Like a weightlifter needs a diet for optimal body strength, programmers need the optimal brain diet.

In both cases, performance and endurance can be increased when given high amounts of the right raw materials.

1. The brain of a programmer works hard for up to 18 hour stretches- and uses up brain chemicals at the same time. Performing at a fast-pace for an extended time takes its toll in the form of oxidative stress. Cells enduring above average levels of oxidative stress require increased amounts of anti-oxidant chemicals. When these cells don’t receive the amount they need, they fail, or die, causing symptoms such as exhaustion, stress, anxiety, depression. Cells require resources and time to heal and they only do so when we sleep, eat, and restore the raw materials. To be more efficient, we prevent the damage from occurring, saving time and resources.

2. Restoring raw materials: The chemistry of the human body can be broken down simply: Like repairs like. Muscles made from protein perform and grow best when given high amounts of same protein. Likewise, the optimal way to maintain the brain it is to give it the raw materials it’s made from, fatty oils, nutrients and minerals.

3.A sedentary lifestyle results from professions such as programming, greatly increasing the risk of stroke. A typical workday is usually quite long- often up to 18 hours- and almost everyday is a workday. Exercise is required to maintain the cardiovascular system. A good hour of walking a day gets the blood pumping, though more exercise is better.

4.Being a programmer, you can expect a high salary and an increase in the size and luxury of meals from frequent business dinners at restaurants. Balancing diet and exercise becomes a challenge, and as result many programmers gain up to 150 lbs extra after 30 years in the industry. The trend for weight loss eating tends to be the low carb diets; Ketogenic and Paleolithic.

The Paleolithic diet is named after the time period thousands of years ago when man ate this and evolved- What we ate determined how we evolved. It’s the ideal diet for many people today. Most everyone can greatly benefit from this diet. It consists of green, leafy vegetables and fish, eaten everyday. Also nuts and berries, and occasionally beef. The coldwater fish oils are the important resource our brain needs, as well as the nutrients from the leafy greens. Trace minerals are in nuts and berries, and beef contains amino acids, all very important to sustain levels of in diet.

A programmer is usually busy or pressed for time, and a good programmer is lazy in practice, which all works on-the-job, but is a lifestyle that makes it difficult and inconvenient to take care of oneself properly.