Breakfast is an important, foundational meal that fuels your brain and body for the day ahead. When you make time for breakfast, you will be better able to think clearly, remember important information, feel energized, and regulate your emotions.

Several cognitive benefits are associated with eating breakfast. The cognitive rewards include improved problem-solving and arithmetic skills and the ability to pay mindful attention. Conversely, the cognitive costs of not taking the time to boot up at the beginning of the day affect your ability to think clearly. If you skip breakfast, problem-solving skills, short-term memory, episodic memory, and attention all suffer.

Emotional and energy-related symptoms also deteriorate when you skip breakfast. Without nourishment, stress reactivity, anxiety, and depression increase and are likely to be accompanied by difficulty concentrating, low energy, and mercurial mood swings.

Starting your day on empty results in low energy, a shortage of short-term memory, anxiety, and even mild depression. Eating a healthy breakfast pays dividends by boosting skills of attention, memory, and learning. Make time for a breakfast that promotes healthy brain function.