by Matt St. Amand

Created on: May 04, 2009

Geeks are brilliant in server rooms, on the battlefields of online
gaming, and at individual workstations trouble-shooting the latest ball-lightning slider served up by Windows. But when it comes to looking after their own health, they approach the task like neophytes trying to set up a routable protocol using NetBEUI.

In the sedentary universe of geeks, there is no "breakfast," "lunch" or "dinner" during the undertaker's-hours they keep. There are merely meals, which usually consist of pizza, Mountain Dew and continuous sugar-shock-therapy delivered by a steady regimen of gobstoppers, licorice and other assorted candy.

Nobody wants to do away with these simple pleasures, but a closer look should be taken at the health-effects - and livable alternatives - to this singular diet.

First, the demands upon geek physiology need to be examined: long hours, continuous problem-solving, high levels of concentration, a need not only for wakefulness, but a honed surgeon's-alertness.

Snacks

The gaps between meals sometimes seem interminable, so a scaffold-system of snacks and nibblies sustains geeks. The potato chips and nachos taste awesome going down, but an hour, or so, later comes the crash. It's like painting yourself into a corner with chip dip. The scaffold of snacks need not be abandoned, but its settings should be tweaked.

Trade in the chips for nuts. Mix raw almonds with shelled pistachios. Unsalted peanuts take a little getting used to, but they're a handy, filling snack. I hear a voice in the balcony suggesting to also add raisins. I've never met a person in my life who actually liked raisins. If you're that one person, great! As they say in Newfoundland, Canada, "Fill yer boots!" Brazil nuts are among the best snacks because they contain selenium, which improves brain function.

Defragging Brain Function

Life without coffee is not worth living. Contrary to popular belief, espresso and cappuccino do not contain more caffeine than regular coffee. The reason being - caffeine levels increase the longer it takes the water to filter through the coffee. With espresso and cappuccino, the water filters through for only about 15 seconds, rendering it low on caffeine scale. French press coffee, on the other hand, is high on the caffeine scale because the water has time to soak up all those important oils from the coffee. Caffeine is proven to sharpen alertness and enhance concentration, but don't nullify this positive by killing your coffee with sweeteners.

Meals

Carbs
want more carbs.

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