The Perfect Day of Eating: Early Morning

6:30 to 7 am: Wake Up with Water

Greet the day with a glass of water with lemon. When you sleep, your body is abstaining not only from food but also from water. As Sandy Murray, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, explains: "You need six to eight glasses throughout the day, so it's best to get started early; that way, you're not stuck with all these glasses to drink at the end of the day. You body is half to two-thirds water, so if you’re not hydrated, you can't think clearly and focus for the hours ahead. If your urine is the colour of a dark apple juice, you know you need to drink more!"

7 am: Short Walk

A light bout of cardio soon after you wake up and before you eat—a 20 minute walk with the dog, star jumps, or running up and down your stairs, for example—taps into your body's energy reserves. But there's no need to do anything too intense. The idea is to fit in some easy activity and to try to eat within an hour or so of waking up.

7:30 am: Breakfast

All of our experts loved porridge for brekkie. Have one-half cup of uncooked oats or a packet of instant. For protein, add a glass of fat-free milk, yoghurt, or a hard-boiled egg. Or stir some nuts—almonds or walnuts, for instance—into your porridge. For more fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, add fruit, such as mixed berries. You can also pour a small glass of OJ, which has nutrients including vitamin C, folate and potassium.

Click here to see what our experts recommend you eat mid-morning.