The Importance of Nutrition for Busy People
We have all heard the arguments regarding the importance of a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, in today's extremely busy world, it is very difficult to truly understand just how essential good nutrition is to a healthy life. We rush to our offices each morning, skipping breakfast. We scramble through our days and run out of the office for a very fast lunch. Often, we head straight to the local diner or fast food restaurant for that mid-day meal. We then hurry back to the office and end up not feeling well by about 2 in the afternoon. We fill our cups with coffee and colas and wonder why we cannot sleep at night. We rush to pick up the children from school and then scramble to throw together a dinner at home. We wolf down our dinner and park ourselves in front of the television, exhausted.
This is the average weekday for many people. In fact, this is the average weekday for a majority of the working class in the United States. It is no wonder that we are exhausted, overweight and unhealthy. We are also very often confused about what actually constitutes a healthy meal. This means, even if we have the option of eating foods that are good for us, we generally do not even know which foods to purchase.
The busier we are, the more important good nutrition is for our bodies. The more time we spend running from one situation to another, the more likely we are to get run-down and tired. Because we do not take the time to fuel ourselves with the right nutrients, we are more likely to experience depression, exhaustion and even disease. Very busy people tend to fuel their bodies with foods that are high in calories, sugar and caffeine and low in protein and other valuable nutrients. This is most often because busy people are unwilling to take the extra time to create a nutritious breakfast. Setting an alarm clock fifteen minutes earlier in the morning can make a huge difference in that rush in the morning. Having an extra fifteen minutes might mean the difference between grabbing a cola and a Pop-Tart and sitting down to even a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of fruit. If lacking fifteen minutes of sleep worries you, simply head off to bed a little earlier. Giving yourself the time to eat a healthy breakfast is one of the most important things that you can do for your health and the health of your family. Remember, the habits that you teach your children are the habits that they will take with them to adulthood.
Busy people also tend to overlook what they drink during the day. You might spend plenty of time deciding on a healthy lunch and then add a big glass of cola to the meal. Some caffeinated and carbonated sugary drinks can add 300 or more calories to your meal. Large glasses of soda can have as many as 20 teaspoons of sugar in them. This is terrible for anyone's body, especially the body of a busy person. Avoiding that soda and enjoying a glass of sparkling water or fruit juice is a great way to avoid the sugar-high and afternoon crash that come from unhealthy lunches. Skipping the coffee and sweet tea while adding water to your daily diet can be an excellent way to go from unhealthy to nutritious at lunchtime.
Having a nutritious lunch is another huge effort for busy people. Rather than run out to a restaurant, pack a bag lunch for your mid-day meal. This will save both time and calories. Fast food meals and restaurant meals taste delicious because they are packed with sugars, fats and other unhealthy additives. Being busy means that you need good fuel for your body and restaurant meals generally do not provide that good fuel. The average bagged lunch contains just over 350 calories, minus the drink. The average fast-food lunch can be over 800 calories. Imagine dropping 400 calories from your daily intake. It is easier than one might imagine when small steps are taken to create healthy lunches.
Lunches for the office do not have to consist entirely of salads. A wrap made with lean meats and whole wheat tortillas are an excellent source of nutrition for the busy person. Baby carrots and other vegetables served with a yogurt dressing can be both delicious and nutritious at the lunch table. Whole wheat bagels and low-fat cream cheese make a nutritious lunch that is also very filling. Choosing a healthy lunch is as easy as running out to a fast-food restaurant, it just takes a little more planning.
Dinner is another difficult time for busy people but meal planning can take the hassle out of creating a healthy meal. Writing out a loose meal plan each week can help you stick to eating healthier foods even when you are a very busy person. Meal plans are a great way to keep yourself and your family on track for the coming week without taking up too much of your time. You do not have to stick to the plan if you feel constrained but the plan will take the guess-work out of fixing a healthy dinner when you are pressed for time. Meal plans are great time-savers when you are shopping for dinner, as well.
Taking the time to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner might seem difficult for a busy person but the time spent is extremely important. Without good nutrition, you will not be able to keep up your busy schedule. Eating lunch or dinner at a restaurant can be costly for both your wallet and your health. Putting effort into your nutrition pays better than you would imagine. You will feel and look better. You will have better sleep habits and wake up feeling more rested than ever before. Good nutrition gives you energy that you can depend on and a healthy lifestyle that will serve you well in your busy world.
Eating healthy snacks, making dieting easy!
At Tavva Kitchen we’re passionate about providing the highest quality products with a focus on simple and easy solutions to create daily healthy eating habits.
We believe that the most important factor in achieving weight-loss success is to find a way to cope with your cravings. Our stainless steel storage containers with silicone lids make easy and fun to portion your healthy snacks for IIFYM, Paleo, Keto or any custom diet plan.
Enjoy your healthy food habits!
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