For many of us, this will be the last week of the year that we can even think about leaving work in daylight, what with the clocks going back this weekend. So, while that is in itself a depressing prospect, it does bring with it two potential upsides:

1. An extra hour of Sunday morning / Saturday night (delete as appropriate). Two of the best times of the week, i’m sure you’ll agree.
2. The prospect of not waking up and going to work in total darkness… for a little while longer.

This second point means, in my case at least, that I am far more likely to wake up cheerful, less likely to want to smash my alarm clock, and more likely to spend time preparing breakfast.  We are often told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and while I don’t necessarily agree with that (all meals are created equal in my opinion), it is certainly my favourite meal of the day. At the weekends I become slightly obsessive about breakfast, planning ahead and getting out of bed simply so I can get started on it. This is not the case during the week (for obvious reasons), but I do make sure that I never miss out completely. Here are some quick reasons why you shouldn’t either:

• It sets you up for the day and is thought to speed up your metabolism.
• Breakfast is routinely advised in the NHS as part of weight loss diets and to help improve blood glucose control in diabetes.
• It is more often than not the least expensive meal of the day.
• Even the simplest breakfasts tend to combine some of my favourite nutritional powerhouse foods that are packed with nutrients (think oats, nut butters, plant milks and bread).

So, embrace the clock change for the small benefits it brings, and never miss breakfast!