Your magnificent machine is, in fact, a symbiotic collection of diverse, yet related sub-systems, coordinated and operated by a three pound mass of wrinkled gray matter known as your brain. Yes, our bodies are a true miracle, a wonder to behold. Every minute chemical change in one body system can adversely effect or benefit any or every other system. A small electro-chemical imbalance in our brain, our control system, can mean a near shutdown of our entire body. Precision balance is the standard mode of operation.

Why such a technical description of the human body? Simple; just like a finely tuned piece of electro-mechanical machinery, our bodies are sensitive to changes in inputs and outputs. The analogy is strikingly accurate. Our work quality and quantity output is in direct proportion to our food, drink, medicinal, sleep and other inputs.

The old computer adage of garbage in, garbage out is quite literally interpreted when it comes to our human body. If you load your incredible machine with simple carbohydrates and saturated fats, you will find it somewhat difficult just staying awake long enough to learn anything, let alone experiencing all of the energy-robbing additional weight that youll soon be carrying around. Think before eating that fourth donut. What and when we eat has a great deal to do with our ability to learn, concentrate, remember, stay alert and perform tasks.

It has been alleged human beings are actually a brain with a body to carry it around! Think about it. Scientists tell us that our bodies, not our minds, can go for a great deal of time without sleep. Sleep is for the brain. Sleep is the downtime that our brain needs to refresh itself and be ready for the next day. The brain is an electro-chemical masterpiece of Divine design, operating perfectly in equilibrium. It needs the right balance of glucose and water to function properly or it develops headaches and sleepiness.

Everything that you consume affects your brain chemistry. Too much simple sugar or saturated fat and you will fall asleep. A little caffeine and we perk up. A big meal and were sleepy. You must learn to eat sensibly and strategically for whole life and brain health. A casual approach can lead to lethargy and obesity.

The quality, quantity and timing of our eating can be critical to our performance. I will not attempt to dig deeply into the chemistry of all these elements at this juncture; that material is available in the many volumes of human nutritional and chemical data that has amassed over the last several decades. For our purposes here, know that consumption of too many of the wrong foods can hinder our performance and production.

Inordinate quantities of the wrong foods will most certainly hinder our learning capabilities. If our brains are sensitive to small chemical changes, then our eating and drinking habits, causing sometimes huge chemical reactions in our brains, will most certainly affect our ability to learn and perform tasks adequately. Awareness of these elusive facts can aid us in maintaining peak performance.

Lacking energy or drive because of our poor eating habits, we will most likely fail to get our work done effectively. Our job performance and income will suffer as a result. On the other hand, if we eat and drink strategically, we assure ourselves of maintaining a high-level state of learning and earning. That is smart, proactive thinking on your part.

What do we need to do? First, get the proper amount of sleep. For most people, this is 7-8 hours each night. Next, jump up from the sofa, turn off the television and get some exercise. You might even begin to like it. You will certainly enjoy the added energy a fit body provides. Besides, when you are busy exercising, you are not laying in front of the television eating a variety of junk foods.

Eat complex carbs like fresh, whole fruit, garden-fresh vegetables and whole wheat bread. Drink soymilk and lots of water to flush out your system. Eat lean meats and fish in reasonable quantities. Limit sweets and caffeine. Eliminate your consumption of simple processed sugar and flour, especially foods containing high fructose corn syrup. Stay clear of trans-fats as well. Did you know that a typical soft drink has in excess of 17 teaspoons of sugar? How many of those do you currently drink each day?

Look at the labels on foods, paying particular attention to serving sizes. You may be shocked to learn what you actually have been feeding your body and brain. Look at the chemical additives. Many commonly eaten foods lack any substantial nutritional value yet will most assuredly slow you down and add to your girth. Some common examples are french fries, soft drinks, ice cream, potato chips, big cookies, fast food hamburgers and so on. These are not quality brain foods.

There are possibly a thousand books on proper diet available to you. I suggest that you learn more about your optimum health and develop your plan. For our purposes, you now have the building blocks of your dietary strategy to help you optimize your physical chemistry, thus providing you with the greatest possible advantage in learning and performance.

Learn to be smart about your food choices; your learning will be more productive. Eat and drink in a responsible and intelligent manner. After all you are what you eat.

Daniel Sitter

Daniel Sitter has been a student his entire life. He continues to assimilate and synthesize knowledge from dozens of sources and a wealth of personal experiences over a twenty five year period into material that he draws inspiration from. He has been fascinated by the workings of the human brain and various learning strategies in particular. He often ponders why it is that some people are more receptive to change, are more productive and earn substantially more than others, even within the same industry. He has observed that many people are frustrated that they find learning to be a difficult and tediously slow process and he seeks solutions to their dilemma.

The author has attended dozens of seminars presented by the foremost authorities on human performance, personal development, psychology, sales, family, manufacturing and business. He enjoys the viewpoints of others and has absorbed their accumulated knowledge at each event. He has read and listened to dozens of books and audio programs in a variety of disciplines. Fueled by an insatiable hunger for knowledge and personal development, Dan continues to apply the principles he has learned into all aspects of his life on a daily basis. The results are continuously evident.

Dan has a wealth of business, sales and marketing experience in the technical fields. He has made a career in the mechanical/electrical engineering industries as an automation/fluidpower specialist. He holds a BS degree from the University of Akron, but he is quick to point out that his real education actually began after his formal education had concluded. An advocate of continuing education, Dan is always feeding his mind with new material that can help him to be continuously growing beyond his current comfort zone. He has designed and written numerous industry newsletters, business and personal development articles, various marketing materials and has authored the popular, breakthrough e-book, Learning For Profit, which teaches principles for accelerated learning and personal growth.

His hobbies are guitars, music, Shotokan karate, computers and electronics. An avid musician, Dan has played in a number of bands over the years and has written and performed dozens of original songs.

A devoted family man, Dan has been married for 21 years, has teenage children, a dog and a cat. He enjoys working out, family dinners on Sunday, relaxing trips to the beach and eating spicy ethnic foo