Sometimes the line between living to work and working to live can blur – we all have cable and cell phone bills to pay. But sacrificing health to get through the day should not be part of the job description. In fact, controlling our food and liquid intake during the work day is a win/win for you, coworkers, clients and even the boss.
Sticking to well-rounded, nutrient rich fare throughout the day helps stabilize blood sugar, mood swings and tummy noises, and keeps you feeding your brain. Productivity, efficiency, happiness – sounds good! So what does this entail?
1. Brown (or Reusable) Bag It
The average working person spends upwards of $40 a week on lunches. That’s more than $2K a year. Aside from the loads of extra calories, lethargy and indigestion that heavy lunches tend to provide, saving money is pretty good argument for kicking the bistro habit.
By controlling your lunches, you can ensure you are getting proper amounts of protein, fats, fiber and carbohydrates to power you through the rest of your day. If you have access to a fridge, try going in with a coworker on a bunch of salad fixings: you can make fresh salads for the week for under $10 each.
2. EAT – and Snack
There are those who don’t spend any money on food at work – because they don’t eat. But how is anyone supposed to make important decisions, sit through long meetings or close lucrative sales when they’re counting down to dinner? Skipping meals wreaks havoc on your metabolism, adds to your stress level, makes you cranky and can actually lead to weight gain.
When meals are properly balanced, we should be fueling up every three to four hours. Eat breakfast, lunch and incorporate healthy snacks throughout the day. Easy breakfast examples include sprouted toast topped with almond butter, honey and a banana, or a smoothie of fresh fruit, almond milk and peanut butter.
Keeping snacks in your car or purse (in case that three hour meeting takes over your lunch break) is a great idea. Snacks may include fruit, snack bars, pumpkin seeds, almonds, preservative free dried fruit, real dark chocolate, carrots and more. Light cold lunches (mainly salads with beans) are usually best for me, but keep cans of organic soups around too so if a bind arises, there’s always Plan B.
3. Water, water, water.
I can’t stress this enough! It is so tempting to reach for that diet soda… but don’t do it! Diet sodas are filled with preservatives and color additives. Although they may be sugar free, they’re often loaded with sodium and other chemicals. If you must have that afternoon Diet Coke, try drinking a giant glass of water first. After 10 minutes, if you still want the soda, then go for it – at least you’ve diluted its effects!
If you don’t like water, try filling a mason jar with fresh squeezed juice and keeping it in the work fridge. Pour yourself a glass of water and add a couple of spoonfuls of the juice and some agave nectar or Stevia to sweeten. (Think of it as an all-natural Crystal Light.) As for energy drinks, all I have to say about them is no. The thought of drinking something reminiscent of Kryptonite… enough said.
4. Limiting caffeine intake.
Limit your caffeine intake to the wee hours of the morning hour, and aim for more natural sources: green tea, matcha tea, yerba mate, etc. If you start making healthy changes to your diet and eating for wellness, I promise that the energy you would normally get from caffeine just happens!
5. Taking time out of the work day to focus on your meal.
Munching in front of a computer screen does not qualify as mindful eating. Eating with intention instead of on the go prevents overeating, promotes digestive health and gives your body and mind a chance to get the most out of the moment. If you only have 15 minutes, take it to the conference room. If you have an hour, take it to a park.
MORE WORKDAY IDEAS:
- Make a smoothie the night before and leave in fridge to grab on your way to work. Sip and enjoy withyour favorite tunes!
photo courtesy of Randi Donahue
- Split the cost with co-workers of a premade veggie platter and hummus to keep in the fridge at work for healthy snacking all week long.
- Make a potluck date with a couple of friends and use the conference room when not in use for an indoor lunch picnic.
- If you know you won’t have time to put together a salad, bring your healthy leftovers from the night before. This saves money, and again you have control over what you are eating.
This post republished with permission from the Home Harvests blog.
Randi Donahue is an aspiring nutritionista, whole foods lover, wellness cheerleader (GO TEAM!), and freelance writer based in Sarasota, FL. She aims for a sustainably holistic and responsibly indulgent way of living. When not in front of the computer writing she is in her edible garden, being entertained by her urban flock of chickens, studying, eating or cooking. You can find garden updates, recipes and other fun posts on her blog Home Harvests.
