The writer’s diet

As an individual who makes their living in front of the computer, I’ve grown to be concerned about the effect of sitting on my butt for 10-12 hours straight on a daily basis.  Not only is this generally bad for the body (all that immobility), but I find that my brain just doesn’t keep up all the time.  Exhaustion inevitably sets in and my productivity levels start to plummet.  

Aside from filling my body with sugar and caffeine, I’ve found few alternatives that allow me to keep going while not having the unfortunate side-effect of causing my butt to spread out and engulf my chair.  So I decided to look into it a bit and figure out exactly what kinds of foods are best for those of us who live the computer-job lifestyle. Writers, office jockeys and students may all find the following information to be useful in maintaining good brain power as well as a decent level of health.

The standard sit-down diet seems to consist of snacks, soda and caffeine.  While those may keep a brain moving, the damage done in the long run really isn’t worth it.  Burn-out will reduce productivity and the some of the things we eat are just plain bad.  On the other side of the coin, eating proper has many helpful effects in addition to just letting you work better from a sitting position.  Better memory, less brain exhaustion, a longer attention span and just the general ability to process and understand new concepts quicker are all benefits.  I found that there are generally two main categories that people in my position look at with regards to shaping their diet - brain health and eye health.

The brain is the most popular subject when it comes to building a diet.  Even those who don’t have desk jobs are always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their minds. Here’s a list of some of the main elements that help with this:

• Antioxidants: There are many different kinds of antioxidants and they’re found in all sorts of things.  Berries, green stuff like broccoli, cabbage and kale, and even apples and chocolate contain this brain-saving element.  The chief function of antioxidants is to get rid of the free radicals that cause damage to the brain.  The brain is particularly susceptible to long-term wear from free radicals, so antioxidants are essential in keeping the mind functioning properly over time.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found mostly in fish and nuts, omega-3s help with the transmission of signals in the brain, thus improving your thinking speed.  They also have the benefit of battling against the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Glucose: Yeah, it’s sugar, but pretty much everything in your body needs it to function.  To maximize the use of this essential element in your body, it’s best to eat whole grains. Things like oatmeal, bran and brown rice will hit your body slowly, giving your mind more endurance.
• Water: Hydration is important for all bodily functions and even more important for the brain if you happen to drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages. Never underestimate the value of keeping hydrated.

The other chief issue with writers is eye strain.  As a person who suffers this ailment on a regular basis, I can tell you it’s no fun.  Several things help to prevent and correct it, however:

• Beta-carotene: This is the main thing to help with good eye health.  It comes in pretty much anything that’s yellow or orange along with many green vegetables as well.  Having enough beta-carotene keeps the eyes strong and fights off vision-killers like cataracts.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Double the effectiveness, eating enough fish can help with both the major problems of the desk jockey.
• Lutein: Found mainly in eggs, lutein is believed to fight much of the stress associated with staring for long periods of time at a computer monitor.

Ultimately, it’s always best to squeeze a little exercise in there as well, to keep the circulation going and help with the body running as it should.  By combining both a healthy lifestyle and a diet high in the above-mentioned vitamins, the pains of 12-hour, in-front-of-the-monitor lifestyle don’t have to make you miserable.  You may not gain super brain powers, but at least your head won’t feel like someone who's been beating it with a rubber mallet at the end of the day.

Image courtesy of Gengiskanhg