Hacking The Hacker’s Lifestyle

What a concept:  imagine if what we ate played a role in our ability to perform at a high level in the workplace and tap into our creative potential much more so that if we try to do so under the influence (of loads of sugar, caffeine and nothing of any nutritional value!).

Hello?

While I’m being sarcastic, the unfortunate reality is that many a workplace environment is brimming with every last thing you could imagine in terms of highly refined, processed (non)food items, free for the taking in the break room and staff lounge.

One particular company based in Washington is known for its unlimited free soft drinks that all of its employees can help themselves to, night or day.

This is precisely why I was thrilled to read about Justin Mendelson, the creator of Hackfit,  who is ” encouraging hackathon participants to embrace healthy habits”.

An article in SFGate.com explains:

“Hackfit – a hackathon Mendelson founded that encourages healthy eating, exercise and a decent amount of shuteye – made its debut in Boston last fall. This weekend, it’s coming to San Francisco.

The junk food-centric, caffeine-fueled culture is deeply embedded in the startup community, said Mendelson, but nowhere is it on display as prominently as the hackathon.

The goal of a hackathon is to create a prototype of an idea in record time – often over a single weekend. For the ambitious software developer, that usually means no rest (or leafy greens).

Considering that exercise, sleep and healthy eating are good for the brain, Mendelson wonders why coder culture so often revolves around late nights, glued to the desk, binging on pizza.”

What a nice change of pace.  Let’s keep making steps in this direction, corporate America!

While I’m not pretending to believe we’re going to see companies turning Paleo overnight, at the very least, if we can start planting these seeds…it’s a start!  

Get moving, get nourished and watch productivity and creativity reach an all time high!