Break the fast...and break it right.

Breakfast...the most important meal of the day. Ignoring the hashed cliche, those are a few of the most important words in wellness.

When I first began formulating my thoughts for this particular article I came to a fork in the road. One sign said "Facts, science, boredom - East" the other said "Tell it like it is - West". So, metaphorically speaking, there I stood, hemming, hawing...WESTWARD HO!

I love breakfast. Not only do I love the act of eating breakfast every morning, I love breakfast foods. Perhaps because I'm the generation who can eat cereal three meals a day, or perhaps because virtually every breakfast is instantly improved with a side of bacon...whatever it is, I love breakfast. I'm going to say this again, so all of you ot there understand what I'm trying to say...I love breakfast.

Maybe my obsessive, border-line infatuation, with breakfast makes it easier for me to eat it...but I wasn't always this way. No no no, there was a time that I skipped breakfast -- often because I the time I awoke was far too late in the day to call any meal I was having "breakfast"...more like lunch, more often "LiNner". Those times are back in the proverbial "day"; now, not only do I eat breakfast...I can't wait to eat breakfast.

A few nights out of the week, my hungry stomach will growl my mind out of its slumber for no reason other than to ask "When food come?" (That's right, my stomach doesn't speak in grammatically proper sentences. If my stomach were a character, I imagine it a club toting, caveman; concerned only with its next meal and little else.) My mind responds calmly, in its glib british accent "Now now old chap, rest assured you're next feeding is imminent". (As with my stomach, I imagine my mind a monocle wearing, pipe smoking, Thurston Howel the Third-esque, type of character). And with those calming words, we all drift back to sleep.

I like to wake up at 6a. I've reconciled my rational self with my obsessive self. If I plan to eat eight meals today, I need to start at 6. If I don't I end up cramming food in too close together (temporally speaking) or I'm eating until 10p.

Morning arrives. I'd like to set the record straight: All things being equal, I'd prefer an IV meal of some sort to avoid having to leave the comfort of my pillows, blankets, and newly installed feather mattress pad. But, since science has yet to deliver an easy, home-based IV food delivery system for everyday use, I have to get up.

Oooo...do I love this next part. Well, first things first. I mix a quick protein shake - 25g of whey protein. I take my vitamins with this. Whey is a great source of sustained protein-energy (a little science won't kill you, or bore you too much). The foundation of my breakfast though is a cup of Kashi Hi-Protein cereal, half a cup of granola, and half a cup of all-bran. Kashi provides a healthy dose of carbohydrates and protein, the granola provides fat and almost an obscene amount of tasty goodness, and the all-bran...well the all-bran keeps the colon chugging along with the regularity of a swiss watch. Top it all off with a handful of blueberries (whose nutritional benefits are so vast I could write an entire article about them alone) and a cup of soy milk. Why soy milk? Milk irritates my stomach. So if I drink milk...people don't want to be around me for 2 - 4 hours. Take what you want from that breakfast menu, but be sure to take it to mean you should ALWAYS eat breakfast.

I don't confine myself to that breakfast either. I love eggs, scrambled, over-easy, hard-boiled. I love sausage, and bacon, and oatmeal. I love muffins, and pancakes, and french toast. I love bagels, and lox, and fruit. I love it all, but I don't eat it all.

You must eat breakfast, but be mindful of what you eat. Eggs are great, when they're not fried in butter. Oatmeal is great when it's made with water (not whole milk). Muffins are good when they're low sugar, high fiber. Sausage is good when it's low-fat turkey or soy (same for bacon) . Make smart choices when you make your own breakfast: Whole wheat toast, 0-calorie cooking spray not butter, portion control.

I'll never tell anyone to avoid any food forever; even fried foods. Read a few blogs back about rewarding yourself (Specifically Me and the Mortal Sin). Make the breakfast foods that are the worst for you (pancakes, french toast, eggs benedict) a SUPER-occasional reward for hard work and clean eating. I do -- next time, I'll tell you all about my mind-blowing, annual cheat day. It's the greatest day of the year.

So, like I said breakfast...the most important meal of the day. Ignoring the hashed cliche, those are a few of the most important words in wellness.