There are some four letter words that should not be uttered in public.  Diet is one of those words.  We as Americans are totally bombarded by new dieting trends every year from high carb, low carb to no carb eating plans that screw up our bodies.  Depriving your body of carbs is not necessarily a good thing. Carbohydrates are needed for your mitochondria to properly function because these are the power producers. So in this issue of your transformation into the Dapper Man, we need to talk frankly about what you are eating.  Food is not your friend, food is fuel.  It takes the right fuel to power up the Dapper Man and the right foods to get you to the next level.

Getting to the next level is difficult when the Super Bowl is looming, sweeps week is coming up and March madness is right around the corner.  Those little deep fried delights covered in melted butter and hot sauce can ruin the Dapper Man’s diet.  It is worse when you pair that with deep fried tortilla squares smothered in cheese, covered with beans and guacamole and washed down by a few cold Coronas.  Let’s take a real look at it.

And just like that, you have just eaten nearly 3,000 calories.

If you are truly looking to transform yourself, as a Dapper Man, the changing has to be on more than the outside.  It is great to look sexy with a fresh haircut and smell like a night of pillow biting, but none of that means anything if your arteries are clogged and you can’t climb a flight of stairs.

According to choosemyplate.gov, a man between 19-50 years old should have at least 3 cups of vegetables a day.  No, this does not mean you should have a V8, it means you need some leafy green veggies to keep that colon clean.  Nice roughage like kale, broccoli, and cabbage are needed to sustain a healthy system.  It doesn’t hurt to have a salad every now and then, but if you do, try some spinach instead of iceberg. As a matter of fact, instead of using regular lettuce on your sandwich, replace it with spinach. Your woman will think you are all cosmopolitan and classy for adding some variety to your eating habits.

That’s what a good diet is all about, knowing and understanding what your body needs to work well. Your body will not work well if you are loading it up with greasy fried foods and tons of red and fatty meats. Yet, you don’t want to do anything too drastic, or your lady will think you are trying to cheat on her.

Be honest with the woman you love and  tell her you are trying to cheat death.

Changes to you diet should begin slowly.  Instead of deep frying those wings and melting the butter with cayenne pepper for the sauce, try baking the wings and using vinegar based dip or dry rub.  Another great tip is to finish that Corona and then fill the bottle up with cold water.  You have the satisfaction of turning up the bottle, but not chugging down the calories.

It is cool to chunky but funky, but chunky doesn’t live long and funky just ain’t sexy. So next time before you bite into that thick burger, think about your heart and health.  The Dapper Man understands his dietary needs.  A bad diet gives you bad diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, and slows the functionality of your organs.

If you want to keep track of what you are truly taking into you body, there are a few apps that you can download. Today is a new day.  Time to think differently about your life and your body. Don’t forget, healthy hair, nails and skin starts on the inside.

Be daring, be different, be dapper.