Oh, how we dig Quarter Pounders, and cheesesteaks, fried fish, and Shrimp Scampi. Don’t forget a good plate of spaghetti Bolognese, a nice ribeye, even a quick grilled cheese. And booze, brother, we love our booze.  These foods do not love us, or you, back. In fact, they gunk up your engine the same way putting a gallon of Mrs. Butterworth’s in your car’s gas tank would. 

The key to good nutrition is paying attention to what and how much you put in the tank. As tempting as it is to stray, and stray we all do, aim to eat a balanced diet that isn’t too heavy in one area or too light in another. What you eat feeds every part of your body, from your noggin to your bones, from your eyes to your toenails, from your hair to your, um, package. Here’s why it matters and how it works.

The Impact of Your Diet

Don’t Wait to Control Your Weight: Because you’re sitting most of the day, you’re not burning calories like you did when you were, say, 14 years old. If you take in more calories every day than you burn, you put on pounds - simple as that. But how do you control it?  No one’s suggesting only eating a 2 oz portion of fish for dinner or a bone-dry salad (the thought of which makes us hack), but throw back enough 24 oz. steaks with a double-stuffed baked potato and drown your salad in 3 tablespoons of bleu cheese dressing will fast-track you to moving up in pants size and way worse, into an early grave.

Keepin’ It Sharp: Certain foods have been found to increase your mental capacity and short term memory (apparently these are blueberries, strawberries, and spinach —yes, you can make some sort of new-age salad out of the three). Certain fish (such as salmon), fruits, and vegetables contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which help with higher brain function. Simply put, eating smarter can help you stay sharp longer and keep depression and other mental health issues at bay. 

Conversely, certain foods can reduce your brainpower. Alcohol is one of them. We drink regularly but we haven’t had any issues. Seriously. No problems whatsoever. Now where were we again? Oh, right, so about this global warming thing….