"I have to wait until I'm hungry to eat."
"I don't know where I'll be."
"I don't have time to plan proper meals."
"I don't know how long my meetings will last."
"I'm stuck in my car all day."
Sound familiar?
Letting your body run out of fuel, is like letting your car run out of gas. What happens when your car runs out of gas? We all know the answer to that....IT WON'T RUN. Guess what folks, when we don't feed our body, IT WON'T RUN. And over time your body, just like your car, if you repeatedly neglect to 'fuel it', WILL break down. This 'breaking down' of the body is another topic I will address in the future, but for today's blog, I would like to give you some insight and valuable information to help you fuel your body to keep it running in 'tip top' shape. Now I am not a certified dietician or nutritionist, but I have attended many workshops in the area of nutrition and how it co-relates to the upkeep of a healthy mind AND body. The tips I am going to share with you I have learned over time, through trial and error, educational workshops and reading many, many books on the topic of health and nutrition. If you want more in-depth nutritional coaching and guidance, I would recommend you make an appointment with a qualified health professional that is well versed in that area.
Creating Time To Eat:
If you have just 60 seconds, you have time to eat nutritiously. We all seem to be running on tight schedules these days, so here is where 'Nutritional Survival' comes into play. "Nutritional Survival" simply means having a nutritional '911' plan ready to go. It doesn't have to be a rigid plan; it could be as simple as stashing a few granola bars in your desk, or bringing along a banana to eat on the way to your next appointment. Most of us go to great lengths to plan what we will do in the course of a day, from business meetings to dentist appointments to golf games to driving our kids to their soccer games, loading our computers and Blackberry's with this info to keep us on track. But when it comes to feeding our bodies, we fall short.
It's important to find time to eat, be it a snack, a mini-meal, or a full meal. Ask yourself how you can best fit eating into your schedule. Some days this many seem impossible, but perhaps you could combine eating with another activity? Examples:
* walking to your car, train, plane or classroom;
* getting ready for work, school or a meeting;
* riding on the train, or driving in your car
* working at your desk; or
* killing time between appointments.
Of course it is ideal to sit down for 20 minutes or so and do nothing when eating and savour every bite (mindful eating). But when you are short on time, eating is a matter of survival. It is better to fuel the body in a less-than-ideal setting than to go without eating at all.
Be sure that you go no longer than 5 hours when planning opportunities to eat. Ideally every 2-3 hours is best for keeping energy levels consistent...Your body's primary energy source is glucose (as in blood sugar). Glucose is stored in the liver as glycogen and normally runs out in two to six hours depending on what and how much you last ate. If you do not replenish liver glycogen with food (carbs), your body will run on empty, and it will start breaking down muscle tissue to convert go glucose or start using protein from your diet for energy rather than for its main use in rebuilding muscle, enzymes and hormones. Also eating small meals every 2-4 hours will prevent a decrease in blood sugar, which can cause mood changes, headaches, dizziness, tiredness, irritability, loss of focus, etc.
Planning Meal By Meal:
Breakfast: DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT. A general rule of thumb is to eat within 2 hours of waking or rising. If you are not used to eating breakfast, you may need a little time to get adjusted. Start simple. Leftovers work, or your favourite cereal with milk will do the trick. If this even seems overwhelming, make sure you graze on a morning snack, such as a piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter, or an apple or pear. Breakfast not only fuels the body, but the brain. Try to get into the habit of eating something for breakfast every single day.
Lunch: DON'T SKIP LUNCH. Many of my clients work straight through lunch. Or they run errands on their lunch break....The average hour lunch break has turned into 36 minutes these days. Your body needs a mid day break, not only to replenish nutrients, but to 'clear the mind' and get refocused. Try packing a lunch or throwing some wholesome snacks into your briefcase. Keep healthy foods stocked at the office kitchen, in your car, or in your backpack or briefcase. Brown-bagging your lunch has the advantage of being there, readily available for you to graze on all day long if you don't have time for a real lunch break. Bringing your own lunch also saves money and calories. Try eating away from your desk or workplace for the following reasons:
* helps clear the mind.
* it gives you a rest that enhances productivity.
* it's a good stress breaker.
* it's more enjoyable and satisfying.
* it makes you a more conscious eater.
To get even more relaxed on some days, bring along a book to read or try eating alone rather than with coworkers to get in that much needed and not-enough-of 'me time'.
Dinner: PLAN AHEAD. This meal is the most troublesome meal for most people to plan. After a long day at the office, just thinking about dinner can seem exhausting. You come home and gaze into the fridge or cupboards, as if waiting for something to magically appear. Cupboards are bare and nothing in the fridge seems appealing...your stomach is rumbling, you are irritable, the kids are screaming, sound familiar? Here is one solution that works like a charm (instead of ordering takeout again!): plan your 'dinner entree' meals for the week. This only takes about 5 minutes to do, and can be done a day or two before the work week starts. For example:
Dinner 1. Chicken, veg, quinoa or rice
Dinner 2. Beef chili and spinach salad
Dinner 3. Cheese omelette with sweet potato home fries
Dinner 4. Turkey burgers, pasta salad
Dinner 5. Leftovers
Dinner 6. DINE OUT - Greek Food
Dinner 7. Tuna Steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the cob
To make it even easier to plan the weekly dinners, write a meal list for only 5 meals instead of 7. Generally there will be leftovers and weekends are usually easier to prepare for then hectic weekdays. Having a meal list prepared will also make it easier to do up a grocery list, and will help in keeping grocery costs down. There is nothing worse then going up and down the grocery aisles filling your cart with random items and then over spending at the checkout because of not having a grocery list made up in advance.
Once you have created your meal list, post it somewhere convenient. This will keep you on track when preparing the meal.
Handy Snacks to Have On-Hand:
If you are always on the go, here are some snack ideas to keep you fuelled: these snacks travel well....
* Bagel
* Prepared Bean Soup in a cup (just add hot water)
* Bran muffin (preferably homemade)
* Whole wheat bread sticks
* Whole-grain Cereal (great for snacking on)
* Lowfat cheese and crackers
* Dried fruit
* Fig bars
* Juice box
* Instant oatmeal packet (just add hot water)
* Tuna, snack-size can
Snacks to stash At Work
* unsweetened applesauce
* Low Fat Cheese
* Low fat cottage cheese
* Leftovers
* Salad
* Non-fat or low fat yogurt
BestVending Machine Choices
*Pretzels
*Fruit
*Mini-box of cereal
*Milk or Chocolate Milk
*Sunflower seeds
*Peanuts
Speaking from experience, I always carry a few boxes of Sunmaid Raisins in my backpack or purse on those days I am running behind. I can get really nasty when my system isn't fuelled on a regular basis. If you don't believe me, just ask my loving hubby!
Eating is like breathing. We need to do it to survive. And the more regularly we eat, the healthier we become. Eating on the run CAN be done in a healthful way.
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