Most of us poor mortals require heroic efforts just to get ourselves out of bed when the alarm clock goes off. Once we have got free of the arms of Morpheus, the body immediately starts craving its food, the only kind of fuel that will get it rumbling into action. Alas, we sometimes pay scant heed to what our body requires and delude� ourselves into thinking a hasty coffee or glass of milk is all we need to rev up for the day ahead

Sugar for the Brain

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day and requires a certain amount of forethought as well as a few minutes of quiet to make it a success. It needs to be the operation in which we take on board the strategic nutrients we will need to burn up during a hard day of effort in school or the workplace, tasks requiring formidable amounts of energy to be available on demand. A significant part of our breakfast� ought therefore to consist of carbohydrates, since these ensure a steady supply of sugar to the cell tisssues. Sugar is also essential to make sure the brain functions properly as it is literally the fuel that memory,� mental agility and learning ability runs on.

As the percentage of glucose in the bloodstream rises, it activates a neural transmitter in the brain known as acetylcoline, which helps ensure the smooth functioning of mental processes. But though essential, sugar is not in itself enough to produce acetylcoline. Quantities of Vitamin B1 are also needed, and among the places we get it from are wholegrain or enriched bread and cereals. These foods have an additional advantage in that they are excellent sources of fibre, which help to clear out the intestinal tract and start our day with one less matter to be resolved.
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A little bit of jam or jelly helps increase the amount of sugar in body, as well as the tiny amount of extra vitamins present in the fruit from which they are made.

Fruit and fruit juices are another outstanding source of vitamins. They have high glucose content and supply a lot more extra fibre and vitamins than we get from processed fruit products such as marmalade. There's no better way of getting the day off to a running start that with a crunchy apple or tall glass of fresh-squeezed chilled orange juice.

Which Will It Be: Coffee or Hot Chocolate?
Coffee is obviously another of the creature comforts we rely on to get our brains into gear, and there are plenty of good reasons why that is so. Caffeine is a mild stimulant� particularly effective on the central nervous system, and helps to dispel any residual sleepiness. Experimental data also suggests that caffeine enhances by 10% the speed at which the brain processes incoming information. For children and those who do not particularly care for coffee, there's always a cup of steaming hot chocolate as an alternative. You'll get the same sensation of a lift but without so pronounced an effect on the central nervous system.

Both coffee and chocolate tend to be taken with milk, an excellent source of calcium, protein and other good things for people whose work calls for physical effort. Dairy products such as fresh farmhouse cheese, yoghurt are similarly to be recommended and can be used as a substitute. Lo-fat or no-fat versions of these same products make an attractive alternative for those who are keeping a watchful eye on their intake of calories and saturated fats.

Pastries: Home-made, if You Must

What could go better with that cup of coffee of chocolate than a couple of croissants fresh and warm from the oven, at their point of crunchy perfection? Spanish traditionalists may be dismissive of such fancy French stuff and swear by the good old churros, the Spanish freid dough fritters. A little bit of butter or margarine can help maintain the body' reserve of quick burnign fats That said, it must immediately be cautioned hat these are not quite what you want if you're concerned about your figure or your chances of warding off coronary diseases. There's no question that animal fats serve to raise the cholesterol level in the blood and so bring on a significant risk of cardiovascular complocations. For that reason alone, you'd do better to stay away form butter altogether and pick a margarine made from one or another vegetable oils.

Healthiest of all is the traditional Spanish breakfast that our grandparents knew: a slice of good country bread drenched in olive oil, and if you have a tasty tomato on hand to put on top, then you're in heaven. This is your typical Mediterranean breakfast, and few in the world can rival it as to its health-enhancing properties.

But if your sweet tooth rules, there's nothing inherently wrong in the occasional bit of pastry.� At least try to have them homemadeor from your neighbourhood bakery since factory produced baked goods are packed with fat and sugar and whatever energy you may get from them is an unfair trade or the empty calories that just make you balloon up in the seat of your pants. It is especially important to make sure that kids don't go overboard with this kind of food. The latest figures tell us that 15% of small children in industrialised countries are overweight and it is predicted that this could rise to 18% by the year 2002.

And what if I don't feel like having breakfast�?
When your body has had years to get used to a cup of coffee and a good morning as all it needs for breakfast, you're going to find it hard going upgrading to a feast of fruit and cereals unless you make the changeover gracefully and gradually. We humans are creatures of habit and need time to get used to new ways of doing things. Your best bet is to start off with some fruit juice and a slice of wholegrain bread or maybe some cereal, and then move on by adding a glass of milk or dairy product, with the sweets left for last. In just a few days, you'll find yourself feeling hungry in the mornings and you won't have to overcome a rebellious appetite.

But a good breakfast is no pretext for changing the eating habits of a lifetime, nor is an Anglo-Saxon sized overdose of bacon and eggs a cure all for everything that ails you. Try to stay within the Mediterranean diet. It must have been good enough for our ancestors, otherwise we wouldn't be here, would we? Instead of throwing cultural habits out the window it's better to eat more of what we're used to and choose from among the ones we find most personally satisfying.

Apart from a balanced mixture of healthy foods, the important thing is to treat yourself to a bit of time and tranquillity. Shunning a slice of toast may be as bad for you, ultimately, as wolfing it down. All it takes is a little planning, getting up a few minutes earlier in a trade-off in which the pleasures of food make up for the lost pleasures of sleep. This is where the Americans have got it exactly right; making breakfast an occasion for the entire family, one in which the first meal of the day is given all the time it needs as well as being an encounter between parents and children.
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