Healthy Eating At Work
Jide scrambled out of bed as reality hit him. He was not on vacation in the Maldives, and he certainly had not contemplated losing his job the day before. It was 7am, he had an executive meeting for 8am, and his house? It stood comfortably in a part of Lagos an hour and thirty minutes from his workplace. He moved at an incredible speed and was in his car before 7:15am. He managed to make it to work a few minutes before 8am looking berserk, but comported himself and was in the meeting room just before 8:01am. He smiled in relief, assumed that confident pose that had got him the job in the first place, and successfully bedazzled the company’s executives with his presentation. He deserved a prize for his record breaking travail that morning.
He did not have breakfast and he did not even sip a drop of water. He drank a cup of coffee at some point. But he had another deadline to meet before 4pm, so he skipped his lunch break too. This fateful Monday routine had almost become a norm, and Jide did not know he was adding to the host of things that were becoming wrong with him including the frequent headaches. Six months later, he was diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. He did not plan it, no one would. It started with just skipping meals, and it was something he could have avoided with the right meals at the right time.

Maybe most of us can relate. Life is hard, we have to make money and there is no time to waste time. But health is wealth and this isn’t just cliché. One of the major contributing factors to healthy living is a healthy diet. We are what we eat. So, amidst the hustle bustle of life, the busyness of adulthood and the impending deadlines that loom with no remorse, we must make time to eat well. Here are a few tips that can help:
Plan early :

Be deliberate about your meals. Create a timetable monthly or weekly, whichever is more convenient. Go shopping on weekends for fruits, food and vegetables. Cook in bulk if possible, in anticipation for a busy week. Get healthy cereals for the mornings you might be in a rush. With a plan, there’s a higher possibility you get to eat healthier and depend less on fast food, which leads us to the next tip.

Avoid fast food:

They are quick, of course. But studies have shown that they have higher salt and bad fat content which are important risk factors for raised blood pressure, and a myriad of other conditions that attack vital organs in the body. So, as often as possible, cook from home.

Trade the soft drinks for water:

Everyone knows. Chilled soft drinks are almost irresistible. But asides the high sugar content, when taking in large amounts they can cause kidney stones, especially since they replace water in the diet of so many people. Take water instead, it is healthier. You can put in a slice of cucumber or lemon to give some taste. Water is a better option, any day, any time.

Snack on fruits:

Chips, doughnuts, egg rolls, sausage can be taken occasionally. But way too many times, we bank on them for lunch. Home-made fruit salad, an apple, a slice of water melon, a few pieces of banana are more beneficial to the body than fried foods. They aid food digestion, boost your immunity and reduce the impact of a stressful day at work. You might want to consider stocking up your refrigerator with them at the beginning of each week. Remember you don’t need to cook them. All you need is proper rinsing or washing.

Lunch break is not for more work:

It is for eating. Period. Yes, that work might spillover, you’re aiming for a promotion…these are not sufficient excuses to starve your body. Setting an alarm could help, or maybe having a lunch partner. As difficult as it is, we can all triumph over the unhealthy habit of skipping lunch break.

The benefits of healthy eating outweigh the risks we pose on our bodies when we neglect our feeding habits. Food is expensive and maybe even scarce now, but we can try. Planning always helps and is a good foundation for anything including healthy eating. Hope these tips have been helpful. Cheers to healthy eating and hence, healthy living. Plus, in these COVID-19 pandemic times, boosting our immunity is paramount.

Have a healthy week ahead!