6 Simple Steps for Pharmacists Eating Healthier

   I know what you’re thinking: 

“I don’t even get a lunch break- how am I supposed to even CONSIDER eating healthy as a pharmacist?! It’s not realistic!!”

Oh, really? I beg to differ, so says this pharmacist. 

“It’s just so complicated with my work schedule!” 

Take it from someone who has worked full time in the community setting and maintained a healthy lifestyle for nearly a decade: it CAN be done!

NO- it may not seem easy at first, which is why so many people fall off the wagon (or back onto the old wagon of bad habits- which way does the wagon go, again?): there is so much “do this, do that” out there that reading it all leads to confusion, and each one is so complex you feel like you need to be a dietician to make it work!

Now don’t get me wrong: I was NOT born a master, nor do I proclaim myself to be perfect! However, along my years in #ClubPharmacy I’ve picked up some Nutrition Ninja Know-How, and compiled a list of my easiest tips for you to help make eating your way to health as simple as possible- all while being a pharmacist! Let’s call them SimpleSolutions to Nail Your Nutrition:

1.     Eat foods that you actually like!

Have you ever seen some InstaFamous beach babe/bro who is super ripped, and gives out a free nutrition plan? Tilapia, boiled chicken, raw broccoli for days… oh, the gluttony! It may work to stick to someone else’s plan that worked for them for a week or so, but after a while it’s torture! It’s best to lay out a plan including healthy foods you actually enjoy so that you can stick to your plan for the long haul. 

Consistency is the name of the success game, so setting yourself up on a plan you  want to follow will make that possibility a reality!

2.     Prepare your foods ahead of time

Have you ever heard of bulk cooking? Literally, it’s “cook once and done!” rather than cooking each meal as it comes time to eat. Save yourself time by considering cooking once or twice a week (whichever works best for you and you prefer- this is flexibility at its finest!)- I wrote an entire article all about it that you can read here to simplify that, too! Why prepare meals ahead of time, you may ask? So that your meals are ready to go once it comes time to those 30 seconds between your 5 doctor calls, 8 waiters, drive through complaint and tech who just called off :D

3.     Structure Your Flexibility

In the last tip I mentioned flexibility- this concept is KEY to enabling long-term success with not just your results, but your sanity! Have you ever embarked on the glorious journey of adhering to a meal plan that was so restrictive, you started asking yourself “Well, what CAN I eat?!”

Consider the 80/20 rule: 80% of the foods you eat come from whole, nutritious food sources, while allowing yourself the option to incorporate “fun foods” into the other 20% of your diet. Trust me: knowing that yes, you can have that Twinkie/ice cream/piece of pizza because you planned for it will release you from the feeling of being on a restrictive, deprived existence. It’s just more fun with sprinkles in your life, FitPharmFam!

4.     Identify Your Go-To Convenience Foods for Backup!

When people hear “convenience foods”, they automatically assume that it’s unhealthy or loaded with salt and fat. This may hold true sometimes, but NOT always! Believe it or not, there are some excellent healthy convenience foods that you can even buy in your pharmacy!

 You can learn about how to make simple swaps for the most common foods found in pharmacies here comparing common pharmacy foods to empower you to pick the healthier option. Some other examples include deli meat, single servings of Greek yogurt, protein bars and shakes- the list is large, and you are in charge!  See guys: this CAN be simple, and YES, you CAN do this! 

5.     KICS: Keep It Consistent, Silly!

You’ve probably heard of KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly. Well, just for kicks, I created my very own acronym to highlight the importance that being consistent can have not only on keeping you on track to maintain your success, but to make it as simple as possible! 

Willpower: we all have it, but we only have so much in a day! It’s a limited resource so why waste it in trying to decide when to eat?! If you come up with a schedule that works best for you, stick to that! For me, I have a few different ones: my days off, my half days that I work, and my full 13-hour days that I work. Yes, there will be some wiggle room (flexibility), but having a general strategy (structure) will allow to approach your day with ease because you went into it having a plan. Oh man, it’s structured flexibility yet again! 

6.     Identify Your Triggers for Hunger 

Have you ever eaten to manage your emotions? You know- you weren’t really hungry, but the day was just so stressful that when you got home the next thing you knew all of your cupboards were open and you realized your family-sized bag of chips were miraculously empty? 

This is known as emotional eating, and it is alive and well among us pharmacists- you’ve probably heard it called “stress eating”, and may even have experience with eating out of emotion instead of hunger. You don’t have to be a slave to anxiety! You can learn to master your emotions, and even manage emotional eating by some simple strategies that I lay out for you in this article.

Some go-to pointers are that when you feel yourself moving towards emotionally-driven eating, to come up with some strategy that works for you to keep your mind off of food.

Another tip that works for me personally almost every time: drink water ASAP! Fun fact: the brain has a hard time distinguishing thirst from hunger, so while you may feel hungry, it could actually be that you’re thirsty! Chug a bottle of water, wait 5 minutes, then reassess. This could be your problem solved as simple as glass half-empty/half-full, cheers!

SO there you have it, FitPharmFam- 6 simple steps YOU can take to get you started to making your life in ClubPharmacy one of health and wellness! My passion is to help those in the profession to live a life full of health and empowerment, for if WE are functioning at our 100%, we can then deliver better care to our patients, colleagues, and loved ones in our lives. You can be the change you wish to see in pharmacy: it all starts with YOU!

*Original article published in PharmacyTimes found here

Thank you for reading, my friend! Remember: what do YOU have to do TODAY to dispense your FULL potential?

Yours in health,

~Adam

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Adam Martin, PharmD, ACSM-CPT, NAMS-CNC | [email protected]

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