The jobs we do often require long hours in front of a monitor. I’m as guilty as the next guy (um… girl) of skipping a meal here or there when I get too wrapped up in whatever I’m doing. It sounds crazy, because most of the time my days revolve around food- but it does happen.

What’s worse is the consequence of skipping a meal. I know when I do it, I crave the greasiest, carb-heavy entree I can get my hands on because I’m so hungry by the time I sit down to eat. Not good.

Having the right stuff in your bod helps you focus, keeps you awake, and sustains your system for those long periods of time when you’re not eating. There are all kinds of health articles out there that give you tips and tell you all sorts of shortcuts. Get the basics down first!

This article from WorkAwesome gives some practical bits of advice that are actually do-able.

• Drink Water: Did you know air conditioners and heaters make you tired? Drinking at least 500 mL of water helps combat that fatigue, and helps keep you hydrated- which is always a good thing.

• Try and plan for the week: Keep little snacks (fruit, nuts, tuna, soups, vita wheat or rice cakes to nibble on if you get munchy… or set an alarm to remind yourself to snack every few hours. It doesn’t take long, and you can shove peanuts into your mouth between lines of code. Do it.

• Realize that when your body is filled with healthy substances, your mind is sharper, you’re able to focus longer, and you can switch gears faster. Sign me up!

But the best advice of all comes in the form of common sense:

“We maintain our computers, our cars and other mechanisms we need in our work lives but sometimes we forget that our bodies are also necessary for us to work.”