Slay the day without a Munch and a Skipped Lunch

Striving for an optimal YOU lifestyle can be a challenge in the work environment, especially when it comes to nutrition! Whether you work from home or at the office…the temptations to munch are great. It’s never too late to assess your situation and create a plan to break free from the refrigerator break at home or the break room snacks at the office.

It is important to eat healthy so we can be alert and have energy to get through our entire day . When my personal trainer hat is on, I am actively engaged in teaching outdoor fitness classes and helping clients with their strength movements. I become physically tired midday and so hungry I could eat anything! When I am wellness coaching on Zoom calls, looking at a computer all day, I am mentally exhausted and find myself wandering to the kitchen even if I am not necessarily hungry. So, whether I move all day, or sit all day, I am telling you, munching is on my mind many times a day. I have to have a plan because when I am tired, starving and not thinking properly, I will reach for unhealthy options or just eat too much of a good thing!

I do not always have control over the food in my space at the office or at home. So here are a few tips I use, with whatever options lie before, me to help me get through the munchies and slay my day:

I eat a “main meal” at least 30 minutes before my shift.

This starts my engine and helps keep me fueled when my mind and body need it the most, at the start of my workday. Smoothies are my personal favorite!

Eating the right food throughout my workday is just as important as fueling up first thing.

If my tank is empty at any time, just like my car, I won’t get anywhere! More importantly, the quality of my fuel matters. I wouldn’t put regular gas in my Mercedes and expect performance. Premium fuel is required. In short, food affects not just how I feel and what I weigh; it changes how I work. So, I make sure the food I pack or have in my pantry and refrigerator are whole foods, nutrient-dense and plant-based! Clean, premium fuel for high work performance. What do you put in your tank? It makes a difference.

I try not to overthink my meals and make them massive projects to stress over.

I don’t need another project at work. My meals don’t have to be perfect. Instead, I shoot for easy, but healthy: simple proteins, whole grains, fruits and veges packed in Bento Boxes for convenient portion control and creativity. Have you tried these handy meal containers? You can get them on Amazon in my SHOP (check my link above). Game-changers! Hassle-free and nutritious is the key to consistent productivity.

It’s true, eating regularly matters just as much as eating well.

60%, more than half, of my clients admit that they either eat fast at their desks or don’t eat at all at work. The number one claim being “I’m too busy!” with “I don’t have enough time to eat well,” coming in second. The mistake that is made is eating after 2pm, missing lunch altogether. By this later time, they’re famished and craving fat and carbs, which don’t count as premium fuel. This wastes productivity in two ways. First, the low energy caused by hunger saps motivation and attention. Our brains need food to think and stay alert. When hunger hits, it’s hard to concentrate and easy to become emotional, which impedes productivity. Secondly, after the high-carb and high-fat binge late lunch, much of the body’s energy goes to digesting the meal we just ate, rather than doing good work. And here comes that afternoon slump….so avoid skipping lunch and eating late.

Bring high-glycemic snacks to work.

Like bananas and peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread to boost energy throughout the day. I find this to be helpful on my desk days as well as my active days. Never get stuck in a slump. Just as I stock my home fridge with healthy food for the week, I stock my work fridge too. Services like Amazon Pantry and Instacart make this easier than ever! Did you ever get stuck eating huge, expensive, unhealthy meals at work because the options you brought yourself to work weren’t appealing enough midday? Step up your food game to slay the day!

Stress messes with eating habits!

Even slight changes in eating habits can generate stress equivalent to an increased workload. And conversely, stress itself can change eating habits. But I find stress doesn’t just reduce the time I have to eat, it physiologically changes how my body perceives food. When stressed, comfort food quite literally comforts my mind and body, so it is easy to indulge in it to alleviate my stress. The more stressed out I get, the more cravings for high sugar, high fat food, and the more lethargic and less productive my body and mind become. Putting it plainly, eat regularly to reduce stress and reduce stress to improve your diet. Easier said than done, I know, but just take one day at a time, and one hour at a time. How can you destress at work whether it be at home or the office? I love to just take a minute to walk away and get fresh air outside. Take the long way back from break and just be in the moment. Fresh air and sunshine can really make a difference midday! Try it and hit the restart button, revive and survive!

I think it is safe to say that what we eat is the foundation of our work. When we choose to eat well and often, we opt to boost our work energy and reimagine a productive day. Food is fuel. Fuel your day and set yourself up for success. That sounds like an “Optimal You” move to me!