Eating better is about feeling better. If you feel like you easily lose focus at work and throughout the day, it could have to do with the food that you're using to fuel yourself. But it can be a challenge to start eating right. Here are a few tips for eating healthy from your friends at Laissez-faire.
Start Off Simple
You don't need to start off by trashing everything in the pantry and buying all healthy food. Instead, it's time to start tracking. Figure out your eating habits. Download an app and track what you eat, what you drink, and how you feel. This gives you your baseline.
It could be that you're already eating pretty healthy. It could also be that you're eating more unhealthy than you thought. And there's a third option: There could be something very specific that's contributing to your lack of focus, such as drinking too much caffeine and not enough water.
In addition to tracking calories and health, track your spending habits, too. Look at your grocery bills and your dining out. When you start adjusting your habits, you'll have two motivating factors: your general health and the amount of money you're saving.
Begin With Meal Prepping
Leaving your meals to the last minute is generally what encourages people to stop eating healthy. Start with a simple meal prep. It doesn't have to be all your meals: it can just be your next week's lunches or dinners. Meal prepping means that you'll need to take the time out of your week once a week, but the rest of the week is going to be simple.
Love variety? Invite a friend to meal prep with you. You'll be able to make more dishes and trade those dishes back and forth, and it'll be a fun experience, too. Once you start meal prepping at least one meal out of the day, you're going to be well on your way to eating healthier.
Planning Meal by Meal
Now that you're getting into the habit of planning out your meals, here are some important tips:
- Breakfast. Don't skip breakfast! It's essential for staying focused throughout the day. We have our own breakfast menu with healthy options for exactly that reason. Consider eggs, oatmeal, parfait: Anything light that's going to give you some energy.
- Lunch. Don't give into fast food for the convenience in the middle of your work day. Plan ahead and make yourself lunch before leaving home for work, or do your meal prepping in advance. Remember, you can always make your meals well in advance and then freeze them! Make foods with grains and greens, or bento boxes that contain both carbs and proteins. A soup with plenty of vegetables will give you some energy in the middle of the day.
- Dinner. While the above meals will prepare you to tackle the work day, dinner is what you need to restore you when you get home. A healthy eating routine will help you stay focused long-term. Add seafood and greens, such as salmon with a side of spinach, kale, beans or beets.
- Snacks. During the day, you might need some snacks to give you an energy boost. Often snacks have a negative connotation, but they shouldn't. Morning tea and afternoon tea can be a necessary refresher for staying focused.
By thinking about your foods in terms of the energy they give and how they make you feel, you'll be able to manage your foods more effectively.
Staying on Top of the Game
- Set and track your goals. The more you know about your habits, the better prepared you'll be moving forward. Your motivation will build as you grow closer to your goals.
- Join up with a friend. They'll help you stay accountable and also have fun. Eating is often a shared experience, and people can miss that when they're trying to eat healthy or on a diet.
- Don't beat yourself up. Everyone has a bad day or a cheat day. That doesn't eliminate your progress.
Staying focused and eating healthy is a continuous process. But it's also something that can become.secons nature over time.
At Laissez-faire, we focus on the idea of food as something healthy and joyous to celebrate. From catering for corporate events to weddings, we can help. Contact us today at (02) 9209 4810 or make an enquiry on our website.