk. The cinnamon helps with not only flavoring but also to slow the release of free sugar into the system for more even-Steven energy distribution.

According to nutritionist Joy Bauer, it's important to eat breakfast within 90 minutes of rising. People who wait longer, or skip breakfast altogether in hopes of losing weight, aren't doing themselves a favor. Instead, they are undermining their efforts at losing or maintaining weight. The body at that point is getting fast signals and stores calories that come in primarily as fat.

It's important each morning that we don't wait too long to break the fast.