Food, glorious food.

Hello to all!

Food, glorious food! Necessary for all functions of a writer or a human being. But how much notice do writers take of their eating habits? Not too much, I'll bet. Some of the more savvy of us do keep a good check on what and when we eat, but far too many of us do not.

Then there is the other side of the fence, whereby we eat everything not nailed down, usually on the fly, just simply stuffing some type of food or drink or some very dodgy protein drink down our gullets and hope for the best.

At the risk of getting slammed up against the wall hard, this is NOT a good idea. The five minutes it gives you to make a cheese sandwich and a cup of tea or coffee is more valuable than you think. In this time, you can refresh your eyes by being away from the computer screen, move your body, think of something else and allow the tension in your shoulders and elsewhere to dissipate somewhat.

And, whether you think you are working on the next War and Peace or a headline that will grab everybody's eyeballs, you need both the food and the change. Even if it is only three steps to the sink and the fridge, take them. Anyone who has spent hours and hours staring at a computer screen at work, only to go home and stare at either another computer screen or the television and still not make an effort to eat properly is doing themselves no good whatever.

Whether you like it or not, even if you are very young, or middle-aged and feel a little saggy, you must take care of what you have. And that means taking the time to eat something nutritious. Fast food, on the whole, is not. Nine times out of ten, it is filled with a 'quick-fix' of either fat or sugar and will leave you starving again in an hour or so. Perfect recipe for eating yourself silly when you can get away for a while.

I have nothing against protein drinks or shakes. I just would like to see more people at least give themselves one good feed per day. Real protein, like fish, eggs, red meat, chicken, etc. Tofu or bean paste if you are a vegetarian. Plenty of fruit and vegetables, raw or cooked. Swap one lot of cappuccino for  one big glass of water. At the end of the week, your wallet and waistline will thank you. And your progress rate should have improved considerably.