We all
recognize the challenges of being at a desk for the majority of the day. The
problems are long hours of not moving and poor quality of FOOD! My clients
often complain about the food available at the work places, consequently having
a problem with focusing, weight and health. This discussion motivated me to
share good tips to some of you who relate to these issues.
A guide to
healthy “desk dining”
The following
guidelines will help you to better manage these challenges of office eating so
that you can sustain your energy levels, work efficiently and get more out of
your day.
Vending
machines, Office Trolleys and Food/Coffee Shops
Most of the foods offered in these places are high
in saturated and total fat, sodium and/or sugar, and virtually devoid of fibre,
vitamins and minerals.
Eating these foods on a regular basis may result in
erratic blood sugar levels, leaving you with low energy, irritability, poor
concentration,
weight gain and an increased risk of
diabetes, heart attacks and stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and other health
issues.
My
advice
1. Before taking a snack, consider whether you rather
need a break from what you’re
doing. Going for a short walk and getting a breath of fresh air may be all you
need to feel re-energized.
2. Drink a glass of water as you may simply be dehydrated.
3. Do not allow yourself skip meals. Hungry people tend
to make unhealthy food choices, particularly if tempting often unhealthy snacks
are readily available.
Caffeine-Rich
Drinks
Although tea, coffee and cocoa contain beneficial
flavonoids and other antioxidants, the caffeine content limits their benefit.
Overconsumption of caffeine often goes hand in hand with overconsumption of
sugar and refined unhealthy snacks such as biscuits or donuts. Excess caffeine
intake may cause feelings of anxiety, increased blood pressure, insomnia and even headaches.
It can also be a digestive system irritant, causing heartburn, cramping or
diarrhoea in sensitive individuals.
My
advice
1. Before having a cup of tea or coffee, go for a short
walk or a breath of fresh air as it may be all you need.
2. Limit yourself to one cup of coffee per day. Hot
chocolate, cola drinks or energy drinks should not be consumed as they contain
too much sugar and too much concentration of caffeine that increase the risk of
diabetes, adrenal stimulation, high blood pressure or heart palpitations.
3. Avoid coffee and tea creamers, as they are high in
saturated and trans fats, synthetic sweeteners and flavours. Daily consumption
may increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
4. Skip the sugar! Most of us know the reason.
5.
With every cup
of coffee or tea (diuretic beverages), drink a glass of filtered water to reduce
your dehydration.
6. During cold and flu season, try hot water with a
slice of lemon, orange or fresh ginger in it. Herbal teas also count as hydrating
beverages.
Meetings
The challenge with meetings is that either unhealthy
foods are provided or none at all. Foods that offered during meetings typically
are highly refined and high in saturated fat. This will limit productivity, creativity
and definitely will expand the waist line.
How
sharp do you feel after eating a muffin that contains 4 tablespoons of sugar or
poor quality pizza?
My
advice
1.
Be proactive
and if possible, organize healthy food platters for your meetings. You
can also source various catering
outlets that provide delicious smart snack platters.
2. Suggested snack platter items to your usual caterer:
cucumber, cherry tomatoes, hummus,
celery sticks, baby carrot, berries, boiled eggs, chicken strips, grapes, snap
peas, pineapple, sweet peppers, smoked salmon, etc. All yummy and nutritious!
3. Keep your own healthy snacks on hand to consume
during or between back-to-back meetings. Don’t be shy. Be smart!
4.
Ensure that
water is available in all meetings along with the tea and coffee.
5. Rather have a smart snack (bring from home) before
meetings and then a beverage during the meeting.
6. If there are four or fewer of you who need to have a
meeting, consider going for a
walk while discussing the project. This helps to reduce unhealthy snacking. And
let's everyone know that workplace wellness is a very important part of the
company values.
Travelling
This
is a tricky part of our work. Time zone changes create a tough challenge for my
corporate clients.
Whether you spend a lot of time in a car or hotels,
or fly across time zones, travelling disrupts your usual eating routine and can
play havoc with healthier food choices.
My
advice
1. The biggest challenge with meals served on
aeroplanes is almost lack of vegetables and fresh fruit. Make sure you do eat
all the salad and vegetables that are served, or secure the vegetarian or low
cabs meal options before your trip.
2. You can consider having a meal before boarding a
plane, choosing a salad-based meal with an adequate protein serving.
3. Meal timing is the other challenge when travelling.
A main meal should only be
consumed four to five hours after the last main meal. Should you be served a
meal one to two hours after a large meal, eat only a small portion and treat
this meal as a snack. Do not consume the
whole meal.
4. Skip fruit juices, soft drinks and alcoholic
beverages that are offered on the plane. They will spike your blood sugar
causing weight issue especially if you travel frequently. Make water your
beverage of choice. Hydrate yourself while travelling to eliminate false
hunger, dehydration or headaches. If you must ‘sip’ alcohol, match every
alcoholic drink with a glass of water.
5. Remember, travelling and flights are causing
dehydration. Don’t forget to have a glass of water at least every hour.
Be prepared
for your trip!
If you liked this article, please forward it to any of your
friends, family or co-workers that would enjoy reading it and implementing
these tips.
Please
remember, I am here to help you!
Maria Pawlicka M.Sc., BAA, CNP
Certified
and Registered Nutritionist
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