How to Eat Healthy at a Busy Job + Upcoming Park Day!
Asana Recovery Weekly Team Update May 23, 2023
Training Tools
How to Eat Healthy - No Matter How Busy You Are
The benefits of healthy eating go well beyond being able to button your pants or feel confident about how you look. Though those two perks are nice, long-term benefits to a varied, nutritious diet include:
improved health and overall well-being
higher energy
better immune system
reduced susceptibility to stress
mental health benefits
Factors such as having a busy lifestyle, a demanding job, or keeping irregular hours can pose challenges to eating healthy. But, the good news is there are many fast, easy things you can do to make healthy eating possible.
Tips for Healthy Eating
Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a nutritious breakfast will help you kickstart your day, and no matter how the rest of the day plays out, you’ve got one good meal under your belt. Protein makes you feel fuller longer and less prone to feeling hungry, irritable, and less productive, which happens faster when eating a carbohydrate-heavy breakfast.
Blend up a green smoothie. A smoothie is one of the best options for portable nutrition on-the-go. As a snack or a meal, you can pack it full of nutritious ingredients like fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, yogurt, and protein powders.
Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated helps avoid headaches, flush toxins and carry nutrients to your cells. Not all beverages are equal, though, so watch what you drink. Stick with water, coconut water, or unsweetened herbal teas. Consuming a lot of sugar can lead to weight gain and the development of diabetes, as well as a blood sugar crash once your body burns through it. Moderate amounts of caffeine can enhance your alertness and productivity, but too much caffeine can raise your blood pressure and cause dehydration. Bring a reusable bottle to work and keep it filled with water.
Pack your lunch. Fast food may seem convenient, but it’s usually full of excess calories, unhealthy fats, and salt. Pack a healthy lunch the night before and, during work, set aside time specifically to eat it to avoid the temptation (or external pressure) to “work through lunch.”
Keep a supply of healthy snacks. During a busy day, it can be easy to lose track of how much you eat, particularly if your work environment includes a ready supply of snack items or you’re prone to stress eating. Having your own supply of healthy, pre-portioned snacks can prevent you from overeating. Some examples of healthy snack choices include: apple slices with almond butter, hardboiled eggs with hummus, yogurt, air-popped popcorn, and raw fruits and veggies.
Plan and prep meals on your day off. Planning meals in advance can make grocery shopping and preparation easier. Chop vegetables and prepare ingredients on your day off for upcoming stir-fries, casseroles, and sheet-pan meals. Try to do all the time-consuming prep work - like chopping vegetables - all at once, so you always have healthy food ready to go for snacks or meals.
Look into grocery delivery services. If you don’t have time for grocery shopping, don’t be tempted to “grab something from the convenience store” because it usually leads to unhealthy choices and higher costs. Plus, you probably won’t be able to get everything you need, anyway, so you’ll still end up at the grocery store sooner or later. Consider grocery delivery or pickup options or subscription meal services that provide ingredients and recipes for healthy eating. Sometimes the cost is higher but the benefits of convenience and healthy eating may be worth it.
Practice mindful eating. Busy people often try to multi-task, trying to eat and work at the same time. If you eat mindlessly, you’re less likely to perceive the signal from your brain that you’re full, leading to overeating. When distracted, you’re also less likely to make healthy food choices and enjoy your food. So, take 20 minutes to unplug and focus on eating. Eating slowly and chewing food completely can help you eat less and help your body absorb nutrients more easily. Mindful eating, like other mindfulness activities, can improve mental health and reduce stress.
The exception: exercise lunch. The only exception to #8 is if you use your lunch break for exercise. A brisk walk, rollerblading, biking, or any other physical activity that gets your heart rate up is great for mental health, physical fitness, and stress relief. In that case, it’s important not to deprive your body of nutrients so find a way to a way to fit in some healthy snacks. Nutrition shakes or meal replacement bars are convenient, high-value options.
Make cooking social. Chances are, your friends or coworkers also struggle to fit healthy eating and cooking into their busy lives. Turn your meal prep into a social event and prepare a week’s worth of meals with a friend or group. You can enjoy the benefits of socializing and healthy eating. You can also exchange your pre-made meals with others for more variety and “bang for your buck”!
Taking care of your body with healthy food improves mental and physical health and improves your work performance. Like all lifestyle choices, you want to make healthy eating a habit in order to receive the benefits. So, make time in your day (or week) for activities that make healthy eating easy and convenient.
The good news is, the more you do it, the easier it becomes to eat healthy. And, remember: You don’t have to be perfect. Small changes can make a big difference over time.
Team Member Shout-Out
HR appreciates perfect attendance! One more week until the competition is over. Any employee who has perfect attendance/no call-out for the month of May will be entered into our Surprise Speaker Giveaway!
Asana Recovery Park Day
We are thrilled to announce our Asana Park Day, happening next Wednesday, 5/31 at TeWinkle Park. We invite you to join us for a fun time out in nature!
This event presents a fantastic opportunity to take a break from our busy schedules, reconnect with nature, and spend quality time with our colleagues, staff, and executives. To make the day even more enjoyable, lunch will be provided for all attendees.
Remember to bring your favorite outdoor games, blankets, and any other items that will enhance your park experience. This day is all about fostering connections, creating memories, and rejuvenating our spirits.
Save the date and mark your calendars for this exciting Park Day event at Tewinkle Park. We can't wait to see you all there!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
As professionals in the treatment of addictions and dual diagnosis, employees at Asana Recovery have more understanding of mental illness than the average person. But, this year’s message - the More Than Enough campaign - seems particularly meaningful for employees to keep in mind, for themselves and their patients.
It’s an opportunity for all of us to come together and remember the inherent value we each hold — no matter our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability. We want every person out there to know that if all you did was wake up today, that’s more than enough. No matter what, you are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you is more than enough. - National Alliance on Mental Illness
Trivia
Question: What was the original name for Memorial Day?
Contact HR with your response for the chance to win a gift card!
The answer to last week’s trivia question: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “it is estimated that more than one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (57.8 million in 2021).”
There was no winner last week.