You are what you eat.

If that is true, I should be a half-pound of lean ground beef, complete with four strips of bacon and enough melted cheddar to cover my entire body.

Yes, I am a bacon cheeseburger.

In high school I was known to inhale two Big Macs and a large fries in six minutes flat (true story).

When my friends and I would stop for a late night sub, I’d have half of mine gone before they could sit down at the table.

Pizza, chicken wings, Chinese food, you name it – I was one with the deep fryer.

Mind you, I was playing football, baseball and hockey so all those calories were being burned off almost as quickly as I could ingest them.

Flash forward 25 years – I still weigh the same, except it’s now concentrated in all the wrong places.

I eat skinless chicken, 12-grain bread, low-fat cheese, and (occasionally) even the odd veggie burger.

What happened?

My taste buds sure as hell didn’t want to make the change.

I guess being constantly bombarded by the media on the long-term effects caused by eating crap may have had something to do with it.

Today, it’s not uncommon to see power shakes and nutra bars at your local convenience store.

Weight loss beverages are being sold beside chocolate bars (that’s like having the devil sitting on one shoulder and an angel sitting on the other) and some truck stops are taking the lead in giving the trucker a healthy eating alternative by offering low-fat and calorie reduced meals.

I’m definitely not a nutritionist – I leave that up to Karen Bowen, our health and nutrition columnist – but it seems to me that if you’re making a living behind the wheel of a truck, you’re more likely to have poorer eating habits than the average nine to five office worker.

Let’s face it, it’s often easier to grab a burger combo at a fast food joint than a good, healthy meal.

When was the last time you had a piece of fruit?

I bet for most of you it’s been weeks.

The effects that not eating properly cause may not surface until later on in life.

Unfortunately, by that time, it is often too late to do anything about it.

I’ll be the first to admit we could all use that nagging wife (or husband) to keep us on track from time to time.

The next time you want something to munch on, instead of buying that bag of chips why don’t you throw caution to the wind and try a power bar?

Who knows, you just may like it!

Rob Wilkins is the publisher of Truck News and he can be reached at 416-442-2097.

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