Eat Healthy as You Work at Home (WAH Series)
Lunch at the Office
Remember your lunches at the office? You sat in the break room filled with people you didn’t like, breathing unpleasant odors, and eating a frozen dish that you heated in a dirty microwave – OR – you went out to lunch, spent far too much money to gulp down a quick meal filled with empty calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats and rushed back to stay within the allotted lunch time.
…. such is the reality of office life, and not good for your health for many reasons.
Pleasurable Eating
Eating should be a pleasurable experience – one that nourishes your body and refreshes your spirit. I have written numerous postings about the importance of eating healthy, nutritious meals; but, today I want to talk about the opportunity you have to eat healthy as you work at home.
Every day you can look forward to healthy, delicious meals – morning, noon, and night (plus snacks) – and actually enjoy the experience of eating.
To start, put the microwave into the category of a back-up tool that is rarely used – except to heat water for tea. You can now afford the luxury of actually cooking – steam, broil, bake, fry, grill or slow cook – without taking anything away from what you want to accomplish in your business.
Imagine This . . .
After having a hearty, healthy, tasty breakfast, you go to work at 8:30 (in your comfy lounge wear). The morning is very productive and the clock nears 11:00 a.m. when you feel the low rumblings of hunger begin.
No more watching the clock until you can finally leave for a quick lunch. You take a break, pull out a fresh, organic chicken breast which you season with a little olive oil, fresh parsley, ground pepper and crushed garlic and pop it in the oven to bake. Next, chop a few fresh veggies and place them in the steamer, ready for the click of a switch in about 20 minutes.
Back to work you go to finish up the project you were working on. You delight in the scrumptious aroma of good food cooking as you complete your task at hand. In 20 minutes you stand up, stretch, and click on the steamer – then 20 minutes later, lunch is served.
Mindful Eating
No rush, no fuss – just hot, delicious, fresh food on a real plate with real silverware . . . so nice. You can take your time eating a pleasant leisurely meal. You can experience the joy of mindful eating that is wonderful for your health, and helps you lose weight at the same time.
But – you say – I can’t waste time cooking and eating, I have to use my time productively and get the work done and you are right – you do have to get the work done, and you will.
The good news is that “you are the boss,” so you can cook what you want, when you are hungry, and enjoy the meal. You can choose to eat according you your body’s needs – not according to your manager’s designated time allotments.
You are no longer tied to a desk and allowed to eat only in designated areas. You can eat whenever and wherever you like – maybe even on the back patio or across the street at the park. You can enjoy the fresh air, the sounds of nature, and soak up some vitamin D while you are at it.
You may live in an area when fresh, healthy restaurants are plentiful and every so often you choose to sample one of their meals. You can always start work a little early, or work a little later in order to give yourself a little more time at lunch. You may even want to go avoid the rush-hour crowd by eating during off-hours. Treat yourself and call a friend to meet you there. Take the time to talk and have a few good laughs.
Use your time wisely, and also give your self the time you need and want to relax and enjoy your meals. Then, when you get back to work, you feel satisfied, content and refueled – ready to go for another few hours.
Another great thing about working from home is that you can take an early morning trip to the local farmer’s market or to a nearby Sprout’s to buy the freshest food possible for a great lunch and/or dinner.
With a little planning, you can buy fresh foods for two or three days at a time. Then, do most of the prepping on one day and whip up quick, easy meals on the two following days whenever you are hungry.
Cooking and eating healthy, delicious meals on your own time-table should be part of the FUN of working at home.
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