from WEBMD

The hardest thing on the planet is to work on an empty stomach. Some of you, my loyal readership of 5 people, probably know that I develop websites for a living which presents me with some interesting situations that lead to long long hours. I realized that snacking is something I end up doing a lot of being that I need certain types of fuel to maintain consciousness while rushing a project through.

This is your brain, this is your brain on doritos and redbull.
So maintaining productivity levels can be a challenge from time to time. You start to nod off or get sluggish and you really need a pick me up to retain any sort of forward momentum. I am a big fan of salt and caffeine, both for basically the same reason, quick bursts of alertness and energy. I know that there are possibly healthier alternatives to this process of re-awakening yourself but i find it truly hard to get them in the readily accessible forms as cups o’ Joe or handfulls of pretzels (mmm pretzels).

The problem of course with this is that eventually caffeine will simply rot your stomach and you will feel like a zombie the next day looking for the flesh of the living to sustain you. Like anything that you do against the will of nature, there is a consequence that comes with punishing your body.

I don’t recommend you do this but…
If you really need to burn some midnight oil, I usually go for the energy drinks. As horrific as it sounds, ROCKSTAR energy drinks are responsible for more that one completed website and more than one research paper. Although its been about a year since the last time I tasted pure synthesized B complex vitamins, guarana, and ginko, the lasting impression that it left on me was negligible and I am not entirely against its general use for rushing through projects.

For food stuffs I have definitely changed my tastes from potato chips and crackers to jerky and raw nuts. The main reasons being that the essential oils found in walnuts and pecans are linked directly to brain activity and function. Having a quick protein booster with the vitamin and caffeine overload will give your body a sort of equal parts steroids and legitimate fuel to burn up with. Protein for me is essential as my hypo-glycemic body tends to jitter and whirl if I haven’t consumed enough of the desired energy source.

HOW DO YOU MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT?

CHEERS, Zach – the late night snack beast.