Are you too busy to eat healthy?
Busy people and healthy nutritious meals rarely go together. Who has time to eat when you are running in fifty different directions? I know I don’t. It takes time to cook a healthy nutritious meal – not including the time it takes to plan, shop, and prepare to cook the meal. This is the reason we choose the “ready made” meals or just go out to eat and not cook at all. But, of course, this means we are eating foods high in fat and calories and absolutely no nutrients that our bodies need.
Is it possible to be busy and eat healthy?
What if I told you that eating healthy will actually make you more productive – would you believe me?
This is my challenge to you – put the following to practice for thirty days and see if you don’t feel better and are more productive. After thirty days, come back and let me know how you feel.
I took the challenge and I can say that “YES” this works. I’m busy and I don’t take time to plan and cook nutritiously, but I can honestly say that all of that has changed since implementing these five strategies in my daily life.
ere are 5 ways that you – a very busy person – can eat healthier:
Always have breakfast
I know, you don’t have time. This is where planning comes in. Make it a point to eat breakfast everyday and NOT the fast food breakfast from a drive-thru or your favorite doughnut / coffee shop. A real breakfast.
You need to jump-start your metabolism, so decide on a high fiber and high protein breakfast. For myself, I try to eat 20g of protein for breakfast. This gives me enough fuel for the entire morning.
Choose fiber rich foods like oats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Eggs are packed full of protein – especially local free range eggs (have you seen how yellow those yokes are?).
Stay away from the processed, high sugar and low fiber foods. When choosing what to eat, ask yourself what benefit will you receive – “crash and burn” or “rise and shine”. Let’s go with “rise and shine.”
Plan ahead
You’re used to planning, so start planning how to eat healthy. Pick your time and plan out next week’s menu – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Weekends may be the best time to plan and prepare your meals. Don’t forget to include some nutritious snacks.
Don’t have time to go shopping – use the internet. I buy all of my groceries from online stores. I buy my meats and vegetables from local sources. Life is even easier when you sign up for automatic services where your standard monthly items are shipped on the date you choose.
Always choose organic and nutritious foods. Learn to read the labels and stop eating foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Choose whole grains, and antibiotic-hormone free grass fed meats.
You may have local farmers that will deliver a box of fresh vegetables to your office each week. Do a little research and you may be surprised at how easy it is to receive nutritious food right to your door.
Drink Your Water
When your feet hit the floor in the morning – go drink 8 ounces of water. Then, drink water all through the day.
You may be surprised to know that when you are having that mid-morning snack attack, that you are actually dehydrated. Try this, the next time you go to reach for a sugary snack, drink 8 ounces of water instead. Add a little lemon or lime to perk your water up and add a little pep to your day.
Eat Healthy at Restaurants
Challenge of the day, I know, especially when you are running around town dropping your children off at their various activities. My son thought that the only place you could eat lunch was at the local fast-food restaurants.
My grandchildren have resigned themselves to the fact that “grandma doesn’t go to fast food restaurants anymore.” Oh well.
You can eat out, in fact I eat out every weekend – hubby has decided that my healthy eating habits are not to be taken seriously on the weekends. Yet, I still can eat healthy.
Eating healthy is a choice and most restaurants have healthy menu options. Plus, you can always ask for steamed vegetables and grilled meat and choose fruit for your desert.
Alcohol and Healthy Eating
You may be one who enjoys drinking alcohol to wind down after a busy day and it has been shown that an occasional glass of wine is actually beneficial for your health. Just remember, alcohol is empty calories and the over consumption of alcohol can also have a negative impact on your health. Drink wisely and keep your eye on your health.
Are You Too Busy To Eat Healthy?
Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean that your health must suffer. As we get older our body fights to maintain its health. When we choose to not take care of our health we suffer. Take action today and start your journey toward a healthier leaner you.
These five steps are easy to implement, it just takes a little pre-planning on your part.
Are you ready to get started on your wellness journey? Healthy eating is just one step toward living a healthy balanced life. I’m here to help you get started on your journey toward Balanced Health. Schedule your complimentary Wellness and Nutrition Session today and discover how you can get started.