Wednesday 8 September 2010

A very late lunch!

I often talk about the importance of eating regularly but with the best will in the world sometimes you're just so busy you that you find yourself eating lunch at 4:30pm!

In a busy city job, courtesy of back to back meetings and short deadlines, it can be hard to find time to eat. When you're extremely busy or under a lot of pressure your stress response also suppresses your appetite so you won't always even feel like eating.

So how do you cope when you simply don't have time to eat?

Firstly make sure you drink plenty of water .. take it into meetings or have a good gulp as you swing by your desk - it's always important to stay hydrated.

Eat foods that are super easy to digest as your digestive process may be suppressed through stress. Smoothies, vegetable juices and natural yoghurt are great options. Keep some whey or rice protein powder in your desk to shake into smoothies or stir into yoghurt for some easy to digest protein.

Chew your food thoroughly - when you're in a rush the temptation is to wolf your food down but it's even more important to chew thoroughly when you're under pressure as this makes it easier for your stomach to digest your food properly.

Eat something small every 3-4 hours even if you're not hungry - have a small piece of fruit with a few nuts, a healthy snack bar (wallaby, nak'd, fruitus), a couple of oatcakes or a bounce protein ball.

Be prepared - if you know a busy day is coming up make sure you have a substantial breakfast before you get started and make sure you have some quick snacks to hand.

If you find yourself regularly skipping breakfast and/or lunch it may be time to examine your schedule ... having the odd day where this happens is fine but if you do this regularly your health is likely to suffer.
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