Working and Trying to Eat Healthy
By Stephen R. Farris
When you're at work, your food choices aren't so great for breaks and lunch, or breakfast and dinner depending on the shift you're on. Sure, there's plenty of chips and candies available, sandwiches that are not always filled with nutrients -- and check out all those drinks you have to choose from, most being the soda variety with lots of sugars.
Unless you cook and prepare healthy work meals at home, brown bagging it essentially, then there's literally no healthy options and we dare not talk about fast-food as being a practical choice either.
Luckily, that can all change if you set your mind to eating more healthy.
Out With the Processed, in With the Fresh
A lot of times at work we keep some goodies in the desk drawer or on top. Most of those goodies are chocolates, gummy worms, sour cherries or some other type of sugary delicacy that's not good for us. Rule No. 1, get rid of all those and replace them with bananas, apples, oranges and nuts. Rule No. 2 -- you knew it was coming -- see Rule No. 1.
Meal Planning
You know you have to work during the week and, as we touched on earlier, plan ahead to prepare those meals. In your own kitchen, you're in control. You can pick foods with the needed nutrients and minerals you need to stay healthy. Most workplaces have microwaves and refrigerators to cook and store food in.
Ask Bob to Join You For Lunch
On average, according to recent research, about 62 percent of American workers consume their food at their desk. Instead of eating by yourself, ask a coworker to join you at break time. Eat light, then maybe head outside and walk around until it's time to punch the clock again.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking sodas doesn't keep us hydrated. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day, especially if you sweat a lot, is one of the best ways to stay hydrated. A lot of people don't like the taste of water and opt for the sugar filled beverages, but you can add lemon or different kinds of fruits and berries to water to give it flavor. Besides, do you really want that extra 240 calories from that 20-ounce soda filled with sugar? Imagine if you drank three or four each workday, that's 720-960 empty calories. And if you're counting your calories, those sodas can take a big chunk out of your daily total. Not what you want if you're trying to maintain or lose weight.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lawrenceville, Ga.