As usual, your mom was right. Most of us can recall our mother’s voice each morning, sternly reminding us to eat breakfast. After all, she would say, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Well, she might not have known just how right she was.
Not only do we need energy to start the day, but researchers have learned that breakfast also affects our mood and our waistlines. Those of use who regularly skip breakfast are likely to gain more weight, mostly because we make it up later in the day by eating more.
The latest news is particularly unsettling. A study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that individuals who regularly skip breakfast had a whopping 21 percent increased risk of developing diabetes.
The researchers, from Harvard’s School of Public Health, followed more than 29,000 men for 16 years, looking at their diets, exercise and various disease rates. None of the men had diabetes when the study began, but when the scientists zeroed in on eating habits, they found that the men who ate three meals a day were less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than men who only ate once or twice a day. This was true even if they had a higher BMI (Body Mass Index) and lower quality diets.
Although this particular study looked only at men, I was struck by the sheer number of individuals at risk for diabetes. Especially when we have simple, powerful solutions right at our fingertips-like a yummy breakfast!
Sadly, with most of us rushing through our mornings-late to work, frantically packing school lunches and signing permission slips, worried about traffic-a leisurely 
breakfast feels like an elusive luxury.
Good news is, there are many easy ways to break the fast. For example, it’s blueberry season. Blueberries are amazing for many reasons, not to mention how great they taste. They’re full of antioxidants, packed with nutrients and might even help you stave off osteoporosis by keeping your bones strong.