First Steps Towards Healthy Eating
In the 'new normal', we are forced to confront our health and hygiene habits. From a simple hand washing technique to what kinds of foods we are regularly taking inside our body, we have a lot to change if we wish to live a normal and healthy life with the threat of new and novel viruses and diseases around us.
And change is hard. It is difficult to re-do a whole lifestyle, but we have to start somewhere. It takes 21 days to build a new habit, so why not make today your day one of twenty-one as we look at these five tips on how you can start your healthy living journey!
Eat a good breakfast
Studies show that skipping breakfast detracts from being active, creative and productive throughout the whole day. When there isn’t time to sit down and enjoy your morning meal, grab a bagel, piece of fruit and some juice. Most of these items can be easily stored in your bag and easily munch on it when you arrive at your workstation while sending your early morning emails or fulfilling orders from last night.
If you must eat fast foods, choose wisely
Choose pizza with half the cheese, a regular size roast beef sandwich, baked potato or green salad with reduced calorie dressing. Limit high fat offerings like French fries, fried chicken or fish sandwiches. Also, check out local offerings from your town. The local restaurant might offer fast food items on the cheap and most of all, healthier.
Keep healthy snacks on hand
This way, if hunger strikes during a late night working session since almost all of us have something to catch up, you won’t be tempted by eating sweets and unhealthy products like candy, chips or ice cream. Possibilities include fresh or dried fruit, pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, rice cakes or whole wheat crackers. If you have a refrigerator, consider raw vegetables with low-fat yogurt or make your own sandwiches. The extra time you take from spreading your favorite spread on the bun or bread of your choice will be a sort of timeout to the stress of the work.
Eat plenty of foods rich in calcium
People in their early working ages need to be building up stores of calcium in their bodies to prevent osteoporosis later in life. If you don’t like milk, try to include ample amounts of low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese and green leafy vegetables in your diet. A good source of calcium can always be found somewhere, so take the time to switch your late night cup of coffee with a warm glass of milk.
Limit your alcohol intake
If you drink alcohol, keep in mind that it supplies calories but no nutritional value. A light beer, a glass of wine or an ounce of liquor each has about 100 calories. There may also be health problems associated with drinking alcohol. Also, would you really like to beat up your liver with the alcohol? Maybe this quarantine and the localized liquor bans made you realize that drinking beer or wine is not that important at all to survive.
Last tip, one for the road: Enjoy your food
Food is a lot more than nourishment for our bodies, so take the time to enjoy and savor it!
