The Wellness of YOU! — Part Thirteen
How To Eat Right When You’re Busy
January 26, 2006
How To Eat Right When You’re Busy
January 26, 2006
One of the often used excuses for not keeping up with our wellness and fitness program is, “I’m way too busy to take the time!”
There is a fallacy to that, though — an important fallacy. When you are racing around trying to keep up with a crazy schedule — that’s when healthy eating is more important than ever. Your body is much more able to handle the stress of meeting deadlines when it has been given good nutrition.
Here are some thoughts on how to eat well even when you’re on the run.
When you find it necessary to eat in a restaurant it is so easy to skip your wellness goals — those menus are so tempting and the portions are usually much too large. This is when you can use your intelligence and eat smart.
* Choose restaurants wisely. Restaurants that offer a variety of foods are a good choice. Avoid all-you-can-eat, buffet-only, and dessert-cart places. Try going Asian or vegetarian. They will give you a lot of tasty options.
* Pass on the bread and butter. Or, ask for whole wheat and try it without butter. The best option is to stick with water.
* If you must have an appetizer, order soup made with broth rather than cream.
* Say “No” to the gravies, rich sauces, and breaded and fried foods. Ask to have your salad dressing on the side and use it sparingly.
* Opt for steamed, poached, broiled, baked, grilled, roasted, stir-fried, or lightly sauteed foods.
* If the restaurant servings are huge, split an entré, order one or two appetizers instead, or immediately doggy-bag half your meal for the next day. Eat the same portions out that you do at home.
* Try herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee for dessert. If you absolutely can’t resist the dessert tray, split your sweets with at least one other diner. And, only do that if it’s a rarity. Remember what I wrote yesterday about the sugar.
* Consider ordering a la carte. It might cost more, but your portions are likely to be smaller. You also have a better chance of getting just what you want, the way you want it.
If you have to use the airlines, you know the kind of stress that involves. A good basic rule for your health is to eat only when you’re hungry. Avoid eating because you’re stressed, or bored or just killing time. If you’re truly not hungry, take a brisk walk while you’re waiting for your flight.
As always, skip all the fast food outlets. Look for some fruit, soup, or a good wrap.
If you’re going to get a meal on your flight, order ahead. You can usually get a low-fat or low-salt meal. Or, there are often diet or vegetarian choices as well. Choose sparkling water or plain water for your drink. Avoid the soda.
If you only have 15 minutes for lunch between meetings, don’t ransack the snack machine. Be ready for a quick meal or snack by stocking your office with a few staples:
* Soup or oatmeal you can microwave
* Raisins, apricots, or other dried fruits
* Whole wheat crackers or bread
* Nuts and trail mix
* Granola bars
It’s also a good idea to keep some of those in your car if you have to drive a lot in your job.
And no matter how rushed you are to get on your way in the morning, eat breakfast!
Sometimes we slip up. We overeat or pick less healthy foods because they sound good, we’re stressed, or we just feel like it. If you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll have to compensate for those slips. If you overdo it one day, eat less the following day.
And don’t forget to work in physical activity. At least 30 minutes, five or more times a week can help you maintain your weight and health.
Check out my Amazon link over there on the right and look up these books:
“Guide To Healthy Restaurant Eating”,
Hope S. Warshaw, McGraw-Hill Companies, 2002
“Eating on the Run (2nd Edition)”, Evelyn Tribole, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1991
It’s all about your good health, your wellness goals and your overall fitness.
See you again tomorrow.
Shanti,
Ron
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