Did you remember the old Cheerios commercial jingle, "This boy is running out of energy because he didn't fuel up with a good breakfast?" Well, it's more than a jingle -- it's the truth. Eating a healthy breakfast helps fuel your body's energy supply, and it increases your tendencies to eat healthier throughout the rest of the day.

If you tend to skip breakfast because you're always in a hurry, you should eat a small snack like a slice of toast or a small banana. That small snack boosts your blood sugar levels and enhance your performance.

Some people exercise or train early in the morning before work or school and most of them skip breakfast which isn't doing themselves any favors. The truth is, it actually hurts their performance.

Before going to exercise eat a small banana or a slice of toast. Then after the workout, eat the rest of your healthy breakfast. Most people lost their appetites after exercising, but they need to eat anyway to help restore the energy reserves used during the exercise.

A healthy breakfast can be a liquid breakfast which includes a glass or two of a fruit juice followed by a glass of low-fat milk. Or, you can eat a bran muffin, bagel or some other carbohydrate-rich food. This kind of breakfast gives you the fluids, proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins you need.

If you prefer to exercise later in the day, you still need to eat breakfast. A breakfast plus a mid-morning snack should provide at least one-third of your daily calories.

Studies show that active women need about 600 to 700 calories for breakfast (1,800 - 2,100 total calories daily) and active men need about 800 to 900 calories for breakfast (2,400 to 2,700 average calories daily).You can get these calories from a banana, a muffin, a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice.

If you think you would never eat that much for breakfast, take the banana or muffin to school or work with you for a mid-morning snack.

If you don't prefer cold cereals, you can try cooked breakfasts like boiled eggs with toast and jam, waffles, oatmeal, or other hot cereals. These foods give you the necessary vitamins, minerals and calories.

There is this notion in some people that skipping breakfast makes you lose weight... Well, they must think again. (I had a hub on this entitled, "Eating Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight").

Eating a healthy breakfast cuts down the amount that most people eat throughout the rest of the day. Conversely, those who skip breakfast are more likely to starve before lunchtime and can grab the quickest junk-food snacks they can find.

If you're on a diet just eat a smaller, healthy breakfast -- 400 to 600 calories instead of 600 - 700 calories. Still you will be able to lose weight because of the reduced calories and at the same time you are providing your body with needed fuels and energy.

Bear in mind that eating breakfast is just as important to your exercise or any sports activity. It's like climbing a mountain without any necessary equipments thus, puts you at risk.