Hey, have you heard about the importance of a good breakfast? OK, I jest, because we all know that a healthy start to our day is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. From helping keep us slim to supplying our bodies with enough energy to tackle our busy day, a good breakfast does it all.

Tough to find time for a good breakfast, sometimes, isn't it? What if you could have a solution for a balanced breakfast that is full of nutrition, easy on the pocketbook (about 50 cents each) and a snap to prepare? If that sounds appealing, then you'll want to try this recipe for all-in-one breakfast muffins.

Loaded with protein like eggs, ham, and cheese, these muffins will stick to your ribs so you won't crave the sugary snacks come mid-morning. Plus, scallions and peppers add veggie nutrients.

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My husband and I ate lunch on Friday at our favorite spot -- Heavenly Ham. Whenever we go, we both get salads and we love that we get to pick our lettuce -- spinach, romaine, and a spring mix are the options -- and all of our toppings too. A sliced hard-boiled egg, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, and a mix of nuts are just some of what fills our bowls (no meat toppings for us). And while I order up a teeny, tiny bit of oil and vinegar on my veggie medley, my hubby always denies the dressing. The folks making his salads sometimes think he's crazy. How can he not douse his meal with something tangy, creamy, or sweet, some ask. His response is always be the same: There's no need for dressing with all the scrumptious treats he chooses. He actually wants to taste each ingredient. Adding dressing would make his salad taste like, well, dressing. He also wants a healthy salad. Dressing is one sure-fire way to transform a healthy meal into an unhealthy one -- so no dressing for him.

No dressing for one of the Heavenly Ham servers too. On Friday, she approached John and thanked him for the no-dressing idea. She told him she's nixed the dressing herself and likes her salads so much better without. She can really taste all the goodies, she told John, and the tomatoes, grapes, and cucumbers provide a perfect amount of juice for her mixture. There's nothing dry about her salad. And there's really nothing unhealthy about it either.

If you're looking to make just one small diet change, one change that guarantees a great pay-off, consider John's idea. It's helped him drop a significant amount of weight and improve his overall health. It can do the same for you.

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Are you a fan of SPAM? I'll admit, I've never had it -- that I know of, at least -- and I'm not planning on picking some up any time soon. But it's a cheap, convenient source of protein that some might even say is tasty, so is it something that I should give a try?

My guess is no, considering that it's full of preservatives and sodium, not to mention meat that comes from questionable sources. And if you ask me, any food that was developed during wartime as an alternative to real food shouldn't be trusted (the twinkie, for example.) Still, one of the writers at eDiets taste-tested all the brands of SPAM (even no-name!) and gives his rating. You can see the article by clicking here.

What do you think of SPAM?

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You've heard it your entire life, and it's true -- as Martha posted here, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What you eat doesn't just feed your body and get you physically prepared for the day ahead, it also feeds your mind. But did you know that it's not just whether you eat, but also what you eat for breakfast that impacts how you perform for the rest of the day?

According to the study reported on here, foods that release sugar into your system at a slower and more consistent rate, have the biggest impact on attention, memory and how fast you work. The study, which was conducted on British school kids but which also applies to adults, found that ham and cheese served with wholegrain bread was one of the best possible breakfasts.

Apparently sugary cereal such as Cornflakes (they're not just talking about the really sweet stuff like Coco Puffs and Fruit Loops) served with waffles and syrup was the worst early morning meal, while scrambled eggs with toast and jam sat somewhere in the middle. So while it's alright to enjoy pancakes or your favorite cereal once in a while, it's probably best to avoid it on days when you really need to get a job done well.

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Are you a pork fan? I wouldn't say that I am, aside from the occasional cut of pork tenderloin or maybe if I'm feeling naughty, some bacon. But the folks at Glee Magazine think I should give it another chance. Their reasoning? It's a (usually) lean source of protein, it's got iron and vitamins B1 and B12, it's typically low in sodium and it's far less fatty than some other meats, such as beef. Lean pork can be substituted into many of your favorite meals for a healthier alternative. Such as? How about Pork Lasagna or pork tacos?

It's a good idea to buy organic when it comes to any sort of meat to avoid the nasty hormones that many cuts of meat have in them.

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My ideal Sunday starts off with a leisurely brunch with the girls, gossiping and sharing news and giggling over this and that. And in this perfect brunch, the meal is pretty much always the same: Eggs Benedict, either the traditional kind or a different version with smoked salmon, brie mushrooms .... my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It's definitely my favourite way to have eggs. And I rationalize my choice by telling myself that eggs are good for me, English muffins are fairly low-cal, ham is a good source of protein and the hollandaise is ... well ... a source of calcium, I guess.

I'm going to hate myself for not allowing ignorant bliss when it comes to brunch, but I have to know. Am I right to rationalize, or is my favourite breakfast food terrible for me? Does traditional Eggs Benny have:

a) 968 cal, 65 g of fat
b) 892 cal, 71 g of fat
c) 642 cal, 43 g of fat
d) 550 cal, 26 g of fat

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Next time you're considering whether to have a slice, or seconds, of Aunt Mary's pecan pie, consider this: To burn off the excess calories consumed by eating a small slice, you would have to run for an hour and 11 minutes, bike for 54 minutes or do yoga for 2 hours and 51 minutes. That's a lot of sweating, and I suspect not many people workout that much on a regular basis.

A candy cane, on the other hand, requires only 19 minutes of yoga to burn off. That fruitcake? 55 minutes of dancing should eliminate those calories. A cracker with a slice of cheese can by burned off with 8 minutes of biking, so if you consume 5 of those, you'll need to spend 40 minutes peddling it off. A serving of honey glazed ham translates into 26 minutes of swimming.

Are they worth it?

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