 Okay, be honest, when was the last time you ate or drank something you knew you shouldn't have? As members of the military, it is crucial to be able to perform at work. So, fueling from inside out, being selective regarding what you eat and the timing of your meals can have a significant effect on your body and brain's performance. Nutrition plays an important role in our everyday lives. For instance, how will the decision to skip breakfast as you rush to work impact the rest of your day? Definitely don't skip a meal. When you're trying to do anything with nutrition, skipping a meal is the worst that you can do. So yeah, I'd rather just have a small arm meal or a little bit of that. If sleep is to be sacrificed, energy drinks are the answer, right? Not so, says Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Wallinger. There is no substitute for sleep. However, if choosing something to increase your alertness and concentration, natural forms of caffeine tend to have more of a benefit than the synthetic ones. So alternatives to energy drinks would be the natural forms of caffeine, which are your unsweetened teas and coffee without all the sugar and fat added. If nutrition is so simple, then why do we make it so complicated? Statistics show that now there are more obese and overweight Americans than ever, and yet diet books continue to be best sellers. It's asking you to change or leave out whole food groups and whatnot, and it's only for a certain amount of time. That's really something you want to avoid constantly, mainly for the fact that yeah, you might lose some weight, you might improve with it, but then what's going to happen when you're done with that period of time? That's a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Keep in mind that the average adult should consume around 2,000 calories per day. Gender, height, weight, and exercise levels can affect these numbers. Note, a single meal at fast food restaurants can be almost a full day's calories. In fact, one large serving of french fries alone can total up to 500 calories. Just because you exercise doesn't mean you burn off those extra calories from that fast food restaurant. To put that into context, you would have to do over 400 burpees in order to compensate for that one large order of french fries, and over 200 burpees for that average slice of pepperoni pizza. Let's also keep in mind that that calorie comparison from fast food restaurants versus a dietitian-recommended lunch could reduce your calorie intake significantly. The importance of dietitians in the Navy and DOD at large comes down to one word, readiness. Dietitians play a key role, whether it's educating and counseling service members around the globe, or advocating for programs and policies. So, if you feel like you need to see one, look them up at your current command or installation and set up an appointment.