As busy people, most of us can probably admit to having skipped a meal or eaten potato chips for breakfast in order to save time and get other things done. With a datebook so full you can’t even pencil in restroom breaks, you might think your eating habits and schedule aren’t of enough importance to be a priority. Really, though, deciding what and when to eat should always be at the top of our to-do lists. Food is our body’s fuel. Food can influence whether we are fit or overweight, healthy or sick, happy or depressed—needless to say, eating properly is crucial to many aspects of our lives. If you struggle to make time for eating during your busy day, here are a few tips on how to fix that: 1. No matter how hectic your morning is, don’t skip breakfast!According to Live Science, people who skip breakfast are actually a third more likely to be obese than those who eat a good breakfast. (Susan E. Matthews, Live Science) Eating a healthy, protein-filled breakfast not only provides energy for your day, but it also helps your body avoid the famished feeling around lunchtime, so you don’t feel the need to ravenously scarf down a five-course meal at noon. If you’re someone who rushes out the door in the mornings, try to go to bed 30 minutes earlier so you can wake up in time to whip up some eggs and sausage.
2. If you have the munchies, munch. Another habit that can actually help with weight loss if used correctly is eating small meals or snacks throughout the day. Consuming healthy snacks throughout the day is a smart way to curb your hunger, keep you from overeating at mealtimes and provide you with natural energy between meals. A couple things to keep in mind when snacking are a) eating snacks that are low in carbs and high in protein, vitamins and good fats, and b) stopping when you’re full. I know the latter seems like common sense, but in our “free refill” society, it can really be a challenge to stop consuming when our bodies have had enough. Listen to your body; eat but don’t overeat. Some ideas for these mini meals are nuts and dried fruit, Greek yogurt, salads and natural-ingredient protein bars. Have them prepared and easily accessible to you for when you get the munchies.
3. Don’t make dinner a calorie fest. Oftentimes working people go without getting their proper caloric intake throughout the day and try to make up for it by gorging themselves at dinnertime. Unfortunately, your body can only convert so much of that food into energy; a lot of it will be stored as fat, which would not be the case had those calories been spread out throughout the day. Do your best to not head into dinnertime desperately hungry. If you can remember to eat breakfast and have those snacks throughout the day, you should be able to manage this one. When you’re thinking about your daily checklist, remember how important food is to your life. Don’t put off fixing your eating habits until later–you don’t want to wait until you’re dealing with obesity, diabetes or other problems to get your diet in order. Eat right today so you’re not paying for it tomorrow. Source: http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/H...-3-Tips-for-Making-Healthy-Eating-a-Priority/
@Helene Lawson that photo of your sandwich gave me a laugh. No, I could never finish that tower of a sandwich even just half of it. I agree with the breakfast thing. However, I seem to skip breakfast once in a while because my routine in the morning had changed. My official start of work is 8 am but to avoid the heavy traffic during rush hour, I leave home at 5 am at the latest and arrive in the office on or around 6 am. I have 2 hours to spend so breakfast is not a problem. However, there are times that I arrive in the morning to a work problem that needed full attention. There, that would make me miss breakfast. Sometimes we finish the emergency work after lunch time. So that's not just breakfast but lunch as well.
We eat healthy.........well, somewhat. (LOL) We love eating vegie's and some fruit while watching NFL or a good movie. Breakfast consists of cereal for my wife, before she heads off to work. For me, it's either cereal or I'll cook up a couple of eggs, make some hash browns, a couple slices of bacon and toast. Add coffee, OJ and milk.........done! Wife loves lobster and I love prime rib. Both love shrimp. Also, baked potato, sometimes French Fries or mashed potatoes. We don't eat like we should, but "oh well".
If more than one rule is too many, then tip #1 is a good one! I try to never skip breakfast. I have cereal with a banana, or toast with jam, and the occasional Waffle with syrup. Eggs of course are a good choice.
4 tips for healthy eating: The most important thing on a package is the ingredient list. The shorter the list, the less processed the food. How much you eat matters more. Measure out food to make smaller portions a habit The time to watch intake is when you're snacking. We get 25% of calories in between our three big meals. Herbs & spices aren't just for flavor. They're packed with phytonutriehts that boost metabolism and memory and balance blood sugar.
Yesterday I made a routine visit to my doc. It's been nearly a month since I had a beer. I lost some weight. Doc was happy about that. So happy, she said I need to reduce my fluid intake and sodium even more. Cut out canned food, eat frozen veggies. I can't eat red meat and a meal of veggies isn't a meal. Last time I cut my fluid intake down, I blacked out from dehydration. Gee doc, I don't want to live to be 100, nor spend my last years nibbling on celery and sipping on water. I'm about to say h**l with it.
We have to remember, Ike, that the docs are human beans. Maybe you could make small changes, one at a time and see how you feel. After all, you are in charge.
Thanks for the tip for healthier eating. Alas though dinner is when we usually have a big meal. I tried to lighten it up, but old habits die hard. I have more fruits now days and we eat more oatmeal for breakfast too. We try to change for the better and your tips really helps. Staying healthy is a priority for us as I suppose it's a priority for most everyone. It's just retraining oneself for the better that's a bit hard to accomplish.
I work long hours in the winter and have been in the habit of packing food in the morning. I never got over this habit, when my son was in school he refused to eat a school meal so I had to make him a lunch everyday. You would probably laugh at me because I manage to take one of the small recycle type grocery bags with me to work every day. What I do is on the weekend I cook. I mean really cook more then one big meal so that I have enough to take for lunches for a few days. Today is rainy and colder then it has been in awhile so I will probably do a large roast this weekend, and I almost always do sauce for pasta. That way I can make sandwiches, or meat and gravy for over rice or something like that. Then at work we just reheat. I usually take cereal or fruit for when I get to work or as a snack before I leave in the evening so my blood sugar don't drop. I almost always have nuts in the bag. In the bag I have containers that I use for milk or orange juice, and leave tea in my desk for an afternoon tea. I found that by doing this I really stayed away from the junk food and was able to better control my calorie intake. I have one huge vise though- I love Pizza!
I like to keep trail mix for the munchies. I find that when I have something crunchy that I can munch on I avoid over eating, munching during the day on healthy food instead of chips and candy is a good habit to develop.