Nutrition: What You Put Into Your Body - Introduction

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking down one of the outside hallways at my school on the way to my 8:30 am class.  There was a student about 20 feet ahead of me – smoking.  I hate that!  The whole time, I was in her wake of lethal smoke.  Hack ack!  Well, it turned out that she was one of MY students.  Shortly after class started (remember, this was 8:30 am), she pulled out a sucker and started chomping away.  I stopped class and said, “So, cigarettes and candy – is that the ‘breakfast of champions’?”  Yes, indeed, that was her breakfast!  She sheepishly admitted that she never ate any real food for breakfast -- usually just some candy.  All I could think was how terrible I would feel if I started out my day like that.  Seriously, I'd by puking by midmorning!

Unfortunately, I see this all the time.  Students start their mornings with a big cup of sugar and caffeine (the double mocha expensé Brazilian latté hooey grandé caffé Arabian espresso poopé roasted Jamaican blend).  I see their little hands literally shaking as they put the cup to their outstretched lips and suckle down that first sip.  Heck, it’s like watching a junkie shoot up!  Of course, this is usually accompanied by a blueberry muffin.  By the way, no matter what anyone tells you, chemically speaking, muffin = cake.  Really, you may just as well be eating three Snickers bars for breakfast.  (I’ve seen that too.)