By Dr. Susan Biegel MD, AME

Everyone has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this is especially true for pilots. Skipping a nutritious breakfast and having only coffee and a danish is tantamount to putting water in your airplane’s fuel tank.  You depend on your airplane engine to perform well, and you should want your body and mind to be performing at top capacity as well.  After not having had any food all night, it’s time to fill up with quality fuel, not fuel that’s going to give your body a rocket burst of energy and then fizzle out like a used up firework leaving you fatigued, irritated and not thinking sharply.  Your brain and body need to be at peak performance and resilient, able to respond and think quickly.  What are some key nutritional guidelines in your operation manual to getting your day started off right?