How long can we last on pastry and coffee? It’s time to start taking our sprint nutrition seriously

Of all the activities I take part in the Drupal community, sprinting is my favourite. Coming together with new and old friends to push forwards is a great feeling. Many events around the world are realising the power of sprinting and working hard to accommodate them.

But every sprint I go to I feel completely drained. I feel like I need a holiday after a week long sprint. Part of this is down to diet. Refined sugar, pizza, and caffeine is a short term solution to a long term problem. Quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, they give you a quick high, followed by an unavoidable crash.

In terms of actual nutrients, in refined sugar there is only one: the above mentioned sucrose. It makes up 99.9% of the product. There are no vitamins, minerals, trace elements, fiber, water, protein, fat, or anything else. Nutrients such as chromium, manganese, zinc, magnesium, and copper have been lost in the refining process. For that reason, it has been said that sugar provides “empty calories.”

Annemarie Colbin - SUGAR! Delicious and Deadly

By the second day of a conference, hackathon, or sprint. I need a coffee and pastry before I can start looking and thinking straight. It’s a non-stop cycle, and that’s exactly what most sprint venues provide.

Time to kick the habit

We need to start being more responsible over our bodies and minds and need to ask our kind hosts to be more responsible. It may be a sprint, but life is a marathon. Let’s replace the coffee, pizza, and donuts with healthier options.

Boost your brain powerB1, B2, B3, B5, B12, Folic Acid.

Essential for energy production, brain and nerve function. Find them in:

• Broccoli
• Mushrooms
• Watercress
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Hazelnuts
• Cashew nuts
• Walnuts

Fight the Drupal fluVitamin A, Vitamin C.

Strengthens the immune system – fights infection. Needed for healthy skin, bones, and joints. Works with Vitamin B to produce energy. Find them in:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Strawberries
• Melons
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Mangoes
• Apricots

Up your moodZinc, Vitamin C.

Helps produce the anti-stress hormone. Aids ability to cope with stress effectively. Find them in:

• Pecan nuts
• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Whole wheat bread
• Whole wheat pasta
• Shrimps

I really hope we can raise expectations around sprints and the level of food available.

Wunderkraut cares about Healthy Web Projects making healthy decisions with our clients and with our employees. We favour long term benefits over short term. We aim for sustainable projects instead of exhausting projects.

That's why we're sponsoring the sprint buffet at the Drupalaton sprints. As well as the usual snacks, there will also be a range of healthy foods to help your productivity and happiness. "We care about the Drupal community and all the participants that push Drupal 8 forward.

Drupalaton is the perfect event to kickstart this initiative. Four days of blue skies, clear water, and sprinting.

Let's sprint healthy!